his spring the Southeast Acquirers' Association's fifth annual meeting convened in March; the Internal Revenue Service granted the National Association of Payment Professionals status as an IRC 501(c)(6) tax exempt organization; and the Electronic Transactions Association is gearing up for its Annual Meeting & Expo in Las Vegas.

And this summer the Midwest Acquirers' Association invites industry professionals to attend a job fair in Chicago, and the Northeast Acquirers' Association wants to play golf in Parsippany, N.J.

Trade associations provide opportunities to learn about the latest industry trends while building relationships with peers. Following are news and updates from each organization.

More information on all the conferences, such as agendas and direct links for registration and hotels, is available on each association's Web site.

National and multinational associations

ATM Industry Assoc. (ATMIA)

www.atmia.com

ATMIA, the only international, independent forum for the ATM industry, reported the following:

• ATMIA is establishing a U.S. industry defense fund that ATMIA's Government Relations Committee (GRC) will draw from to cover the costs of lobbying state and federal authorities regarding proposed legislation that could adversely affect ATM businesses and the ATM industry.

• ATM crime is a big issue in New York, so in conjunction with Palm Desert National Bank, ATMIA will hold a one-day ATM risk management workshop in New York City on May 11. Speakers will include representatives from the New York City and state police departments, U.S. Secret Service, FBI, New York's U.S. Attorney's office, and local politicians.

• The Debit Council PIN POS Security Task Force was organized as a collaborative risk-assessment effort focused on POS terminal security. ATMIA believes that the industry needs to craft a collective response to the risk of POS skimming, especially in a time when cross-channel fraud migration is increasing. This response will take the form of 1) creation and dissemination of a PIN POS best practices guide and 2) outreach to merchant locations that deploy such devices.

• GRC wrote a letter of support for Sen. Charles Fuschillo's (NY) bill (S.5370-C) to enact the "anti-phishing act of 2006." The bill calls for prohibiting misuse of the Internet to obtain identifying information by misrepresenting oneself as an online business.

• The Sponsoring Financial Institution Committee asked MasterCard for and was granted an extension to the deadline for compliance with the ATM owner agreement requirement in regard to existing and new ATMs from June 1, 2006 to Nov. 1, 2006.

• ATMIA is currently in the process of forming a committee of ISOs to lend the association experience and brain power. The group will first address compliance and interchange.

For more information, visit ATMIA's Web site or e-mail Lana Harmelink at mail.atmia.com"> mailto:lana@mail.atmia.com

www.electran.org

As we went to press, ETA's Annual Meeting and Expo, the industry's largest event drawing several thousand attendees, was set to take place April 18 - 20 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The preconference agenda will include such events as Compliance Day, six different ETA University classes, a golf tournament, and a three-hour Super Session Track: Payments Security, Mystery Solved.

The two days following the opening reception will offer presentations on topics such as identity theft, disaster recovery plans, background checks, recruiting, ISO success stories, interchange, contactless payments and a look at the future of payments. The opening and closing keynote speakers will be Visa U.S.A. President John Philip Coghlan and CNN's Lou Dobbs, respectively.

Look for a write up of the conference in the May 8, 2006 issue of The Green Sheet (06:05:01).

For more information about ETA, visit ETA's Web site or call 800-695-5509.

www.naopp.com

NAOPP is pleased to report that it has finally received a determination letter granting it status as an IRC 501(c)(6) tax exempt organization. According to the IRS, a 501(c)(6) "provides for exemption of business leagues ... which are not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual."

For more information, visit www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopick03.pdf

NAOPP is also on track to add the same number of members this year as it did last year. Members with current mailing addresses (and e-mail addresses) in the database have received a welcome kit.

"The welcome kit is a soft-sided briefcase, with NAOPP's logo, filled with a letter from the President and brochures and flyers from our sponsors describing their product or service, along with some great gift items," said Vicki M. Daughdrill, NAOPP Executive Director.

On May 1, new member dues will increase from $25 to $99. "The $25 fee was intended to be an introductory rate and was not designed to go beyond 2003," Daughdrill said. "The 2004 and 2005 boards determined to keep the fee at that level while organizational activities were taking place, and now that they are in place, the board feels a $99 fee more accurately represents the value of membership to date." MLS Organization (MLSO) dues are also being raised from $250 to $500, but vendor dues will not change.

NAOPP is in the process of developing a member survey to determine additional benefits and services to offer. The survey will be e-mailed in the coming months.

In conjunction with the recent Southeast Acquirers' Association meeting in Westin, Fla., NAOPP hosted a legal panel discussion on March 22, with industry attorneys Adam Atlas, Tony Ogden and Paul Rianda. Overall, the presentation was well received. An MLS Forum member who attended wrote that it was "very good and informative."

NAOPP plans to offer educational sessions in conjunction with all the regional acquirer association meetings this year. For its Golf and Summer Outing in Parsippany, N.J., the Northeast Acquirers' Association has invited NAOPP to be part of the agenda (rather than independent of it, as was previously the case, with NAOPP presenting either before or after the conference).

NAOPP is a nonprofit organization working to bridge the gap between MLSs and other segments of the payment processing industry. For more information, visit NAOPP's Web site or e-mail mailto:naopp@netdoor.com"> naopp@netdoor.com

Regional associations

Midwest Acquirers' Assoc. (MWAA)

www.midwestacquirers.com

There's nothing like a warm mid-summer's night in downtown Chicago. The streets are lively and the restaurants and bars welcoming.

If you've never experienced this, attending MWAA's fourth annual conference will provide a great excuse. (And it may be your last chance because MWAA plans to have its 5th annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio in 2007.)

This year's conference and the events surrounding it are scheduled for July 18 - 21 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. Arrive early to attend a merchant bankcard industry job fair and a two-track Field Guide seminar.

The MWAA-sponsored job fair will take place July 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will highlight employment opportunities in sales, support and operations.

Representatives from leading acquirers, ISOs and other companies will be present to discuss their programs, earnings and benefits to recruit new staff or hire new feet-on-the-street salespeople.

MWAA plans to advertise for the job fair in Chicago to attract locals from all backgrounds. To participate, contact Mark Dunn at mailto:mark@midwestacquirers.com"> mark@midwestacquirers.com

A Field Guide seminar (www.fieldguideforisos.com) is an all-day event independent of MWAA and led by Mark Dunn. It will be held July 19 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will offer the two parallel tracks:

• Track 1: Success Factors in Bankcard Sales
• Track 2: Grow Your ISO (and Sell It for Millions!).

MWAA's conference officially kicks off with an evening reception on July 19. The following day offers meals, presentations, networking, time with vendors, a Lifetime Achievement award presentation and the MLS Sales Hall of Fame introduction.

Register for the fourth annual meeting online (on MWAA's Web site) until July 12. After July 12, registration will only be accepted at the door. For more information, visit MWAA's Web site or e-mail Caroline Marino at caroline.marino@midwestacquirers.com"> caroline.marino@midwestacquirers.com

www.northeastacquirers.com

If you missed NEAA's winter seminar at Mt. Snow in February, or if you are simply a fair-weather traveler, NEAA will hold its Golf Outing and Summer Seminar June 13 - 15 at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in Parsippany, N.J., a relatively short drive from Manhattan.

The event will kick-off on June 13 with a golf tournament played in a scramble format so all levels can participate.

Following golf will be an evening reception and then a charity Texas Hold'Em poker tournament sponsored by United Bank Card Inc. to benefit New Jersey and New York homeless shelters. (As a result of its Texas Hold'Em tour, United Bank Card has raised more than $12,000 for charities.) Cash prizes will also be awarded to three lucky winners.

June 14 will offer meals, presentations, which are still being finalized (NEAA is open to suggestions), networking and plenty of time with the vendors, followed by a closing reception. On June 15 enjoy breakfast in the hotel's restaurant on NEAA before heading home.

NEAA is offering free registration to all non-vendor attendees who register (by fax) by May 20. Registration after May 20 and at the door is $150 per attendee.

For more information, visit NEAA's Web site, or e-mail Jacques Breton at mailto:jbreton@gcfinc.com"> mailto:jbreton@gcfinc.com

www.southeastacquirers.com

For those who came from states still at the tail-end of winter, Southern Florida's tropical breezes and warm sunshine provided much relief at SEAA's fifth annual conference, held March 20 - 22 at the Bonaventure Resort in Westin, Fla., where several hundred attendees enjoyed networking, education and, of course, a little fun.

"Based on the amount of products we brought to the show (lanyards, garment bags, etc.) and the amount remaining after the show, I would estimate total attendance between 470 and 500," said John McCormick of SEAA. "We were thrilled with the turnout.

"It is exciting to look back and see the progress we have made as an organization over the last five years. Our goal is to continue to provide quality programming so that SEAA is a 'can't miss' regional opportunity for education and networking for professionals in the merchant acquiring industry.

Every year we feel that the show improves, and we look to our participants to provide the feedback that will help us continue to improve."

McCormick said that after SEAA's 2003 and 2004 events, the most consistent feedback they received was for more time with vendors. So this year SEAA incorporated eight hours of vendor time.

This year's conference also offered breakout sessions with five different POS equipment manufacturers, presentations on Check 21, interchange, prepaid cards, a panel discussion of stories from the field and a motivational talk on best practices.

A Field Guide for ISOs seminar, "Achieving success in merchant-level sales" preceded the SEAA conference, and about 40 people attended, most of whom were ISOs and MLSs. The seminar was led by Mark Dunn and featured industry professionals Matt Clyne, Greg Cohen, Ed Freedman, Greg Griffiths, Ken Musante and Steve Pavent.

Other events held in conjunction with SEAA's conference included a United Bank Card-sponsored Texas Hold'Em charity poker tournament, and a legal panel of industry attorneys from NAOPP. Direct Technology Innovations bussed attendees to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino for a cocktail reception on the second night of the conference.

SEAA's next annual meeting will take place in the spring of 2007 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

For more information, visit SEAA's Web site or e-mail Audrey Blackmon at ablackmon@posportal.com">posportal.com">ablackmon@posportal.com

www.westernstatesacquirers.com

WSAA is busy planning its third annual meeting, still many months away. The group is working on nailing down a hotel property in Northern California, but expects to have this determined very soon. The meeting will likely take place in either October or November.

For more information, visit WSAA's Web site, or e-mail Steve Eazell at stevee@westernstatesacquirers.com">westernstatesacquirers.com">stevee@westernstatesacquirers.com