Sibos (previously known as SWIFT International Banking Operations Seminar) is a global financial services event. This annual conference, exhibition, networking event is organized by SWIFT for the financial industry and is held annually around the world in major cities. Sibos brings together thousands of business leaders, decision makers and topic experts from across the financial ecosystem. Industry leading speakers and conference sessions, partners, and multiple networking events occur at Sibos.
The first Sibos was held in 1978 in Brussels[1] and has since been held in multiple European cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, and Helsinki, as well as other cities (such as Boston and Toronto) in North America and Sydney in Australia. In recent years, it has also been held more regularly in Asia and Oceania like China, Japan, Singapore, UAE, Australia and others. The conference has an average annual turnout of over 7,000 participants from around the world representing the financial services industry. The highest turnout was at the 2019 conference held in London which had about 11,500 participants.
People who work in financial markets around the world participate as attendees and exhibitors to discuss issues relevant to the financial industry.[2] Topics vary by year, but remain relevant to the current landscape of the global financial ecosystem in the areas of payments, securities, risk management, innovation, and cash management and trade.
| Year | Location | Region | Dates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 |  Brussels, Belgium | Europe | Five years after its foundation, SWIFT organises the first “SIBOS” with 300 participants to maintain contact with its growing user base. | ||
| 1979 | Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Europe | |||
| 1980 |  Copenhagen, Denmark | Europe | |||
| 1981 |  Düsseldorf, Germany | Europe | |||
| 1982 |  Washington D.C., United States | North America | The first Sibos outside of Europe | ||
| 1983 |  Montreux, Switzerland | Europe | |||
| 1984 |  Barcelona, Spain | Europe | |||
| 1985 |  Brighton, United Kingdom | Europe | |||
| 1986 |  Nice, France | Europe | |||
| 1987 |  Montreal, Canada | North America | |||
| 1988 |  Vienna, Austria | Europe | |||
| 1989 |  Stockholm, Sweden | Europe | |||
| 1990 | Berlin, Germany | Europe | |||
| 1991 |  Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Asia | The first Sibos in Asia | ||
| 1992 | Brussels, Belgium | Europe | |||
| 1993 | Geneva, Switzerland | Europe | |||
| 1994 | Boston, United States | North America | |||
| 1995 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Europe | |||
| 1996 |  Florence, Italy | Europe | |||
| 1997 |  Sydney, Australia | Oceania | |||
| 1998 |  Helsinki, Finland | Europe | |||
| 1999 | Munich, Germany | Europe | |||
| 2000 | San Francisco, United States | North America | |||
| 2001 |  | Asia | Cancelled following the 11 September attacks | ||
| 2002 | Geneva, Switzerland | Europe | |||
| 2003 | Singapore, Singapore | Asia | |||
| 2004 | Atlanta, United States | North America | |||
| 2005 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Europe | |||
| 2006 | Sydney, Australia | Oceania | |||
| 2007 | Boston, United States | North America | |||
| 2008 | Vienna, Austria | Europe | 15–19 September | ||
| 2009 | Hong Kong, China | Asia | 14–18 September | ||
| 2010 |  Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Europe | 25–29 October | The largest Sibos to date with 8,900 delegates, now surpassed by London 2019 | |
| 2011 | Toronto, Canada | North America | 19–23 September | The largest Sibos in the Americas to date with 7,600 delegates | |
| 2012 |  Osaka, Japan | Asia | 29 October–1 November | The largest Sibos in Asia Pacific to date with 6,250 delegates | |
| 2013 |  Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Middle East | 16–19 September | ||
| 2014 | Boston, United States | North America | 29 September–2 October | ||
| 2015 | Singapore, Singapore | Asia | 12–15 October | ||
| 2016 | Geneva, Switzerland | Europe | 26-29 September | 8,300 delegates from 158 countries | |
| 2017 | Toronto, Canada | North America | 16 - 19 October | ||
| 2018 | Sydney, Australia | Oceania | 22 - 25 October | 7,500 attendees | |
| 2019 | London, United Kingdom | Europe | 23 - 26 September | Largest attendance with 11,500 delegates | |
| 2020 | | North America | 5 - 8 October | Cancelled then replaced by a digital event due to Covid-19[3] | |
| 2021 | | Asia | 11 - 14 October | Replaced by a digital event due to Covid-19[4] | |
| 2022 | Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Europe | 10 - 13 October | ||
| 2023 | Toronto, Canada | North America | 18 - 21 September | ||
| 2024 | Beijing, China | Asia | 21 - 24 October | ||
| 2025 | Frankfurt, Germany | Europe | 29 September - 2 October | ||
| 2026 | Miami, United States | North America | 28 September - 1 October | ||
| 2027 | Singapore, Singapore | Asia | 11-14 October |