Q&A with Foresight chair Simon Black
Why are you creating Foresight’26? Three primary reasons: there are no events for the payments industry that really focus on content, probing what are the trends to shape the next 5-10 years. Most events are designed to maximize attendance, which is great for a mega sales conference or trade show, but it does not optimize high-level dialogue between leaders in the ecosystem. This is what can lead to innovative and strategic partnerships. Finally, as a payments CEO, it took me 16 years to build up my personal network of fellow CEOs in the industry and I want to accelerate that process for others.
What’s your vision for the event? I want to create the highest level event where important topics are debated, and collectively we can step back once a year and evaluate the forces shaping our industry. Let’s focus on the threats that can be seen off early or the opportunities to lean into. Most importantly, payments is an ecosystem of an industry, with co-opetition the norm, so strong relationships are invaluable. And the best relationships between organizations stem from the top.
Who can attend? The event is for CEOs of payments companies and heads of payments businesses within larger groups. Some may have held such a role previously and now sit on boards or are in a broader role. We are committed to ensuring 90% of attendees fit these criteria. The other 10% will be leading industry investors and professional service leaders with payments expertise who will add to the conversation.
Why are you restricting who can attend? Any event is made by the calibre of its attendees and the quality of its content. In a smaller event this is critical. I want to ensure that delegates will benefit from time with their peers, both existing acquaintances and new connections. This is an invitation-only event, and we are happy to take expressions of interest or referrals, which we will then benchmark against our criteria.
What can attendees expect? Thought-provoking original content, stimulating debate, and many opportunities to meet and get to know peers and key players in our industry. This is a premium event, so every aspect of the facilities will be first rate and designed to get the best out of the agenda, and maximize insights and connections.
What do you mean by “original content”? Typically at conferences you hear opinions rather than fact-based insights, or pre-existing company presentations that may have been adapted, at best. Original content means going further, addressing a strategic question and building a new hypothesis. This might include original research and new case studies. I’ll be working with attendees to highlight strategic questions facing payments companies, and then collaborate with our strategic content partners to create insights on the most important issues facing our industry.
What are the “outputs” exactly? Those attending Foresight’26 will learn something that will provoke new perspectives on where their business needs to head; they will make significant new connections and strengthen existing but nascent relationships. They will be able to think more clearly about the macro and industry context shaping their business in 2026 and beyond.
What is guiding you in shaping the event? Firstly, I’m building my ideal event! I’ve attended hundreds of events and spoken at dozens. I’ve taken the best elements I experienced and also thought about what was missing. And I’ve taken input on the format and concept for Foresight from over 30 CEOs. Most important is that I think there is a gap for a small scale, premium event designed from the bottom up for CEOs in the payments industry.
Is the event only relevant for payments businesses? Certainly CEOs of payments businesses will be the largest contingent but the event will be relevant for any CEO or top professional where payments plays a critical role. For example, payments is central for many banks, or is a key area of investment for some large funds.