BlakeShine

CONCEPT: For Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, Marqeta set out to re-establish a strategic presence at the conference without returning to the traditional trade-show-booth model. After several years of only hosting offsite meetings, the initiative focused on rebuilding a partnership with the M2020 team and securing a sponsorship aligned to our goals: top-of-mind brand visibility, a high-traffic on-floor presence, and a branded environment that could serve as a content studio—without requiring staff to physically “man” a booth.  Collaborating closely with Money20/20, we co-developed a new sponsorship product: a corner coffee lounge in a prime location on the show floor. The space served as a casual hub for ad-hoc meetings, organic foot traffic, and on-site filming with our production crew, giving Marqeta a physical presence that operated more like a cultural installation than a booth. To deepen the brand experience, the coffee offering was paired with Comedy Roasts, featuring a well-known local comedian who delivered light, medium, or dark roasts with each cup—an unexpected twist that amplified the casual, approachable feel of the lounge.

For an additional touchpoint with prospects and customers, I curated an invite-only rooftop gathering at The Traveller, featuring hosted content with 11:FS and interactive experiences including roaming fintech trivia, custom graffiti swag, and a typewriter poet. Together, these elements reintroduced Marqeta to the European market with a presence that was modern, human, and unmistakably on-brand—focused on visibility, connection, and memorable moments rather than traditional booth engagement.

Throughout the initiative, I partnered cross-functionally with Creative, Demand Gen, PMM, and RevOps, led weekly GTM syncs, and owned all European vendor sourcing, contracting, and production management.
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