By now, you’ve probably noticed our calendar looks a little different. We’ve been swapping out some of those "hop in the car and drive three hours" dates for more "log in from your office" sessions.
Believe me when I say we’ll miss the extra face time with all of you, and it wasn’t an easy decision to step away from that. There’s a method to the madness. Historically, we’ve leaned heavily on training within "driving distance," but even a two-hour drive is a chunk of your day you’ll never get back, and it's simply not realistic to make all trainings equally accessible to all our members.
So, we’re shaking things up to ensure our training better meets your needs and keeps pace with the evolving topics and challenges impacting the payments industry —without burning you out on the highway. Here’s the lowdown on why we’ve made this pivot:
Training That Doesn't Cost a Tank of Gas
In the old days, if something big happened in the industry, you had to wait for the next regional roadshow to hear about it. That’s a bit of dinosaur logic. By leaning into virtual learning, we’re able to hit topics the moment they heat up. You’ve probably noticed more webinars popping up lately—that’s us making sure you’re the smartest person in the room (or on Zoom) without you having to white-knuckle it through traffic.
We’re Calling in the Big Guns
Let’s be real: getting a top-tier industry legend to make the trek to a regional Marriott is a tough sell. But getting them to hop on camera for an hour? Much easier. By going digital first, we’re able to give you more time with experts and "been-there, done-that" gurus we might not have been able to bring you otherwise.
Road-Tripping to New Spots
Since we’re doing fewer in-person gigs, we’re making sure the ones we do have REALLY count. Instead of hitting the same "convenient" driving-distance spots every single time, we’re rotating. We’re heading to member regions we’ve historically cruised right past. If you haven’t been lucky enough to have us stop in your neighborhood yet, keep an eye out—we might be setting up a road show in your backyard sooner than you think.
The Big One: One Mega-Event to Rule Them All
Here’s the big kicker: in 2027 we’re moving from two conferences down to one.
We know–the spring and fall events have been a favorite, and they were especially convenient for those of you near each location. But the reality is: trying to deliver two equally strong shows was stretching us thin. By putting all our energy into one flagship conference, we’re able to make it truly next-level.
- Networking on steroids: Instead of splitting the crowd between two events, everyone is in the same room. The person you need to talk to solve your biggest challenge? Your odds are twice as high that they are there!
- Better everything: More budget, stronger speakers, upgraded food and an elevated experience that keeps the payments energy running high and ignites big ideas from start to finish.
The Bottom Line
We’re not going anywhere —we’re just getting more focused. Our goal is to deliver the information you need to navigate the complex challenges of the evolving payments landscape, while still creating meaningful opportunities for you to connect with peers and industry leaders.
Thank you for rolling with the changes—it’s going to be a wild ride! See you at our next virtual event, or we’ll catch you at the "Big Show."