What do you get when you take 3,000 attendees, 180 exhibitors, add impressive keynote speakers and throw in a party or two? You get the very successful 2005 ETA Annual Meeting & Expo.
    Once again, Las Vegas was the backdrop for the biggest get together in the payment processing industry. The lights and sounds found only in Sin City can always be counted on to infuse ETA with the right level of energy. This year was no exception. From the dramatic introduction of the opening session by visual artist Michael Estasky to the fireworks of the closing session provided by Fox News front man, Bill O’Reilly, the 2005 ETA convention delivered.
    After the introduction of ETA’s officers and Board of Directors, David W. Nelms, Chairman/CEO of Discover Financial Services kicked off the official opening event with a well-planned address to the general assembly. He discussed opportunities and challenges in the bankcard business. He predicted as industry insiders have known for 15 years or so, that by 2007, credit and debit would surpass checks. He stressed the importance of eliminating unnecessary data storage that places merchant accounts in dangerous situations regarding identity theft and fraud. He saw the driving forces of the industry as speed, convenience, security and value. Emerging technologies will change the face of the marketplace and Discover will be part of that change. Kudos to David. He kept everyone’s attention – which is not that easy to do in a roomful of Type A personalities.
    On to the Exhibit Hall
    The major players were side by side with new kids on the block. A myriad of themes were present. Hypercom had a village while Retriever had a Vegas lounge. Lexcel had a soothsayer and EVO had a martini bar. VeriFone opted for a coffee bar while Slim CD decked itself out in shamrocks and green stars in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. The usual gossip floated around the hall – which vendor is facing multiple class action suits, which vendor is going public, which company is on the selling block, which high level execs are jumping ship. This year’s buzzwords were third party alternatives, IP, pay-by-touch, healthcare, emerging technologies and fraud.
    However, the unusual chatter was the many positive comments about the event itself.
    “Best show by far.” “Prospects were here.” Great planning.” “Convenient location.” “Well positioned exhibits.” “Easy to follow maps.” More than a few vendors expressed their delight in the unprecedented foot traffic. The guys at Chase Merchant Services were pleasantly surprised with the number of attendees. Lexcel was thrilled at the opportunity to garner brand awareness. United Bank Card was very happy with the reception their “free terminal” program received. RBS Lynk loved the steady stream of visitors to their booth. Newcomer Inbox 360 enjoyed a great response to their product introduction. Money Tree Merchant Services was swamped by attendees while Planet Payment could barely keep up with the attention they received. Asian-centric BankCard Services literally bowed in gratitude to all attendees who stopped by their exhibit.
    The only criticism heard was a sentiment echoed by a number of attendees. Eliminate the second day keynote speaker (no offense to Harvey McKay—he was extremely entertaining) and have the closing session in the morning, before the last hours of the Exhibit Hall. That would insure more attendees sitting in on the closing keynote speaker, although Bill O’Reilly surely drew a crowd—mostly supporters. He did light a fire. Too bad more didn’t join the session and feel the heat.
    Another suggestion was to increase sitting space in the booth as well as increase the price of admission for vendors, thus reducing the cost to the feet on the street so more could afford to attend. In fact, quite a number of exhibitors said they’d have no problem paying more if that would insure more ISAs and MLS at the event.
    All in all, the level of enthusiasm by the exhibitors was mirrored by the quality of products and services showcased. Starting with the winner of ETA’s Best Booth, Retriever had the great ambiance of a Vegas lounge, complete with look-alike crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as well as the added bonus of Marilyn Monroe. Retriever had a lot to celebrate. 2004 was a great year for them. They joined forces with Iron Triangle which infused major venture capital. The end result – growth. Growth in a wealth of talent in human resources and technology. Theirs is a philosophy centered around what makes a good company great is its people and how those people are treated. It was evident at the ETA show that their focus is on the sales agent. Retriever’s message was simple – provide a stable environment for the sales agent, complete with the best in technology, service and support- and success will follow. In the case of this outstanding organization, it rings true. They showcased their “G.E.M.” Team- an acronym for “going the extra mile.” This in-house group keeps weekly tabs on the top 55 sales groups at Retriever with polls, telephone conferences and emails. Another highlight at ETA for Retriever was the showcase of M.A.G. – Merchant Application Gateway. This Internet-based system is accessed by all departments in real time. At Retriever, the left hand always knows what the right hand is doing…and doing it well.
    Hypercom had the vision of demonstrating its products in their natural environment. Its booth resembled any Main Street USA with a fast food outlet, a dry cleaners, a beauty salon, a convenience store, a coffee shop and a shoeshine booth. It was very effective and afforded attendees a hands-on approach to their T4100 terminal and HP Net system, two products that were talked about by many attendees.
    TransFirst was another company that brought value to this year’s ETA show. With the acquisition of Fifth Third Bank, TransFirst used ETA as its coming out party, so to speak. Through their eye-catching booth that showcased various division heads as well as vertical and specialized markets, TransFirst let the payment processing community know there’s a new sheriff in town for ISOs and ISAs. It’s weapon – Transaction Central, a proprietary, web-based processing engine. TransFirst message at ETA was one heard again and again – competition is high and margins are decreasing. They are at the ready to change that equation.
    MagTek was all about new faces and new products – especially its Excella product in response to the Check 21 arena. One of the stars of this exhibit was MagTek’s communications guru, Kathy Crumley, who took home the prestigious ETA Volunteer of the Year award and was Chair of this year’s Planning Committee. Bravo, Kathy.
    Speaking of awards, the annual ETA President’s Dinner – “Night At the Opera” – was the elegant setting for this year’s honorees. Hypercom won Vendor of the Year. Jim Baumgartner won Member of the Year. Government Relations won Committee of the Year and the first ever Technology Innovation Award was given to ViVoTech. Congratulations to all.
    Another familiar face, Authorize.Net, was all about expansion and focusing on partner solutions. This channel friendly vendor boasts it is the utility belt of MSPs. As its booth’s design went vertical, so do its offerings. The products showcased at ETA effectively represented Authorize.Net’s ability to provide all organizations with the opportunity to accept transactions over IP.
    ClearCommerce was happily ensconced in the eFunds booth—having walked down the aisle recently with this multi-dimensional partner. Their 2005 ETA offerings were all about fraud solutions. From the crowd around their screens, it seemed a popular stop.
    Retail eDecisions was a hot locale at the show as well. Their portfolio-based product, Prism, garnered a bit of buzz as it promises to monitor transactions out of pattern. Attendees were standing in line to watch it in action.
    Another standout at this year’s Expo was MasterCard International. Echoing the message Discover CEO Nelms delivered regarding elimination of unnecessary data, MasterCard met face to face with the press and attendees in an unprecedented move to introduce its new Payment Data Protection Program. While risk, rules and regulations were discussed at the MasterCard Booth, VP Gerritt Kerstra personally met with key members of the press to stress the importance of being a legitimate part of the payment processing industry, staying compliant and taking advantage of forensic technology to keep data secure. MasterCard is launching a new campaign targeted to the CEOs, COOs and CFOs of the industry with the hope of raising the level of discussion and understanding of what can and can’t be done in regards to best practices for storing, securing and sharing payment card information. All we can say…it’s about time.
    Just as vital to the show as the exhibit hall were the ETA seminars. These sessions were outstanding and very well attended. No other place on the planet can one find the answers to such questions as how to go global, how to stay compliant, how to build merchant retention, how to maximize resources and how to combat fraud.
    It is obvious from this recap that the 2005 ETA Annual Meeting & Expo was an overwhelming success and unprecedented on so many levels. It was a strong testament to the power of communication, networking and unselfish efforts on the part of so many volunteers and vendors. ETA is listening to its members. It delivered on its promise to bring together old and new faces while providing a platform to learn about the expectations of the marketplace. Carla Balakgie, Executive Director of ETA, deserves a lion’s share of the credit. Under her leadership, ETA has evolved to an international association committed to the needs of all payment processing organizations through education, support and services. This year, ETA hit the jackpot and shared its wealth with everyone. Well done! n