Platform Leaders Workshops Program – 5th ICAFR – Malaga, Spain

GECA and EDFA are co-hosting hands-on workshops for crowdfunding platforms and ecosystem builders at ICAFR26 in Málaga, Spain.

Interactive Workshops:

🎯 Investor UX & Engagement – Strategies that convert and retain
💎 Secondary Markets, Technology & Tokenisation – Designing liquidity infrastructure
📊 Platform Data & Research – Scholar matchmaking and data-driven optimization

Plus: Dedicated peer exchange sessions with platform leaders building the future of global crowdfunding.

Who Should Attend:
Platform operators, ecosystem builders, regulators, technology providers, and anyone building cross-border crowdfunding infrastructure.

Platform Leader Workshops Agenda:

These workshops bring together platforms, technology providers and industry experts in one room to have direct, practical conversations about where the market is heading. Expect honest discussion, real questions and clear insights – not high-level theory or sales pitches.

Workshop 1: Crowdfunding 2.0: Technology, Tokenisation, and the Future of Secondary Markets Chaired by Andy Field (GECA)

Crowdfunding Technology & Secondary Markets – Setting the Scene
Technology Showcases: A series of short, focused contributions from industry experts exploring how technology is being applied today

Interactive session – Shout Out Q&A – Come prepared to share your questions and experiences! – A fast-paced, open discussion focused on practical challenges and opportunities, including: Cross-border investing and tokenisation, Secondary market models, Platform collaboration, and AI’s role in operational efficiency

Fireside Chat – Secondary markets – A moderated discussion exploring the current state of secondary markets and bulletin boards and whether technology could unlock more viable models.

Closing Round – A short forward-looking discussion on the technologies most likely to shape the next phase of crowdfunding.

Workshop 2: UX – Chaired by Konstantin Boyko (Lenderkit)

Presentation from Konstantin Boyko: a) How UX differs across jurisdictions (and how regulation shapes it), b) When a mobile-first approach makes sense – and when it doesn’t, c) Common practices for building campaign pages

Interactive Discussion Question: How can platforms improve conversion rates within the EU legal framework? Input from all workshop participants

Workshop 3: Data Aggregators and their impact on the growth of the market.- Chaired by Karsten Wenzlaff (EDFA)

Presentation from Karsten: Who aggregates alternative finance data in the EU and the US?
Fireside Chat with Industry experts and researchers
Q&A with attendees, platforms and researchers

Why Málaga:
Co-located with the International Conference on Alternative Finance Research (ICAFR26) – bringing together practitioners and academics in one place.

This isn’t a conference. It’s a working session. Come ready to build, collaborate, and solve real challenges with your peers.