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Aron Ralston to deliver keynote address at ATMIA conference

November 4, 2008

BILOXI, Miss. — At its 10th ATM Conference and Expo, formerly known as ATMIA Conference East, the ATM Industry Association will host motivational speaker Aron Ralston, the man who survived what can only be described as a death-defying experience.

In February 2009, the ATM industry will have the opportunity to draw inspiration and courage from Ralston's message about overcoming challenges.

In May 2003, Ralston was forced to amputate his lower right arm with a dull pocket knife to free himself from a boulder that had come loose and pinned him within the canyon's walls for days and nights. Once he was free, Ralston was confronted with a new challenge. Eight miles from his truck he had to rappel down a 65-foot sheer wall, then hike out of the canyon in the hot midday sun.

Ralston was ultimately rescued by a helicopter search team. Yet to this day, he is undeterred and continues to climb peaks such as Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America.

"Aron's motivational talk will provide our audience with a reminder that you can make it through the toughest circumstances with the right drive, determination and resourcefulness," said Mike Lee, chief executive of ATMIA. "This true story of heroism and survival will make the credit crisis look like a challenge we can beat!"

ATMIA's conference and expo will be held Feb. 10-12 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. Other speakers on the agenda include senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve, who will describe potential impacts of upcoming regulations as well as touch on current national payments trends. PCI ATM will impact the industry in 2008 and beyond, and this event will help the industry prepare for the next wave of compliance. An ATM-management course also will be provided with vital material about mobile phone banking.

For more information, contact Dana Benson.

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ATM Industry Association (ATMIA)

The ATM Industry Association, founded in 1997, is a global non-profit trade association with over 10,500 members in 65 countries. The membership base covers the full range of this worldwide industry comprising over 2.2 million installed ATMs.

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