Last week, 245 payments professionals traveled to Overland Park, Kansas for EPCOR Payments Conference – Fall 2021. Together, we hopped in the DeLorean and went Back to the Future of Payments to explore the latest in new and emerging payments. Along the way, we learned and discussed other relevant topics such as the FedNow, faster payments, fraud and more!

To kick off the event, attendees gathered for warm welcomes from conference emcee Kevin Olsen, EPCOR President & CEO Susan Doyle and EPCOR Chairman Brian Guess. Then, it was time for our first session, What Does the New Normal Look Like? with moderator Susan Doyle, AAP, EPCOR and panelists Denise DeRousse, AAP, CTP, Stifel Bank, Kathy McKinnon, CCUFC, SIUE Credit Union and Suzy Morris, APRP, Peoples National Bank.

Next, conference attendees were free to map out their journeys choosing from seven sessions throughout the first day. Sessions available to choose from on day one included What is a Fintech? with Jen Kirk, AAP, EPCOR and Pat Thelen, CTP, Ripple, A Dozen Ways the ACH Network is Better with Debbie Barr, Nacha and more.

Attendees gathered at the end of the first day for our Gala Reception.

We kicked off day two with An Update on FedNow with Pilot Participants with moderator Kassandra Quimby, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and panelists Tristan Thompson, Arvest Bank, Angela Pavlich, Commerce Bank and Charles Harkness, CorporateOne Federal Credit Union. This panel of FedNow pilot participants gave conference attendees insight into the Pilot Program and what to expect when FedNow goes live.

Day two of the conference featured our Recognition Luncheon. During the Luncheon, two 2021 Payments Innovation Awards were presented, one to Corporate One Federal Credit Union and its credit union service organization, Sherpa Technologies, and one to Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.®, independently. Corporate One President and CEO Melissa Ashley and Sherpa Technologies President and CEO Keith Riddle accepted the Payments Innovation Award in recognition of the development of their Mosaic platform while Jack Henry’s Payments Innovation Award was accepted by Rusiru Gunasena, Managing Director of JHA PayCenter™, in recognition of its payments hub and support of real-time and faster payments options.

Day two’s sessions continued to bring insights from experts at the forefront of the payments industry. In addition to vendor showcases, our sessions included Inside the Mind of an Attacker: Understanding the Root Causes of Fraud; Real Time Rails, Real Time Trains; Card Payments: All the Things You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know! and more.

The second day of the conference was also a major crowd-pleaser because attendees were able to see a DeLorean in person! Attendees took pictures, sat inside the time machine and more. It was certainly an experience to remember.

To conclude the day, our closing general session Are Legacy Systems Holding You Back? Busting Myths in Payments with Randy Rodriguez and Anoop Basavarajiah, Volante Technologies discussed how financial institutions can gain the freedom to evolve their payments offerings without complex core changes.

Although the shortest of the conference, day three was still packed full of awesome sessions! Sessions included RTP - What's Happening in the Industry and What We See Around the Corner; Educating Your ACH Originators ; So You Think You Want to Be a Payments Expert? and more.

Keeping attendees engaged up to the very last second of the conference, Kevin Olsen, AAP, APRP, NCP, CHPC, MSCE, The Payments Professor moderated a session of young adult panelists during his last session, LMK Why People are Using Payment Apps… and other FAQs. This panel was a chance to ask average Joes and Janes why they choose to use payment apps and how they choose which one to use. It was like a live focus group for the audience to ask the burning questions they want to know about consumers using their phones to make payments.

Our popular Plutonium Pack of Prizes contest challenged attendees to tour the vibrant exhibit hall throughout the conference, receiving signatures from each exhibitor so they could be entered into drawings for many generous prizes.

Upon the conclusion of the conference, attendees then parted company, returning to their respective offices armed with the newfound knowledge and connections they formed during their time in Overland Park.

Our sincere thanks go to the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and attendees of EPCOR Payments Conference – Fall 2021, as well as the conference planning committee – our conference wouldn’t be such a huge success without their contributions.

We missed learning with you in person so much and we’re already looking forward to next time! Please come back and see us next year in Overland Park. Or, if you can’t join us then, join us in the Spring in Columbus, Ohio. We look forward to exploring the latest payments industry trends and challenges together again!

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for pictures from the conference.

Also, special thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors: