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Trade Association News: A Great Start for a Very Busy Year
Snow Flurries and Maple Sugar National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) The National Association of Payment Professionals, in association with the Northeast Acquirers' Association's (NEAA) midwinter meeting in Mt. Snow, VT, held another overwhelmingly successful event that demonstrated further strength and support for this upstart organization. Participants, including new members, existing members and the Board of Directors attended from all over the country-including Los Angeles, Birmingham, AL, Chicago, Dallas and Florida. The wide demographic area of attendees at the meeting shows that interest in this organization is spreading. NAOPP will hold a cocktail reception for all members (both new and existing) in Las Vegas in April 2004 to coincide with the Electronic Transactions Association's (ETA) annual meeting-check the NAOPP Web site (www.naopp.com) and The Green Sheet for announcement of time and date. In a cooperative effort with the ETA, to promote the educational experience of ETA's annual meeting, NAOPP announced it will offer an $85 subsidy to all MLS members attending the 2004 ETA Meeting in Las Vegas. This is in addition to the discounted invitation currently being offered to MLSs by ETA; the admission price to NAOPP members (MLSs) is an attractive and affordable $100. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer that every MLS in the country should not miss," said Corey Saftler, a member of the NAOPP Board of Directors. "To attend the industry's most prestigious show, to experience an educational opportunity and be able to network with your peers at a highly discounted price shows NAOPP has made significant progress in furthering industry support for the MLS." MLS members must be registered with NAOPP by April 1, 2004 to be eligible for this subsidy. Sponsorship opportunities are available for this program through NAOPP. For more information e-mail Corey Saftler at coreys@integratedleasing.net Northeast Acquirers' Association (NEAA) Mt. Snow, VT was the location of the NEAA Winter Gathering on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 4 and 5, 2004. This show was a resounding success for vendors and attendees. More than 62 companies exhibited and over 350 attendees braved the New England winter to meet and greet. The meeting was extended to two full days this time, and the vendor hall overflowed with four "strolling" vendors. Tuesday's session began with "Basics of Electronic Payment Processing" presented by Linda Ford, Card Systems. Ford expertly presented an in-depth topic to a full house. Everyone in attendance-newbies and veterans alike- benefited from her insight. Several inches of fresh snow fell just in time for the tubing party, hosted by the NEAA, American Express, Global eTelecom and Paymentech. After sliding down the hill, folks warmed up with hot toddies and classic rock. Wednesday was a full day of meet-and-greet opportunities with the vendors and included expert industry presentations. American Express discussed "The "Franchise Opportunity," MasterCard presented its "Paypass Program" and Discover Financial gave an overview on changes occurring in the industry. An expert panel discussion titled, "Understanding Check 21," featured Brandes Elitch, CrossCheck; Judy DeSomma, Visa POS; Tom Kettell, RDM Corp.; and The Green Sheet's own Patti Murphy. The presentations focused on how Check 21 will affect the POS transaction and offer opportunities for MLSs/ISOs. Wednesday afternoon concluded with presentations by Randy Sagar, NPC; and Barry Davis, First Annapolis Consulting. The Vendor Fair and Reception followed these presentations. Attendees were awarded various door prizes throughout the day and during dinner, including signed copies of Paul Green's "Good Selling! 2," provided by The Green Sheet. Thursday's events included snowmobiling and skiing for those truly hardy souls. Mt. Snow received over eight inches of new snow during the NEAA presentations, so the slopes were freshly groomed for the intrepid. The next NEAA event is scheduled for June 8-10, 2004 in Woodcliff Lake, NJ; it is already shaping up to be bigger and better than any of the previous NEAA conferences. Vendor space is limited. Watch The Green Sheet and the NEAA Web site for an upcoming announcement from the NEAA in collaboration with the American Ski Company, which will benefit all NEAA participants. For more information contact Jacques Breton jbreton@gcfinc.com or visit the NEAA Web site www.northeastacquirers.com New Acquirers' Association Forms Western States Acquirers' Association (WSAA) The Western States Acquirers' Association (WSAA) has been formed to embrace the needs of the payment professional on every level within the merchant acquiring industry, located on the left side of the country. Building on the successes of the other regional acquirer associations, the founding board felt it was time to bring this educational and networking forum to the western U.S. The inaugural meeting will take place Nov. 3-4, 2004 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco. The WSAA Founders:
Registration fees will be $75 for all attendees. Hotel rooms are currently available for $129. No membership is available or required. Vendor registration and fees, sponsorship opportunities, committee assignments, conference agenda and format will all be available soon. The WSAA's Web site is currently under development. For more information, please contact Sherry Friedrichsen at 760-243-7990 or e-mail her at sfriedrichsen@gcfinc.com ETA Announces Two New Regional and Vertical Market Initiatives ETA: Reaching Out to the Face of the Industry The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) announced in mid February 2004 plans to expand access to its educational and business networking offerings to the MLS market. Specifically, the association launched two initiatives designed to better meet the needs of independent sales agents who are a vital component of the service delivery process and the frequent "face of the industry" to merchants. "We realize that the merchant level salesperson is the main point of interaction for many merchants," said Mary Dees, ETA President. "We hope to provide this group with the resources they need to be successful." The first initiative allows individuals who would otherwise be ineligible to become a member of ETA to affiliate with the association and qualify for reduced fees on select programs, products and services. Titled the Affiliate Service Provider (ASP) program, the plan provides the independent MLS with the following benefits: Standing Benefits
Introductory/One-time Benefit
This opportunity is available to individuals only. Those eligible include individuals selling payment services to merchants, including but not limited to credit card processing, check services, ATM or ATM services, e-commerce services, or gift and/or loyalty card services. They are not registered as an MSP or an ISP with Visa or MasterCard. They must be an individual sales agent with no sales personnel selling on his/her behalf and a 1099 contractor; they should not be a W-2 employee of any company. The second initiative is a series of regional education and business networking events, known as the ETA Expo Network. These meetings are designed to be a low cost, easily accessible alternative for MLSs that have not traditionally attended ETA's large, national events. Attendees will gain access to major vendors through a tradeshow and quality education through ETA University offerings and conference sessions. The first show will take place June 24-25, 2004 in La Jolla/San Diego, Calif. Additional regional events, to be held throughout the country, are planned for the future. "With these new programs, ETA now addresses the full spectrum of the merchant acquiring business," said Carla Balakgie, ETA Executive Director. "From the 'feet on the street' to the major processors and beyond, ETA is actively addressing the needs of the industry." ETA believes that expanding the delivery of its educational and business-networking activities to the MLS will benefit the entire community. Sales agents who are better educated about the many facets and complexities of the industry and who are up to date on issues, services and technology will realize a direct return for growing their business and will provide increased value to everyone involved in electronic payments processing. Additionally, with a changing regulatory climate and increased scrutiny on consumer protection and data security, ready access to knowledge, information and education for all that need it is vital to ensuring the highest levels of effective business practices. "This is an opportunity for us to strengthen our industry community," Dees said. "Merchant level salespeople are a key value component in our business. ETA's new events will offer these individuals quality education and increased opportunities to further their success." ETA stresses, however, that it has not changed its primary mission. It is still fully focused on serving the needs of its member companies in delivering their products and services to the marketplace. It sees the ASP and Expo Network programs as ways to accomplish this mission by fostering a highly educated and professional MLS. In the end, their success helps drive everyone's success. ETA Annual Meeting and Expo MGM Grand, Las Vegas April 20-22, 2004 General sessions will feature the following keynote speakers: Charles Fote, Chairman and CEO of First Data Corp.; Wayne Best of Visa USA; and weatherman Al Roker. ETA already has more than 100 vendors signed up to exhibit, and it is expecting over 130 vendors to be represented on the expo floor. This year's meeting will feature 12 breakout conference sessions scheduled in four tracks (sales and marketing, technology, emerging markets and operations). For additional information on ETA programs and events please visit the ETA Web site at www.electran.org or contact: Kevin Brosnahan at 202-828-2635 x 203 kevin.brosnahan@electran.org Midwest Acquirers Association (MWAA) Second Annual MWAA Conference Drake Hotel, Chicago July 28-29, 2004 Nominations for the 2004 Midwest Acquirers' Association (MWAA) Lifetime Achievement Award will be accepted starting the first week in April 2004 only on the MWAA Web site www.midwestacquirers.com. The MWAA Board will review the nominations and announce the recipient at the Second Annual MWAA Conference in July. The MWAA Lifetime Achievement Award honors the outstanding individual who has made significant contributions throughout a career of service to the merchant bankcard and electronic payments industry. This award is a unique tribute given only to the individual who is worthy of "Hall of Fame" status. The 2003 MWAA Conference celebrated the achievements of Robert O. Carr of Heartland Payment Systems. In order for the MWAA board to accept a nomination, these conditions must be met:
For more information on the nomination process or registration for the 2004 MWAA meeting visit the Web site at www.midwestacquirers.com Immediately prior to the MWAA meeting in Chicago, Copia Cash Managers is sponsoring the "Field Guide for the Developing ISO" Seminar, an intensive one-day seminar on building and succeeding in the ISO Business. Where: Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois When: July 28, 2004, 8:30am to 4:00pm Open to MLSs, ISO Sales Managers and anyone looking to be successful in the ISO business. Cost: $100 (includes lunch) For complete information and registration, contact: Mark Dunn, Sr. VP, Copia Cash Managers by e-mail: mdunn@copiacapital.com |
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© 2004, The Green Sheet, Inc. |
he payment-processing industry's 2004 conferences and expos are off to a terrific start. Attendance is increasing steadily as MLSs/ISOs find more regional shows available than ever before. Networking is key to any business success, and the networking opportunities this year are superb whether you want to travel the United States to open new markets, or stay close to home to look for new options.