Equity Mates’ Finfest event in Sydney on October 15th was a sight to behold.
Who would have thought bringing together well-worn finance brands like Magellan, Fidelity, and Morningstar, with a near 2000-odd crowd of entrepreneurial younger investors could be such a success?
Super impressed with the setup and content at Finfest.
The audience is young and engaged, and unlike so many investing events, there are actually women here!!
Congrats to @EquityMates for putting on such a great event 🤘 pic.twitter.com/G7HwsO3BCX
— Angela Thompson (@angela_shares) October 15, 2022
Equity Mates is a podcast network and media company started by Alec Renehan and Bryce Leske. It’s a network designed to help investors learn about personal finance and investing.
As two of Australia’s biggest podcasters, and entrepreneurs in the broader financial media space, Bryce and “Ren” have again done the ‘impossible’ in our industry — making the simple, diversified, long-term investment conversation relevant to young Australians.
It was brilliant to see the positive impact Equity Mates had in ‘cutting through’ the stigma and taboo of money and getting people together.
Research shows that effective communication about money and investing is key to unlocking financial literacy. Whether that’s around the dinner table, while out with friends, or in a podcast.
A 2020 study by ASX showed that 27% of males and 22% of females preferred to get their investing information delivered via podcasts. And amongst next generation and wealth accumulator audiences, that figure stood at 30% and 29%, respectively.
So was it really any surprise that on a sunny day, when Sydney-siders could have been throwing their money at horse races, a huge crowd of like-minded young Aussies flocked to Barangaroo for talks about money and investing?
Various reports suggested the line to get into The Cutaway, not far from Barangaroo’s bustling entertainment precinct, was up to 400 metres long.
Audiences were captivated by headline acts from financial educator and Investsmart director Effie Zahos, on her journey From Converse to Louboutins; Stake’s founder Matt Leibowitz on scaling a start-up, the Motley Fool’s Scott Phillips on staying rational in uncertain times, and many more.
It was truly special to look out across the crowds to see so many young people entertained and engaged by commonsense strategies for creating wealth. And I don’t think anyone but Equity Mates could have taken such a collaborative and positive approach to working with industry.
No matter which way I look at it, Finfest was a success.
Not just in proving that young people want to engage with finance brands, but to remind ourselves that you are not the only one who has kept these conversations private — while thousands, if not millions, of Aussies think the same.
Well done Equity Mates.
