ttending many of this past year's trade shows has enabled me to meet many of our readers in person. I know your names and have spoken to hundreds of you on the phone or through e-mail during the 10 years I've worked with Paul Green, so it's been a pleasure to meet so many of you face to face and become more closely acquainted at these industry events.

I look forward to seeing more of you at the regional acquirers meetings next year. These conferences serve important purposes for everyone in the industry. They provide opportunities to expand your knowledge and network in ways the larger conferences might not.

As a media sponsor, The Green Sheet encourages all Merchant Level Salespeople to attend meetings in your region. We are actively assisting in the formation of associations in the western and southwestern regions of the country, in addition to supporting all of the existing organizations: the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest Acquirers Associations. If you are interested in sponsoring a regional acquirers' association in your area, please contact me at julie@greensheet.com.

Southeast Acquirers Association Meeting Wrap-up

The Southeast Acquirers Association (SEAA) held its third Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. October 8 - 9, 2003. This meeting was a great success with more than 300 participants sharing industry information and learning about the latest technology.

The Green Sheet sponsored the conference's preview event Welcome Reception at the Rosen Centre, and it was very rewarding to see so many familiar faces there. The reception took place the evening before the general session began; many of the vendors were there setting up their displays, and many meeting participants were also in attendance early. The program assembled by the SEAA Board for the general session was varied and interesting. Philip Hurst, Ph.D., a motivational speaker and author, gave an entertaining presentation. His book, "The Hit Man," was included in the registration packet, which gave participants some background reading. This "business novel" looks at management styles and ways to motivate staff to help keep companies profitable; the information is provided in an easy-to-read format.

The agenda included representatives from Paymentech, Global eTelecom, Visa USA, American Express, CrossCheck and Certegy. Each of the presentations and panel discussions focused on the information needs of MLSs.

The Vendor Expo was well organized and well attended. The SEAA modeled the expo area on the "level playing-field" formula implemented at the Northeast Acquirers Association meeting, where every vendor is limited to a table top display to place the focus on networking and not on elaborate booth design.

Vendors and attendees reported this was a highly successful meeting. The comment I heard most often was, "I got my questions answered!" The SEAA Board is succeeding in its mission of education and sharing information.

The next SEAA conference will be held in Atlanta in the fall of 2004. The Green Sheet looks forward to working with the SEAA in support of this event. For more information visit www.southeastacquirers.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Northeast Acquirers Association

NEAA 2004 Winter Seminar And Outing

February 4 - 5, 2004

Grand Summit Hotel

Mount Snow, Vt.

www.northeastacquirers.com

The NEAA will host its annual winter seminar and vendor expo in February 2004. Vendor space is usually limited and on a first-come basis.

Plan to book your registration and hotel arrangements early for this very popular event. While the agenda is currently in formation, mark your calendars now and start planning. Skiing and snowmobiling will be available in lieu of golf. Check the NEAA Web site for more information and registration.

The Green Sheet is a media sponsor of the NEAA meeting. Watch for further announcements and information on the meeting in the Green Sheet online's Trade Show Directory and in upcoming Green Sheet issues.

NACHA-The Electronic Payments Association

Payments 2004

March 21 - 24, 2004

Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle

www.nacha.org

Preliminary plans for this annual event already include more than 120 sessions and workshops featuring user case studies, the latest research results and essential elements for creating new services while adopting new risk management techniques for your payments programs.

Session topics planned include:

• How do corporations and financial institutions stem the growing tide of unauthorized and fraudulent debits to corporate accounts?
• Which will emerge as the market leader for electronification: check conversion via ARC or check image exchange?

Electronic Transactions Association

2004 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo

April 20 - 22, 2004

MGM Grand

Las Vegas

www.electran.org

Plans are already underway for the 2004 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo scheduled to take place April 20 - 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The expo hall has 50,000 square feet of prime exhibit space, comfortably accommodating nearly 250 booths. This is the best opportunity for MLSs to see the breadth and depth of the payment processing industry under one roof.

The new exhibitor prospectus and space applications are now available online. All revised rates and restrictions apply. Please visit www.electran.org/annual/Exhibit/index.htm for details.

For more information about exhibiting at the 2004 ETA Expo contact Beth Kennan by phone 301-984-9450 ext. 18, or e-mail bethkennan@conferencemanagers.com.

Attendee registration and hotel information are also available on the ETA Web site at www.electran.org.