urricanes cooperated, turning away from the Florida coast as executives gathered in Miami Beach for the 2006 Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) Strategic Leadership and Networking Forum (SLNF) Sept. 12 - 14.

Attendees gathered at the beautiful Loews Miami Beach Hotel to explore emerging trends in the payments arena and network with peers.

Events kicked off on Tuesday with a golf tournament followed by an outdoor cocktail reception at which guests discussed business and caught up with old friends in the warm evening air.

Wednesday's breakfast session provided a global view of our industry. Marc Abbey of First Annapolis Consulting and Rick Ibarria of MasterCard Worldwide highlighted new opportunities in our increasingly global economy.

Next up was Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. His keynote address discussed why our industry needs to value its services and perhaps adjust its prices accordingly.

A lunchtime panel of representatives from MasterCard, Visa U.S.A. and Discover Financial Services explored industry trends. They indicated increased scrutiny of level 4 merchant data security is coming. Free time in the afternoon afforded a chance to relax or join networking excursions. Later, Total Merchant Services sponsored a cocktail reception and party at the Setai Hotel.

Thursday's events included a panel discussion featuring the former General Counsel for Citibank, a representative from the Federal Trade Commission and the ETA's Chief Legal Counsel. Again, the main topic was data security. Legislation is in process regarding notifying consumers of security breaches.

The last session explored new technologies. For example, Microsoft Corp. representatives showed a video of how we may shop in the future: Shoppers will be able to use their personal devices to input shopping lists, access store maps to locate those items and then pay for them as well. Next year's SLNF will be held Sept. 18 - 20 at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

W.net offers program for women at ETA

Women Networking in Electronic Transactions (W.net) hosted its fourth meeting just before the start of the ETA's Sept. 12 SNLF in Miami Beach. The event was attended by more than 50 women in the payments industry.

Participants were welcomed by Holli Targan, W.net's President. The organization now has over 110 members, and corporate sponsors are beginning to show support for the group.

Mary Gerdts, Vice President of W.net, then announced an icebreaker. In keeping with the theme of the meeting, "Smart or Sexy: Are You Projecting the Right Image?" attendees were encouraged to share their fashion faux pas with each other.

The event's speaker was Susan Bigsby, Image Consultant. Bigsby discussed the importance of appearances and provided some guidelines for projecting your best image. Many factors go into creating your image: picking the right clothes for your body type; the appropriate outfit, hairstyle and makeup for the situation; and accessories necessary to polish your image.

W.net was founded in 2005 to inspire and empower women in the payments industry.