or an inaugural meeting, the Western States Acquirers' Association (WSAA) conference was, by all accounts, a slam dunk. Even if it hadn't been the first gathering organized by the newest of the regional organizations throughout the country, the turnout as well as the presentations, breakout sessions and expo were well organized and informative. WSAA hit the nail on the head.

The meeting was the culmination of a lot of hard work over a long period of time by the association's all-volunteer organizers. Their efforts were evident in the smooth running program, the quality of the information presented and number of sponsors, vendors and attendees.

WSAA's Board of Directors, Sherry Friedrichsen, Steve Christianson, Steve Eazell, Ken Elderts, Bruce Ferguson, Alice Kong, Jamie Savant, Brian Anderson, Arcy Stevens, Gregg Gumbinger and Dyanna Jordan, deserved the round of applause they received at the meeting's opening session.

Playing up the local theme, the conference, "Bridging Knowledge to Success" was held Nov. 3 - 4, 2004 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, an elegant, historic classic on Union Square in San Francisco. The meeting drew attendees from a broad spectrum of businesses within the payments industry from across the country.

About 350 attendees, including 159 ISOs, merchant level salespeople (MLSs) and other industry professionals from California, Colorado, Washington and points in between and beyond, and 190 vendor and sponsor representatives, braved the drizzly gray Northern California fall weather to learn and network.

Sponsors and vendors representing solution providers, equipment manufacturers, processors, ISOs and card Associations filled the room reserved as the expo hall to overflow capacity; there were so many, in fact, that an entirely separate space had to be set up on a mezzanine level. In all, 74 companies exhibited.

Wednesday's agenda included two events held in conjunction with the WSAA conference. The National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) held an open meeting on Wednesday morning. Following the meeting, NAOPP sponsored a luncheon for members and attendees.

The afternoon hours were reserved for Mark Dunn's "Field Guide for the ISO," a collaborative educational seminar. Despite the separate registration required, the room was jam-packed with attentive ISOs/MLSs furiously taking notes.

During the program, four one-hour panel sessions covered topics vital to anyone in the merchant acquiring business. From planning a blueprint for a successful ISO, to maturing in the marketplace, financing a business for expansion and getting more revenue out of a business, close to 20 industry veterans took part in the panels, sharing their expertise and opinions with the audience.

The panelists represented a wide range of backgrounds, including banking, processing, acquiring and law, and provided unique viewpoints, discussed issues and took questions from the audience. Panel presentations covered topics including customer service (and working with a processor that supports agents and their merchants with excellent customer service); lead generation; fees, margins and discount rates and selecting the right vendors.

Comments from attendees during and afterward indicated they gained a lot from the afternoon, including solid information that inspired them and triggered new ideas for their own businesses. Following the "Field Guide" program was the WSAA's opening reception with the exhibitors, where attendees mingled, made connections and spoke with vendors about their latest products and solutions.

After that, everyone was on their own for enjoying a night on the town in San Francisco; sushi and steaks were the popular choices for dinner.

Thursday's schedule included a full agenda of presentations and breakout sessions with different options to suit attendees' specific interests. The real benefit of many of the presentations was the way speakers outlined opportunities for MLSs. It wasn't just about the technologies, equipment or solutions; presenters described how salespeople can implement them to create revenue streams for themselves.

General sessions covered emerging markets including health care, recurring payments, using cell phones in retail payment processing, wireless, RFID, QSRs and IP vs. dial-up, as well as revenue opportunities they create.

Attendees had their choice of topics during two breakout sessions, which included compliance and security, profits from ATMs, watching a live "hacking" demonstration, payroll and prepaid cards and Internet gateways.

As solutions and systems become more complex, it's more difficult for MLSs to keep up with the rapidly changing environment in which they work, and awareness is crucial to their success. There is a need for education and WSAA provided attendees with an excellent solution.

WSAA President Sherry Friedrichsen said, "I heard comments from both the attendees and exhibitors that we had a 'great' turnout, the show was 'incredible' and 'had an excellent agenda,' and that 'it held the interest and attention of everyone.'"

The follow-up comments were equally positive. Friedrichsen passed along e-mails to The Green Sheet that she received after the conference:

"The WSAA was truly a well run and organized event. Everything, from the venue to the presentations, was first rate. Sherry and the WSAA board did a remarkable job pulling it all together."
- Sponsor/vendor Mike Petitti, Ambiron

"I just wanted to thank you and your staff for an excellent WSAA show. Bringing vendors and MSPs together in one area is something that has been lacking in the West since my entering this arena over three years ago. I look forward with great anticipation to the next opportunity to mingle and learn."
- Attendee Larry Mazur, Commerce Resources International

With its first meeting, WSAA, as the most recently formed regional acquirers' association, should feel it accomplished its mission of putting on a well-run, well-attended conference that offered a tremendous amount of solid information for those lucky enough to be there.