Engage 2023: NAFCU's Annual Conference

NAFCU’s Annual Business Meeting is an opportunity for members to review and reflect on the hard work and accomplishments of 2022. You’ll hear from NAFCU’s Board of Directors about our values, mission and goals that have been achieved in the past year to help you grow and thrive.

Agenda items will also include results of the 2023 NAFCU Board elections, the announcement of the 2023-2024 Officers, and Officers’ reports.

It’s essential that members attend this very important meeting to reach a quorum per the NAFCU bylaws. One person from each credit union is allowed to be the voting delegate, but all members are welcome to attend.

Please RSVP to the Annual Business Meeting to help us plan for attendance.
There’s no charge to attend!

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Enjoy hot hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and live entertainment as you network with your peers from across the country. A fantastic way to open Engage 2023: NAFCU’s Annual Conference and celebrate another great year for our industry!

Spouse/Guest tour attendees meet for breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and then: unforgettable experiences in Long Beach on amazing tours! A whale watching cruise. A classic car museum. A highly-distinguished battleship. Your spouse and guests will love our fantastic Southern California tour options—the hard part is picking which two tours to experience! Learn more.

Start your day with hot breakfast, and the opportunity to build stronger connections with your peers from credit unions across the country. 

Enjoy a special greeting from Dan Berger as he welcomes everyone to the conference!

Success and relationships in today's NAFCU world aren’t simply finish lines to conquer or single accomplishments to achieve. Instead, they’re built on the foundation of mutually beneficial relationships formed through a series of simple moments that truly matter to those you serve. These moments are what connect you as credit union leaders, team members, service professionals, partners, and most importantly, as human beings. It’s through these moments that we can re-engage in the lost art of human connection both in your culture and your brand experience for your members.

Merely showing up or meeting expectations is not enough, especially in a world filled with distractions. If you desire to be remembered, appreciated, validated, and heard, you must strive for something more. You must aim for a powerful return on your relationships, both professionally and personally. You must strive for a culture that has a spark, a sizzle, and even a touch of magic.

You’ll realize the extraordinary value in transforming mundane moments into something significant, memorable, and magical. You’ll discover how to positively impact not only your members and colleagues but also the intentional culture in which you work and all those impacted by it. Learn how to elevate your credit union and make a lasting impact on the lives of those you serve.

Jon Petz
Best-sellers list Author & Motivational Keynote Speaker

Jon Petz is a two-time, best-sellers list author, motivational keynote speaker on performance and the power of human connections. He brings this passion and energy for performance, purpose and impact to events of all types, as well as to those he professionally coaches to strengthen their performance mindset and success in life, business and careers.

Jon is a former sales & marketing executive in big corporate as well as a tech entrepreneur. As a remarkable addition - Jon is a professional magician and has performed around the globe for audiences of all types. This one-of-a-kind combination brings relevancy, experience and understanding to the real-world challenges and opportunities we face in our professional pursuits. It also produces a masterful storytelling, engagement and entertainment factor that is uniquely and unequivocally the Jon Petz Experience.

Jon’s second book, Boring Meetings Suck, ™ was named by Inc. Magazine as a top ten and must-read business book. His third book, Significance In Simple Moments, focuses on human connections to help you achieve significance. Profits from this book are donated in support of the Miracles & Magic™ Foundation a show which was founded by Jon and his family. Miracles & Magic is a grand illusion and comedy magic show that provides children with life-threatening illnesses a chance to forget about the treatments, shots and hospital, and instead shares the wonder and joy of comedy, magic and illusion.

Hear Pete Hilger, CEO at Allied Solutions, deep dive into the latest trends and challenges in today’s lending environment.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, technology has revolutionized the way consumers approach purchasing decisions, including financial services. However, the prevalence of financial stress and anxiety in our current economic climate poses a significant challenge for individuals seeking stability and peace of mind. Recent studies indicate that a staggering 85% of Americans experience varying degrees of financial stress, impacting their overall well-being, relationships, and even their health.

In this session, you will discover how your credit union can be a beacon of trust, empowering your members to navigate their financial journeys with confidence. You will gain actionable strategies to meet members and prospective members where they are while learning how to offer humanized guidance and assistance to individuals struggling with financial stress. 

Enjoy some mid-day coffee and snacks as you network with exhibitors to find solutions for your credit union.

Credit union board members will be provided with the tools and strategies needed to ensure your credit union's brand and culture survive through the transition of board members. You’ll learn the importance of succession planning and how to create a plan that will ensure the continuity of the credit union's brand and culture. You’ll also delve into the value of developing a strong board culture and how to ensure that the board is prepared to handle the transition of board members.

What are the big trends affecting credit unions and financial services? Credit unions that understand these megatrends can take advantage of opportunities, and side-step obstacles that may distract you from connecting with members.

Get the inside scoop on what's happening in Washington D.C. Topics covered will include NCUA priorities, CFPB's attack on "junk fees", and EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

Investigate the critical ratios you need to understand when reviewing credit union financials. These ratios will provide valuable insight into the financial condition of your institution.

After two years of aggressive loan growth, the consumer credit market is expected to experience more changes in 2023. Demand for most lending products is expected to remain high despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. Delinquency rates will likely increase compared to pre-pandemic levels however consumers, from a credit perspective, are in a better position to borrow than a few years ago. In this session, you'll review the current state of lending and explore emerging opportunities.

Learn more about the debit and credit card payment trends and influences that are in-market and on the horizon. You’ll examine digital and physical card payment developments including Reg II, digital wallet, cardless transactions, P2P developments and Buy Now Pay Later programs. You’ll understand how to engage with cardholders to generate revenue growth, stronger and more profitable consumer connections and operational savings.

Energize for the second half of the day and build stronger connections with your peers from credit unions across the country.

Creating an amazing member experience is easier than you think. It’s within the grasp of every credit union – and every employee/team member. In this entertaining and content-rich presentation, you’ll discover some simple yet powerful tools to deliver the experience your members want and deserve. You’ll explore the six-step process to creating a member-focused culture, how to handle complaints and confrontations and much more. You’ll acquire the information you need to amaze your members and exceed their expectations.

Shep Hyken
Customer Service & Experience Expert, Chief Amazement Officer, Keynote Speaker and Author

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession.

Shep works with companies and organizations that want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications, and he is the author of Moments of Magic®, The Loyal Customer, The Cult of the Customer, The Amazement Revolution, Amaze Every Customer Every Time, Be Amazing or Go Home, The Convenience Revolution, and I’ll Be Back. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus™, a customer service training program that helps clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset.

If you have questions, please contact Allyson Gale at agale@nafcu.org.

Spouse/Guest tour attendees meet for breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and then: unforgettable experiences in Long Beach on amazing tours! A whale watching cruise. A classic car museum. A highly-distinguished battleship. Your spouse and guests will love our fantastic Southern California tour options—the hard part is picking which two tours to experience! Learn more.

Gain a better understanding of market conditions and what may lie ahead and why. Join GraphsandLaugh's always-entertaining Bowtie Economist, Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., as he discusses all-new data points about the current and expected health of the economy.
 

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D
Chief Economist, Author and Keynote Speaker

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making the arcana and minutia of economics fun, relevant and educational. Eisenberg, a former Senior Economist with the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C., is the creator of the multifamily stock index (the first nationally recognized index to track the total return of public firms principally involved in the ownership and management of apartments), the author of more than eighty-five articles, serves on the Expert Advisory Board of Mortgage Market Guide and is a regular consultant to several large real estate professional associations, hedge funds and investment advisory groups. Dr. Eisenberg has been invited to testify before lawmakers and is often asked to comment on proposed legislation. His research and opinions have been featured in Bloomberg, Business Week, Bureau of National Affairs, Forbes, Fortune, and many other publications. He is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, a Miami-based economic consulting firm that serves a variety of clients across the United States. 

NAFCU SVP of Government Affairs Greg Mesack will give personal insights into the political landscape of Washington DC. You’ll also learn NAFCU’s latest legislative and regulatory advocacy actions to protect and advance credit unions.

Consumer experience futurist Blake Morgan explains how today’s consumers are already demanding frictionless, personalized, on-demand experiences from their products and services and how companies that don’t meet these new expectations won’t last. In this keynote, you’ll:

- Learn the 10 defining strategies for a customer-experience-focused company.

- Implement new techniques to shift the entire company from being product-focused to being customer-focused.

- Gain insights through case studies and examples of how the world’s most innovative companies are offering new and compelling customer experiences

- Create a leadership development and culture plan for your organization to create lasting change
 

Blake Morgan
Customer Experience Futurist, Award Winning Keynote Speaker, and Author

Blake Morgan was called The Queen of Customer Experience by Meta. She's the author of two books on customer experience, and most recently her bestselling "The Customer Of The Future" (HarperCollins) was identified by Business Insider as one of the top 20 books executives are reading to deal with COVID-19. She was called a top 40 global female keynote speaker by Real Leaders Magazine. She's the host of The Modern Customer Podcast, is happily married, and has two amazing kids.

Enjoy some mid-day coffee and snacks as you network with exhibitors to find solutions for your credit union.

Credit union board members will get an overview of how to remain relevant in today’s ever-changing financial landscape. You’ll discover the importance of staying up-to-date on industry trends, understanding the needs of members, and leveraging technology to remain competitive. You’ll also explore how to create a culture of innovation and collaboration within the boardroom, and how to effectively communicate with members and other stakeholders. Finally, you’ll delve into the importance of staying ahead of the curve and how to use data to inform decision-making.

In this session you’ll explore the strategies and best practices for creating a culture of engagement and retention of top talent. Three credit union executives will discuss how to create an environment that encourages employees to stay and grow, how to foster a culture of engagement, and how to develop and retain top talent. You’ll learn the importance of creating a culture of trust and respect, and how to measure the success of these efforts. Finally, you’ll examine the challenges and opportunities of creating a culture of engagement and retention of top talent in the credit union industry.

Credit unions are charged with assessing cyber risk factors daily. One of the challenges to overcome is that technology moves at such a lightning speed, it’s hard to stay on top of all cyber safety measures. You’ll hear the latest on cyber threats and how to implement counter measures to keep your credit union safe.

The competition for highly effective CEOs is fierce. In this session, you’ll analyze the latest survey results to help your credit union stay on top of what the market is doing to attract and retain the right executive talent.

Explore how credit unions can use data to their advantage. You’ll unearth the importance of data in the credit union industry and how it can be used to make informed decisions and improve operations. You’ll discover the various ways that data can be collected, analyzed, and used to inform decisions. Additionally, you’ll investigate the potential risks associated with data collection and usage, and how to mitigate those risks. Finally, the potential benefits of data-driven decision making will be discussed.

Examine the importance of financial education as a tool to generate and retain members and increase the percentage of financially healthier members willing to use more of your products and services. You’ll also discover the best practices applied by other credit unions and how these are helping them improve their relationship with their members and their communities.

Energize for the second half of the day and build stronger connections with your peers from credit unions across the country.

A special tour for attendees to experience alongside your spouse and guests! Choose to stay above water aboard a luxury yacht cruise, or view below-water environs at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Learn more.

Start your day with hot breakfast, and the opportunity to build stronger connections with your peers from credit unions across the country. 

What changes will the 21st bring to our economies and our industry? In this exclusive event for NAFCU, Futurist and Author Brett King delves into the major challenges facing humanity over the next 3 decades, how it will reframe economics, human philosophy, the role of work and tackle inequality. He then deep dives into the changes emerging in the banking space in response to these changes, and increasingly pervasive technology and digital behavior.
 

Brett King
Bestselling Author, Innovator and Keynote Speaker

Considered the foremost global expert on retail banking innovation, Brett King is also a three-time bestselling author and founder of the mobile banking startup “Moven.” King was voted American Banker’s “Bank Technology News Innovator of the Year.” In 2013 he was nominated by Bank Innovation as one of the “Top Ten coolest brands in banking,” the only individual to make that list. He is also on the board of the Centre for Financial Services Innovation. King’s first bestselling book was Bank 2.0, which received widespread industry acclaim. Other books written include Branch Today, Gone Tomorrow, Bank 3.0 and Breaking Banks: The Innovators, Rogues and Strategists Rebooting Banking debuted.

As an industry thought leader, King has delivered keynotes at conferences in more than 40 countries for organizations like Google, Forbes and Oracle. He has served as an international judge for The Asian Banker Retail Banking Excellence Awards, the GSMA Global Mobile Awards, the Middle East Business Achievement and Retail Banking Awards.

You’ll gain insights into the challenges and opportunities for retaining top talent in the industry, including industry trends, best practices, and innovative approaches to employee engagement and development. You’ll also discover valuable insights and engage in a thought-provoking discussion for anyone looking to enhance their workforce retention efforts and stay ahead of the curve in the competitive credit union landscape.

Enjoy some mid-day coffee and snacks as you network with exhibitors to find solutions for your credit union.

Fostering true, lasting innovation starts from within—and it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s less about adopting the latest technologies and more about the people you invest in, the intentions you set, and the culture you build. Your credit union’s success lies in cultivating innovation from the inside out rather than absorbing it from the outside in—if only you lean into your purpose, empower your people, and trust the process. 

Hey Superwoman, take off your cape. Hey Batman, take off your mask. Hey decision makers, put away your ego. Let's talk about who you are personally as a leader and as a partner. As humans, we can't learn things from people who are perfect, we can only learn things from people who are imperfect. So, it’s time to own who you are so you can be real to others and lead through your faults. This deep but hysterical session will leave you feeling introspective about the person you show to others and recognize the rapport and trust-building power of authenticity in your communication and relationships. If you're looking to master the art of courageous feedback and authentic relationship building, this is the session for you.

James Robilotta, CSP
Leadership Author, Motivational Speaker, Emcee and Trained Improv Comedian

James Robilotta, CSP, is a leadership author, motivational speaker, emcee, and trained improv comedian. After years of building, training, and leading teams, James followed an entrepreneurial dream and built two successful businesses. The first is an organization that incorporates freestyle rap into improv comedy (a success story for another day). And the second is his speaking and coaching business (a success story for today).

James has been speaking internationally to willing and unwilling audiences since 2009 and has found that quality humor is the secret to hosting powerful conversations that make a genuine impact. His attendees leave feeling recharged, introspective, and ready to get out of their own way.

James’ cornerstone concept is that we as humans can’t learn from people who are perfect, we can only learn from people who are imperfect. And companies like American Express, GE, Accenture, and Afterpay have gravitated toward this message and found the insights to be invaluable in shifting the way their people show up for each other.