Mike Lee says he's excited for 2010. The coming year is expected to be a strong one for the ATM industry and especially the ATM Industry Association, Lee says.
The organization is spearheading a number of initiatives, including the launch of an ATM industry consultants group, more involvement with legislation and directives aimed at consumer ATM security and more informative programs, such as webinars for ATM operators. At the center of it all, however, is ATMIA's annual event, which this year runs Feb. 17-19 in Miami.
The annual North American conference is ATMIA's largest global event.
On this year's show agenda are a host of sessions that revolve around ATM security. PCI, skimming and regulatory updates are three hot session topics, along with issues that revolve around future technologies and upcoming trends.
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On Feb. 19, two interactive panels will discuss PCI compliance and upcoming industry trends. From 9:10 a.m. until 10 a.m., Susan Kohl, the president of ThoughtKey Inc., will moderate a discussion led by a panel of PCI experts. The "Think PCI: The Good, The Bad and The Facts" panel discussion includes Stoddard Lambertson of Visa USA, Stephen Rush of The Guthrie Group Inc. and Andrew Jamieson of Witham Laboratories.
Also Feb 19, from 11:50 a.m. until 12:40 p.m., Tracy Kitten of ATMmarketplace.com, will moderate "Voice of the Industry: (An) Interactive Discussion," led by Doug Falcone of Access to Money, Tom Riley of Airis ATM Technology, E. Suzanne Galvin of JPMorgan Chase, Bill Dunn of Tranax Technologies, Clint Beard of Brinks, Richard Green of PULSE, Ron Schuldt of Columbus Data Services and Steve Hensley of KAL.
"If you look at the program, you will see that we are digging deep to find ways to extract more value from the ATM industry as the world emerges slowly from recession," Lee said. "This is not just a conference for the sake of having a conference — every dollar spent by exhibiters and delegates has to be seen to be money well spent, in that we want to ensure everyone who comes to our event gets a great kick-start, not only for 2010 but for a whole new phase of development or growth. From improving both cost-management systems and revenue-generation potential, to implementing more effective risk management, ensuring better functionality at ATMs (and) looking for opportunities for new business partnerships, the ‘watchword' of every session of the conference will be ‘enhancing value for the ATM.' How can we extract maximum value from ATM businesses, operations and practices? How can we best promote, protect, brand and extend our industry? How can we improve margins to push up overall ROI? It seems the time has come to reinvent the ATM industry, to discover more and more potential in this great banking machine, to shake up current thinking and review existing practices and systems."
Through webinars and position papers, as well as through its enhanced Web site, ATMIA is working to reach and educate its members throughout the year, Lee said. But the association still sees great value in the personal contact conferences provide.
"This conference is only part of the work we do week in and week out," he said. "Nevertheless, we have found that annual conferences like this form part of our core business, because they bring members and non-members together to seek ways to better their business results and, at the same time, improve the greater industry which provides the livelihood of us all."
