Day one of ACA’s virtual conference highlighted new business ideas and how mentor opportunities provide personal and professional benefits. Don’t miss compliance and operations education during the conclusion of ACA IGNITE March 25.
3/24/2021 14:00
ACA International’s virtual ACA IGNITE conference started Wednesday with the opportunity for members and attendees to connect and learn about mentoring best practices and ways to apply innovation in the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry.
Starting the day, ACA’s Women in Collections Resource Council (WICRC) hosted the Coffee and Chat: Shaping Your Career Through Mentoring session.
Emerging leaders in the ARM industry met during the special ACA IGNITE event to discuss the power of strong relationships and the impacts of mentoring for individuals and businesses.
WICRC Chair Fran Fisher, business development manager at Payscout, led the discussion to preview the WICRC’s plans to start a mentoring group and engage with participants about the benefits of having a mentor. Debra Ciskey, executive vice president of CACi, and Kelli Krueger, ACA’s director of education, also helped lead the session.
“What I have learned is that when it comes to developing an impactful mentoring program, ask your employees, ‘What is this company doing to help you be a better person?,’” said Krueger, who has created several mentor programs in her career.
Next, start a program to help develop leaders who can serve as mentors.
“You need to start with a leadership development program before you can start a mentoring program,” Krueger said. “A mentoring program will help employees stay at your company long-term.”
A mentor program can be a big investment, but can also yield big benefits, Krueger added.
To start a mentor program, Krueger suggested company leaders determine their end goal, communicate their expectations, set rules and provide guidance once they match mentors and mentees.
The WICRC will announce more details on its mentor program this year. Fisher and the WICRC will also lead a women in advocacy session at the Washington Insights Virtual Fly-In for members April 22.
Main Stage Presentation
On the main stage, keynote speaker Betsy Ziegler, CEO of startup incubator 1871, presented “The Future is Now: Relate to Innovate.”
During the talk, Ziegler discussed the latest technologies and what you can do inside your own organization to engage the human side of innovation to drive positive change.
Attendees were able to ask questions and interact with Ziegler about how to apply these emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to the ARM industry.
Ziegler also provided insights on other types of innovation, including the future of mobility and robotics.
To jump start your company for tomorrow, Ziegler recommended stepping back to identify how your business fits into the changing world. After your company has done that, the next step is to figure out how to create the conditions inside your organization to go into exploratory mode and execution mode.
Innovation also took the spotlight during the Sponsor Showcases and Innovation Stage presentations throughout the first day of ACA IGNITE.
Sponsors presented their ideas and solutions for your business, ranging from automation in modern collection software to communication system best practices in line with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s final debt collection rule (Regulation F).
ACA IGNITE features a total of 23 sessions, including six on “Fueling Operation Transformation” and six on “Compliance, The New Tomorrow,” as well as 10 Innovation Stage sessions presented by sponsors.
Day two of ACA IGNITE will feature the conclusion of education on operations and compliance as well as more Innovation Stage and Sponsor Showcase presentations with product ideas and solutions for businesses.
Here are a few things to know for the remainder of ACA IGNITE:
All sessions except for the WICRC event and the virtual escape room happy hour will be recorded and available on-demand through April 30, 2021. Ziegler’s keynote presentation will also be available on-demand.
Game Prizes
Three prizes are available for our top three event movers and shakers. These include: Apple AirPods, a Kate Spade weekender tote and an Amazon gift card. For full details on how to earn points, visit the Social Lounge in the IGNITE event platform.
Text Messaging
Stepping away from your desk between sessions? Text “IGNITE21” to 77513 to receive event reminders on your phone. Alerts are sponsored by Solutions By Text. Text messaging and data rates may apply.?
Swag Boxes
Swag boxes were curated to spark creative brain breaks in an otherwise task- and deadline-driven world. Sponsor ezPay365 helped provide the one-of-a-kind ACA coloring book. Limited quantities of swag boxes were available and mailed out to attendees who requested one. If you didn’t get a swag box but want to check out the coloring book, head to the Resource Center in the virtual platform to find a PDF copy.
Thank you to our IGNITE sponsors: Applied Innovation Inc., FICO, Interactions, Observe.AI, Attunely, NobelBiz, WebRecon LLC, Renkim, Payscout, Repay, Prodigal, Solutions by Text, Debt$Net Collection Software, VoApps, Collectors Insurance Agency, ezPay365, Learn.net Inc., American Business Communication, CT Corporation, Interprose, LiveVox Inc., KG Hawes, RevSpring, Oliver Technology Corporation and Text Request.