he 3rd Annual ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) Conference West, ATM Futures Summit and Awards, was held October 28-30 in Palm Springs, Calif. The program focused on trends and issues facing ATM deployment in the U.S. market.

During this three-day industry summit, senior ATM industry decision-makers came together to network and share ideas for improving the industry. Event sponsors included Palm Desert National Bank, Banc Investment Group and Wells Fargo. Global sponsors of ATMIA include Triton, Tranax Technology, NCR, LaGard, De La Rue Cash Systems and ATMmarketplace.com.

The agenda included a highly motivational presentation by Frank Lunn, President, Kahuna Business Group. Lunn's inspiring personal story spoke of "building a success framework to reach your dreams." His book, "Stack the Logs!," will be reviewed in a future issue of The Green Sheet.

The highlight of the event was the 2nd Annual Global ATM Industry Awards Banquet. Dennis DeBondt, the "Sears Tower of Magic," emceed and entertained the audience with slight-of-hand and card tricks. There was no illusion to the awards honoring contributions to the industry over the past year, though; they were announced as follows:

Cardtronics founder Ralph Clinard was presented with the Lyle Elias Lifetime Achievement award.

Best Practice ATM Deployment

ISO Category

1. eFunds Corp.
2. Travelex

Financial Institution Category

1. Bank of Queensland
2. Caja Madrid

Best ATM Technology

Through the Wall ATMs

1. Triton FT5000
2. APTRA Management and Gasper

Stand Alone ATMs

1. Triton 9100
2. Travelex

Best Contribution to Promoting the Interests and Growth of the ATM Industry

Individual Category

1. Mike Lee, International Director of ATMIA
2. Mark Grossi

Organizational Category

1. Palm Desert National Bank
2. The Members of the ATM Integrity Task Force

The ATMIA events are an excellent forum for MLSs to connect with the specialized ATM vendors. A number of the vendors at this show are actively seeking MLS representation. The next ATMIA meeting is set for Feb. 17--19, 2004 in Tampa, Fla.

BASC Vendor Expo

The meeting, held at the Holiday Inn Monrovia, was the biggest event ever for this association. The agenda was motivational and instructional, and it featured presentations by industry professionals including Joe Kaplan, David Press, Ryan Fenley and Steve Eazell.

Vendor tables lined the presentation room, and for the time being, the entire event took place all in one space. But, with the recent growth in attendance and participation at the regional meetings, the BASC may need to find a bigger home. The meeting format did keep the focus on providing information, and there was ample time for networking with the 26 vendors represented.

The regional meetings are proving to be the best way for individual MLSs to gain "face time" with vendors in our industry. Conversations in the more intimate environments of these smaller venues enable sales professionals to get their individual questions addressed directly.

In 2004, The Green Sheet will sponsor at least five regional meetings of the acquirers' associations. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities.

Looking Ahead to 2004

Next year's schedule of conferences and expos in our market is bigger than ever. There will be more events, and the meeting attendance numbers are increasing rapidly. The Green Sheet's online Trade Show Directory and Trade Association Directory include meeting details (as they are available), links to online registration forms and contact information.

Northeast Acquirers' Association (NEAA)

www.northeastacquirers.com

The 2004 NEAA Winter Seminar and Outing is scheduled for February 3, 4 and 5, 2004. This popular winter event will return to the Grand Summit Hotel & Conference Center, located in Mount Snow, Vt. with winter activities such as tubing, skiing, snowmobiling and more.

Over the years, NEAA has successfully brought educational and networking opportunities to its participants. The demand for NEAA continues to grow, and this growth is what has led to expanding the show to two full days. The following is an outline of the changes to the program:

The event will begin on Feb. 3 at 1:00 p.m., with an educational seminar on the "Basics of Payment Processing," sponsored by CardSystems. Linda Ford will present the history of payment processing and touch on today's evolving processing requirements.

American Express, Global eTelecom, Paymentech and NEAA will sponsor a complimentary cocktail reception to include local entertainment on Tuesday evening, Feb. 3, from 6 - 10 p.m. Attendance has grown tremendously at this event and space is limited, so please mark your calendar and register early. Vendor space is available on a first-serve basis (limited to 55 vendors tables).

National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP)

www.naopp.com

A better-educated MLS will submit higher-quality business to industry vendors, reduce training costs to the ISO and deliver better service to the merchant.

Building an association is challenging, given the need to give voice to so many sales representatives who remain unregistered.

While the balancing act of forming an association of heretofore-faceless sales professionals isn't easy, receiving needed training, certification, benefits and recognition are a strong incentive for independent contractors to become active members of this association built specifically for them.

The next membership meeting of the NAOPP will be held in conjunction with the NEAA winter meeting (see below). The agenda will be a Q & A format. The list of guest speakers was not available at press time, so please visit the NAOPP Web site for further details.

Next NAOPP Meeting:

Tuesday, February 3, 2004

9:30 a.m. (includes free buffet lunch)

Grand Summit Lodge, Mt. Snow, Vt.

2004 Industry Events - Highlights

The 2004 calendar is already in full-bloom. Be sure to check The Green Sheet Online's Trade Show Directory for additional information. (Look for a complete list of upcoming 2004 events in The Green Sheet, December 22, 2003, issue 03:12:02.) Here's a partial list of what's ahead:

• ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), Conference East 2004
  February 17 - 19, 2004, Marriott Waterside, Tampa, Fla.
  www.atmiaconferences.com/Events/ATMIAConferenceEast/Index.cfm?
  
  

• Food Marketing Institute (FMI), MARKETECHNICS 2004
  February 29 - March 2, 2004, Moscone Center, San Francisco
  www.fmi.org/events/tech/
  
  

• NACHA, Payments 2004
  March 21 - 24, 2004
  Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle
  www.nacha.org/conferences/Payments2004//gs_archive.php?emagazineIssueNumber=031201
  
  

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), 2004 Annual Meeting and Expo
  April 20 - 22, 2004, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
  www.electran.org/annual
  
  

• Northeast Acquirers' Association, Summer Event
  June 8 -10, 2004, Hilton, Woodcliff, NJ
  www.northeastacquirers.com
  
  

• Midwest Acquirers' Association
  July 28 - 30, 2004, The Drake Hotel, Chicago
  www.midwestacquirers.com
  
  

• Financial Women International, Annual Meeting
  September 2004, Nashville, Tenn.
  www.fwi.org
  
  

• Southeast Acquirers' Association
  October 2004, Atlanta
  www.southeastacquirers.com
  
  

The 2004 tradeshow calendar is shaping up to be a busy one! Many organizations have set dates and locations but are still finalizing agendas. For more information on upcoming events, please visit www.greensheet.com/tradeshows.htm .