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TradeAssociationNews

TRANSACT 23 inspires 'at the speed of payments'

increasing 13 percent year over year and transactions in-
creasing by 8 percent. The future is bright, she noted, and
the five-year global payments revenue outlook now ex-
ceeds pre-pandemic expectations, topping $3 trillion by
2026. Current economic technological and social shifts are
creating space for disruption and innovation, she added,
and we are the leaders carving the path forward.

Projecting the global B2B payments market to reach $1.6
trillion by 2028, Kelley said it will be fascinating and fun
to see how payments industry leaders make commerce
ith a verb for a name and "speed of payments" easier, faster and safer.
as a theme, the Electronic Transactions
Association's TRANSACT 23 drew 3,000 "We are on a mission to help your business thrive today,
W attendees and over 150 speakers, 130 exhibi- tomorrow and into the future, and that future is coming
tors, 800 companies and 1,800 decision-makers to Atlanta's at warp speed," she said, encouraging the audience to get
Georgia World Conference Center, April 24-26, 2023. out, meet new people, brainstorm and envision a future
For three decades, the annual conference and expo has made possible because of their work.
evolved alongside the ever-changing payments industry,
according to Jodie Kelley, CEO of ETA. Insights
TRANSACT offered a complement of simultaneous pre-
In a pre-event interview with The Green Sheet, Kelley pro- sentations designed to showcase what's new, what's now
posed the three-pronged tagline, "connections at the speed and what's next in payments, on four stages and six tracks,
of payments; business at the speed of payments; insights as follows:
at the speed of payments," reflects the multilayered com-
merce ecosystem. • Innovation track: Reviewing disruptive technolo-
gies.
"We interpret the core message, 'at the speed of payments,' • Opportunity track: Exploring customer experience,
in different ways," she said. "Connections are leaning in sales and revenue growth, and partnership oppor-
and networking; business is coming together to get deals tunities.
done; insights represent our robust education program."
• Transformation track: Delving into the transforma-
Looking ahead to the conference and near-term future, tive innovation of embedded payments and finance
Kelley expressed hope that people would leave excited and its impact on future payments.
about payments industry opportunities and ETA's com- • Deep Dive: Security, Risk & Compliance: Probing
mitment to their success. The association is here to sup- how AI, machine learning and data management
port the payments ecosystem in myriad ways, she added, can help fight bad actors and how fintech is trans-
including political advocacy, education, networking and forming KYC, AML and more.
more, to help everyone thrive throughout the year. • Deep Dive: Crypto, Web3 & the Metaverse: Model-

Connections ing the way to new trends shaping crypto, the meta-
verse play and Web3.
Kelley further noted TRANSACT would use Grip, a free • EMPOW(H)ER: Offering hands-on training,
AI-powered business matchmaking app, to help partici- and networking and mentoring opportunities de-
pants network, set agendas, see new recommended con- signed to empower payments industry women and
nections and set up meetings. To ensure success, she said help them advance in their careers.
an on-site Grip expert would be present during show
hours in the central networking lounge. Emphasizing Connecting the world
that the ETA wants to make it easier for the community
to come together, she cited meetups, receptions, the Visa Sarah Koch, director of marketing and communications
Celebration and ETA Awards as additional networking at Aevi, who traveled from Germany to attend the event,
opportunities. stated TRANSACT supports her company's vision of an
open, inclusive world. "As an Aevi'ator, it was awesome
Business to see the focus on prioritizing customers, creating value
and experiences for them, and simplifying payment pro-
In opening the conference, Kelley thanked sponsors, ex- cedures for small and midsize businesses," she said, add-
hibitors, speakers and attendees, stating this is an exciting ing, it's all about making payments easy and accessible, no
time to be in payments, with U.S. card purchase volume matter where you are.
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