Our first-time experience at the 2024 Marketplace Risk Management Conference in San Francisco was an enriching blend of insightful sessions, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Here’s a recap of our three-day journey:
Day 1: Tuesday May 14th:
Welcome Reception: The welcome reception at Convene offered a relaxed environment to network with fellow attendees and speakers. The ambiance was vibrant, setting the stage for productive conversations and networking – and they served a great selection of wine…as the saying goes, “when in California”!
Opening Session: Tell Me You’ve Heard about Pig Butchering
“Pig butchering” is an industrial-scale romance scam and investment scheme that can no longer be ignored. You’ve likely received a text seemingly sent to the wrong number. This session revealed who is sending these texts, their origin, and how transnational organized crime drives this widespread scam, costing the world billions of dollars.
We attended several compelling sessions, including:
The Need to Protect Minors: Regulations, Legislation, and Product Design
This session addressed the latest legal and policy advancements aimed at protecting children’s privacy and online safety. It was designed to assist marketplace counsel and technology teams in creating cohesive strategies amidst legal uncertainties. Key discussion points included:
- An overview of current children’s online privacy and safety laws.
- Updates on the litigation surrounding California’s Age Appropriate Design Code.
- Legislative efforts to bridge the gaps between existing laws and the legal challenges they face.
Attendees gained insights into how these developments impact their strategies and operations in ensuring children’s privacy and safety online.
Day 2: Wednesday, May 15th:
Check in & Networking Breakfast: The day began with a networking breakfast, providing an excellent opportunity to reconnect and prepare for the sessions ahead.
We attended several compelling sessions, including:
A Graduated Approach to Risk: Protecting Platforms Across the Customer Journey
As platforms evolve to offer a wider range of business services and use cases, risk mitigation strategies must also adapt to be equally dynamic and diverse. This session discussed the implementation of flexible workflows to manage risk throughout the customer journey. The session highlighted a graduated approach to risk management that protects the entire customer experience from onboarding through transactions and beyond. Attendees learned about the advantages of staged risk-based workflows, how to apply friction-right identity verification, and the use of risk scoring to ensure a seamless experience for trusted users while safeguarding the platform.
Sessions we found particularly informative included:
What All Marketplaces Need to Know about Screening with Background Checks to Avoid More Risk
Pam Devata, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, focused on the role of background checks in risk mitigation for marketplaces. She covered existing and emerging laws related to screening programs, ensuring that these practices do not inadvertently increase risk. Attendees learned about the legal landscape affecting background checks and how to comply with these regulations to enhance their risk management strategies.
Today’s Disruptors in High-Volume Onboarding
Hiring the right people is crucial for companies, but the process is becoming increasingly complex due to rising fraud attempts and sophisticated techniques like deepfakes. As businesses strive to scale, they must navigate challenges from virtual hiring and AI to evolving policy changes. This discussion between experts in business, technology, and policy explored the latest innovations and strategies that marketplaces need to consider to stay ahead.
Evening: We had a wonderful time at the TransUnion-hosted dinner at Le Colonial. The beautiful restaurant provided a perfect backdrop for deepening our connections and discussing the day’s learnings over delicious food.
After Party: The evening concluded with a lively karaoke party at Pandora Karaoke & Bar, sponsored by ActiveFence and LegitScript. It was a fun and memorable experience, where we sang, danced, and further bonded with fellow conference attendees.
Day 3: Thursday, May 16
We started the final day with another networking breakfast at Vista Gallery.
We explored advanced topics in sessions such as:
Six Degrees of Separation: Data Science Exposes Secret KYB Risk
This session explored the advanced requirements of KYB (Know Your Business) for marketplaces, which go beyond simply verifying the existence of a single business. Attendees learned how these requirements can reveal international connections between multiple entities and uncover hidden patterns in vast datasets through data science. The session demonstrated how integrating an intelligence layer into business verification can help marketplaces map global relationships, detect risk signals, and segment subgroups, such as micro-merchants.
Conclusion
The Marketplace Risk Management Conference was an invaluable experience for the Vital4 team. We left with a wealth of knowledge, new connections, and actionable strategies to enhance risk management for marketplaces. The engaging sessions, insightful discussions, and fun-filled networking events like the karaoke party and TransUnion dinner made it a memorable and impactful event. We hope to see you all there again next year! If you would like to connect with our CRO, Todd McCormick to learn more about Vital4’s AI driven data solutions to help mitigate risk within your marketplace, please reach out here.
