The Gift Card and Voucher Association (GCVA) Global Conference returns as an in-person event in 2022, celebrating the success of gift cards and offering insight into the future of the industry.
Hosted at a brand-new venue, the Hilton London Bankside, the conference will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2022 based on the theme ‘The answer is gift cards’. Attendees will be able to enjoy two action-packed days of insight, debates, case studies and valuable networking opportunities.
As the highlight of the gift card industry calendar, the conference provides a platform to bring the whole gift card and voucher community together, including all major players across the UK and internationally. Stored Value Solutions (SVS) will be returning as the lead sponsor, supporting the GCVA with the event.
Attendees will be immersed in the full gift card experience with opportunities to watch industry innovation showcases, get updates on evolving marketing strategies and market trends, engaging with inspirational speakers and explore the exhibition hall. Those who are new to the gift card industry and seeking to understand how gift cards can positively impact a business can find out everything they need to know at GCVA 101.
The event is also set to play host to an exciting lineup of expert speakers, with highlights including the day two keynote speech delivered by Marion King, director of payments at NatWest Group. The ever-popular Mark Essex, director of skills at KPMG, also returns as a speaker by popular demand.
Despite the pandemic, gift cards have continued to grow in popularity and remain a key player in the fintech and payments market. The GCVA Gift Back research shows that gift cards are shoppers ‘go to’ method of supporting their favourite brands recovery, and 3.2 million adults across the UK have begun purchasing gift cards specifically since the start of the pandemic.
Gail Cohen, director general of the GCVA, said: “We’re extremely excited to be back hosting our gift card conference in-person and we are looking forward to bringing everyone together next year to celebrate the gift card industry and share experiences from across the globe.
“Gift cards continue to be extremely popular, with the market growing by 25% in the first half of 2021. This was largely driven by businesses increasingly opting for gift cards as a means to both thank customers and reward employees.
“As the gift card industry thrives, so too do our plans for the conference, and this promises to be the biggest and best year yet to retain the event’s reputation as the go-to forum for the industry. The conference provides an opportunity for attendees to fully immerse themselves in the gift card world and understand the real benefits they can have for a business. It’s a wonderful opportunity to find out why the answer really is gift cards.”
Mark Schatz, President at SVS, lead sponsor of the event, said: “For years now, the GCVA conference has been the go-to event for the gift card and voucher industry – and this year will be the biggest yet.
“Over the past couple of years the gift card industry has not just shown resilience, but also a tremendous spirit for innovation, as evidenced by its continued growth even amidst continued disruption and external headwinds. This year’s conference will be the perfect opportunity for the industry to come together and both share learnings and discuss how the sector can continue to grow and flourish. We are thrilled to be able to support this event once again.”
Following the success of last year’s virtual conference, more details will be announced later this year about digital access to the event. The conference is open to all GCVA members and non-members from across the gift card, payments, fintech and related industries.
For more information on sponsorship and partnership opportunities, promotions or any other questions email conference@gcva.co.uk, call +44 1424 205 444 or visit https://gcvaconference.com/.
To purchase tickets, click here.
May 2023 issue
2023 A1 Buyers Guide
