When COVID-19 halted in-person events worldwide, the Banker’s Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) needed a way to keep its transactional banking community connected. Their challenge was urgent: deliver the same high-value networking and insight-rich sessions their members relied on—without the ability to gather in person.
SW Creative partnered with BAFT to transition their flagship global conferences online, launch a new experience called BAFT Connect, and deliver a seamless series of virtual events that attracted attendees from more than ten countries.
Background
Throughout the pandemic, BAFT’s international community still needed a space to collaborate, learn, and exchange insights. Instead of scaling back, BAFT wanted to replicate the experience of an in-person conference—from session flow to networking opportunities—on a fully virtual platform.
To make this possible, SW Creative designed a comprehensive digital strategy that merged strong branding, flawless logistics, and high-quality content.
SW Creative partnered with the Banker’s Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT) at a moment when the organization needed to rapidly reimagine how it brought its global community together. Working alongside partners such as Trade Finance Global, IHS Markit, Cvent, and CGI, our team stepped in to build a full virtual event ecosystem—from branding to execution—capable of replacing BAFT’s flagship in-person conferences.
Our work began with developing a modern, unified visual identity that signaled BAFT’s commitment to innovation during a turbulent period for the financial industry. From there, we built a comprehensive communications strategy, rolling out coordinated email campaigns and social media announcements designed to reach BAFT’s international network and drive registrations across multiple time zones.
Behind the scenes, SW Creative configured and customized the virtual platform, ensuring a seamless technical foundation for live session facilitation and high-quality speaker coordination. We wanted the virtual experience to reflect the same sense of connection BAFT members were accustomed to, which led to the creation of BAFT Connect—dedicated digital spaces where attendees could meet, exchange ideas, and build relationships in real time.
Every detail was designed to mirror the flow and energy of an in-person conference, despite tight turnaround times and the inherent complexities of running multiple global events online. After each event, we gathered and analyzed engagement data through post-event surveys, allowing BAFT to measure impact and refine future experiences.
The result was a series of three international virtual conferences that drew more than 500 attendees from over ten countries—events marked by high participation, strong engagement scores, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from BAFT’s global community.
Feedback From Attendees
“High energy, great panels, good session content, and relevant speakers in international trade with lots of engagement.”
— Conference Attendee, Toronto, Canada
Conclusion
In a year defined by disruption, SW Creative helped BAFT not only adapt but innovate. The launch of BAFT Connect and the success of its virtual conferences strengthened community engagement and positioned BAFT as a digital leader in transactional banking events.