CrossCheck Blog

CrossCheck Blog

Check Processing & Payments Information

PAYMENTS 2018: Installment One for Payments Professionals

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Mon, Mar 19, 2018 @ 08:00 AM

payments professionals

Produced by The Electronic Payments Association (NACHA), the PAYMENTS 2018 conference for payments professionals is all about speed. The event takes place April 29 to May 2 at the San Diego Convention Center, and will feature a strong educational presence that is underlined by workshops, meetings, keynote sessions and a variety of networking events.

NACHA says attendees are a specialized group of professionals: “PAYMENTS 2018 unites thousands of payments system stakeholders from business end-user and financial and technology services organizations to debate and explore pressing issues and opportunities.”

The emphasis on speed would be difficult to not see in the marketing effort. NACHA superimposed the word “FASTER” above the PAYMENTS 2018 logo and used the tag line “FAST. SECURE. FRICTIONLESS.” on its brochure. All parties involved with payments — banks, financial services and technology organizations, merchants and consumers — agree on the need for “fast, secure and frictionless” payments.

The first installment of this series focuses on educational opportunities for payments professionals while part two will highlight keynote sessions and networking events.

payments professionals

Sunday Workshops, April 29

The Sunday Workshops consist of 12 two-hour interactive sessions about a wide variety of timely topics classified as “Fundamental” or “Intermediate.”

Offered from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, the first group consists of:

  • ‘A for Effort’ Doesn’t Apply to Writing: Learn How to Communicate with Impact
  • The Faster Payments Evolution
  • ACH Essentials: Part I
  • ACH Audit: The Evolution of Appendix Eight & What’s Next
  • ACH, Cards, Checks & Wires (Oh My!)
  • Risk Roadmap Part I: Planning Your Route

After a 30-minute break, attendees will be immersed in six more sessions during group two (3:30 – 5:30 pm):

  • ACH Essentials for End-Users
  • AI, API, Blockchain, DLT & Machine Learning: The Future of Payments?
  • ACH Essentials: Part II
  • Getting to Know You: Third Parties 101
  • Moving Money Around the Globe
  • Risk Roadmap Part II: Stepping on the Gas

There isn’t space within the parameters of this blog to describe each and every workshop and seminar session, but the description of the “AI, API, Blockchain, DLT & Machine Learning: The Future of Payments?” provides a representative sampling:

“These advancements have become some of the hottest topics in financial services in recent years. Financial institutions need to realize the potential in them, from enhancing the customer service experience where applicable, to the benefits of their analytics in repairs and investigations, to robo-advisors choosing how and when to pay, and more. This workshop provides an overview of what AI, API, Blockchain, DLT and machine learning are and what they are not, looks at what is actually happening in the industry and provides a forecast of where each might have the greatest impact in the coming years.”

Monday Seminar Sessions, April 30

Monday, April 30 offers the most ambitious educational programming of the conference. Nine concurrent session tracks (50 minutes each) are scheduled at four separate start times between 10:00 am and 5:30 pm, representing a total of 36 seminar sessions!

The tracks are categorized as The Fast Payments Experience at Payments 2018, ACH, Trending Now, Payments Evolution, Risk & Compliance, Corporate & End-User Perspectives, Professional Development Series, Spotlight Speaker Series and Executive Series. A sample of topics and descriptions follows.

“What's in Your Business Continuity Plan?” — an offering in the Risk & Compliance track — has a provocative description that will resonate with most attendees:

Business Continuity Plan document.jpg“Every year you review your business continuity plans. Periodically you test your business continuity plan. However, what would you do if you had to execute your plan and live it for an extended period of time? Hear how Banco Popular in Puerto Rico was forced to execute its business continuity plan after the island was hit by two major hurricanes in less than a month.”

Another topic, “The Changing Dynamics of Payments Fraud” from the Corporate & End User Perspectives track, is on the mind of most payments professionals:

“This session highlights the latest trends uncovered in the all-new AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey. Attendees learn how protective measures and tools are being leveraged to help deal with the rise in payments fraud.”

Furthermore, even the most seasoned payments professional will be impressed with the caliber of talent at the “Federal Reserve Town Hall” session from the Spotlight Speaker Series track where four senior members of the Federal Reserve will share their points of view:

“Over the past five years the Federal Reserve has engaged in an array of payments industry improvement initiatives: the 2013 Payment System Improvement Public Consultation Paper, the 2015 Strategies for Improving the U.S. Payment System, the standing up and coordination of the Faster and Secure Payments Task Forces and various other industry engagement and improvement initiatives. Hear the latest on the Federal Reserve’s efforts to improve its services and to further support improvements in the broader U.S. payments system.”

Faster Payments Experience

The Faster Payments Experience presents “a complete and unparalleled examination of the rapidly emerging faster payments landscape” to payments professionals. This educational opportunity includes sessions and solutions about real-time, same-day and other faster payments initiatives at two locations within Exhibit Hall: the Faster Payments Zone  and the Faster Payments Center Stage.

Innovative Hub

Staying with the faster payments theme, payments professionals can see interactive demonstrations of upcoming industry innovations at the Innovative Hub.

Tuesday Seminar Sessions, May 1

Not to be outdone by Monday’s programming, organizers have scheduled 36 more seminar sessions along the same concurrent session tracks and time slots as Monday. A sampling of seminar topics and tracks underlines the relevance of the course material:

  • Payment Facilitators: Risks & Regulation (Spotlight Speaker Series)
  • Robotics: Friend, Not Foe (Payments Evolution)
  • Practical Perspectives on ISO 20022 Adoption (Corporate & End User Perspectives)
  • After the Handshake: The Business Woman’s Networking Dilemma (Professional Development Series)
  • Lessons Learned from Real-Time Payments Early Adopters (Faster Payments Experience)
  • Reimagining the Deposit Account Opening Experience (Trending Now)
  • ACH & Fraud Trends: Is the Sheriff in Town? (ACH)

CrossCheck and NACHA

CrossCheck, a privately owned payments solutions company, has maintained a longstanding relationship with NACHA that includes membership and individuals from executive management serving on NACHA boards. Download our free guide to learn more about our electronic check processing services for fast and easy transactions.

Electronic Check Processing Insider's Guide

Topics: Events / Conferences

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.