The 83rd Convention & Expo in Orlando kicked off by building on connections in the ARM industry and a promise for shared goals in the years ahead.
07/20/2022 9:30 P.M.
4 minute read
The buzz from bringing together ACA International members in the U.S. and abroad, staff, vendors and expert speakers was palpable on day one of ACA’s Annual Convention & Expo in the Sunshine State.
Welcoming attendees from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, Jamaica and many more international hubs on the first day of the Orlando, Florida, Convention & Expo offered networking for new members, first- time guests and an opening reception in the Expo Hall before the education and advocacy sessions the remainder of the week.
Capturing attendees’ excitement on the Main Stage, Denise Hamilton, founder and CEO of Watch Her Work, was an energizing presentation extending the goal to the audience to make progress on diversity and inclusion every day with the willingness to step back from past experiences, have a fair approach to hiring and accept challenges.
Welcome to Orlando
Wednesday’s opening festivities came on the heels of ACA’s announcement of new board members and officers.
Before Hamilton’s energizing presentation, first-time attendees and new members had a chance to meet with ACA staff and longtime members to learn tips on how to make the most of their convention experience in a reception sponsored by The Work Number from Equifax.
Courtney Reynaud, ACA’s 2022/23 president and president of Creditors Bureau USA , encouraged attendees to ask questions and introduce themselves to people throughout convention.
The event for first-time attendees and new members, attended by about 60 people, was a precursor for the Young Professionals Reception, sponsored by Prodigal.
Sponsor host Katalina Dawson, head of events at Prodigal, said she was excited to welcome the guests to the reception, which provided an opportunity for young professionals in the ARM industry to connect, share experiences and foster ideas for the future of the industry.
Main Stage and Opening Remarks
ACA CEO Scott Purcell introduced the formal kickoff to Convention, sponsored by Observe.AI saying it was an honor to represent members and the industry while recognizing recently retired CEO Mark Neeb, the ACA Board of Directors and Governance Task Force Leader Jack Brown III.
ACA members should stay tuned for announcements on the way TrainingZone functions, Purcell said.
Meanwhile, in Hamilton’s illuminating talk, she leveraged 25 years of executive experience to provide solutions that support employees as well as diversity and inclusion best practices.
Hamilton’s goal is to empower individuals and teams to close the gender gap, understand differences, resolve conflict, and become better allies.
Here are a few takeaways from Hamilton’s presentation:
- Take time to evaluate past experiences that you may need more information about.
- Be careful about assumptions when hiring staff and consistently reevaluate your policies and procedures for fairness.
- If you’re an ally, you’re always looking for fairness.
- Don’t always assume that the status quo is the best; look at all options for diversity and inclusion. Your practices may work now, but it’s best to keep an open mind.
- Be curious. To be an ally, you want to be a great leader; it just takes curiosity.
- You can start small by connecting more with coworkers than you have before or just keeping an open mind. That is being an ally.
Innovation Stage and Convention Schedule
Following Hamilton’s presentation, ACA welcomed convention attendees to the official opening of the Expo Hall and the Innovation Stage, which provides a platform for exhibitors and sponsors to deliver 15-minute presentations in the Expo Hall on new technology or solutions that advance the credit, collections and accounts receivables industries.
The Expo Hall will be open from 10:10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Thursday, July 21, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 22. Our exhibitors and sponsors are excited to share the industry’s newest technologies and services to help you achieve the results you are looking for. Stop by to meet with these vendors for business solutions and enjoy morning breaks, lunch and ice cream in the Expo Hall throughout ACA’s convention.
Convention: What You Need to Know
With ACA’s flagship event of the year now underway, here are a few other details to guide you through convention—all available in your pocket agenda, provided when you check in or register on-site.
Registration is open from 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Thursday, July 21, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, July 22.
Education sessions begin at 8 a.m. and don’t miss special events such as the Women in Collections Reception Thursday at 4:45 p.m. and the awards breakfast Friday morning.
We are beyond excited to come together as an association with members, vendors and expert speakers during this three-day event, which has something for everyone, from new professionals in the industry to emerging leaders and seasoned collections experts.
Thank you to the 2022 Convention & Expo Sponsors: Provana, QBE, Observe.AI, Balto, Connect International, VoApps, Solutions by Text, Balch & Bingham LLP, Nationwide, Beam Software, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, BillingTree-A REPAY Company, Collectors Insurance Agency, Innovis, Maurice Wutscher, The Work Number from Equifax, Genesys, Interprose, Payscout, Prodigal, Paychex, EFT Network Inc., TEC Services Group, RevSpring, TransUnion, AON, AXIS, CT Corporation, CompuMail, C&R Software, CollectOne and Payment Saavy.
If you have executive leadership updates or other member news to share with ACA, contact our communications department at [email protected]. View our publications page for more information and our news submission guidelines here.