he long list of tradeshows scheduled for 2004 (see the "2004 Calendar of Financial Services Events," The Green Sheet, Dec. 22, 2003, issue 03:12:02) opens in February on opposite ends of the Eastern Seaboard: you can snowshoe in Vermont at one event and sunbathe in Florida at the next one. Along with hitting the slopes and waves, you'll have two terrific opportunities to see what's new and meet who's who in payment processing.

While you're at it, get involved and help set the organizational agenda for the National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP).

To show our support for participation in these associations and their meetings, The Green Sheet will serve as a media sponsor for and will attend each of the following events. The meetings below are in chronological order.

First Stop: Mt. Snow, Vermont

National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) Membership Meeting

Grand Summit Hotel, Mountain Road, Mount Snow, Vt.

Feb. 3, 2004, 9:30am - 12:30pm EST

Admission: Free; a buffet lunch is included

Hosted by: NAOPP Board Members

www.naopp.com

Scheduled to coincide with the opening of the Northeast Acquirers' Association meeting, the NAOPP meeting will focus on continuing membership development and the formulation of committees to help establish the association's agenda for the future. Organizers invite all attendees to "Come help to shape your own future," and let them know what you'd like the NAOPP to be. Board members Andy Pitts, Jared Isaacman, Corey Saftler, Henry Helgeson and Rusty Martz will be available to answer your questions and concerns regarding this new organization; they're planning an open Q&A format for the meeting.

Northeast Acquirers' Association (NEAA) 2004 Winter Meeting and Seminar

Grand Summit Hotel, Mountain Road, Mount Snow, Vt.

Feb. 3 - 5, 2004

Admission: $150 - includes lunch with the vendors

www.northeastacquirers.com

The Northeast Acquirers' Association's Winter Meeting and Seminar will be held Feb. 3 - 5 at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel and Conference Center, Mt. Snow Vt. Organizers expanded this year's meeting schedule to cover two full days because there has been such an increase in attendance and interest in the association overall.

NEAA is a not-for-profit organization and participation at all levels is strictly voluntary. As has been the case for the past 18 years, registration fees collected are crucial to making this event a success. While attendee registration is important, vendor registration fees provide the majority of the funds that NEAA receives and make it possible for many people to attend, network and gain useful working information at the seminars.

NEAA strives to keep the MLS attendee fee as low as possible to encourage attendance; registration is set at $150 per person. To make it even more affordable, a discount of $50.00 per person may be applied if registration is received prior to Jan. 19, 2004.

The meeting begins on Tuesday, Feb. 3 with the "Basics of Payment Processing," an educational seminar presented by Linda Ford of CardSystems and sponsored by CardSystems. She will cover the history of payment processing and touch on today's evolving processing requirements.

Tuesday's events will include a snow tubing party hosted by NEAA and a reception with refreshments and food sponsored by American Express, Global eTelecom, Paymentech and NEAA, with entertainment provided by a local group, Action Attraction.

The seminar continues on Wednesday with vendor exhibits and sessions including "Portfolio Analysis," presented by First Annapolis Consulting; "ISO vs. Bank, Sales Strategies;" and "Understanding Check," focusing on new rules for ACH and check conversion. MasterCard, Discover and American Express have all committed to present on an industry topic.

Secure your reservation at the Grand Summit Hotel no later than Jan. 10, 2004 to take advantage of special room rates beginning at $149-don't forget to mention the NEAA. Find complete details on the NEAA 2004 Winter Meeting and Seminar, including registration and hotel information, please visit the Web site listed above.

Second Stop: Tampa Florida!

ATM Industry Association

Fifth Annual Conference East: ATMs in the Americas

Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina

Feb. 17 - 19, 2004

Admission: $775/$1,075 (members/non-members)

www.atmiaconferences.com

The ATM Industry Association's (ATMIA) Fifth Annual Conference, "ATMs in the Americas," is scheduled for Feb. 17 - 19 in Tampa, Fla. Last year's event drew over 400 attendees, and organizers anticipate an even bigger turnout this year.

The conference kicks off with a comprehensive workshop on security issues to cover challenges and cost-savings in cash security. Larry Cutter of LaGard, will deliver the keynote address on the newly formed Coalition Against Online Identity Fraud to assess the impact of the fastest growing crime in the United States. Other presentation topics include: "Simple Methods for Reducing ATM Fraud," "Paychecks Anytime at ATMs," "ISO Growth: Show Me the Money!," and "How to Prepare and What to Expect From an ISO Review."

The ATMIA event offers opportunities to network with vendors from the ATM industry segment, including Tidel, De La Rue, Diebold, LaGard, NCR, Tranax and Triton. Scheduled speakers include Brad Adrian, Gartner Inc.; Gwenn Bézard, Celent Communications; and J. Michael "Mickey" Brown, Innovus, Inc.

Registration and hotel information are available online at the ATMIA Web site listed above and on The Green Sheet Tradeshow Directory online.

Now Setting the Itinerary for Las Vegas!

Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) 2004 Annual Meeting and Expo

MGM Grand, Las Vegas

April 20 - 22, 2004

www.electran.org

ETA's Annual Conference and Expo is right around the corner, returning to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. As in years' past, this event will include the usual variety of quality workshops, presentations and fabulous networking opportunities; the President's Dinner and golf tournament are both on this year's agenda, too.

This year, the breakout sessions have been focused more on the ISO/MLS audience and include:

• "Managing Your Customers: Tools to Help," presented by Linda Mahy, ReD Consulting, Inc.
• "Gift Cards: The Gift That Can Keep on Giving," presented by Dave Ingwersen, Open Payment Technologies and Jeff Hutchinson, Stored Value Systems
• "The Five 'Ws' of Wireless: Who, What, Where, When and Why," presented by Dean Leavitt, U.S. Wireless Data, Inc.
• "Proximity Payments: How Close Are We?," presented by Martyn Cooper, MasterCard International; Rob Regan, Global Business Development and Strategic Alliances; and Gerald Schoenecker, Hypercom Sales Support Division
• "ISO All Stars," presented by Garry O'Neil, Electronic Exchange Systems; Ed Freedman, Total Merchant Services; Mark Courchane, Wind River Financial; Ellen Hudec, Sterling Payment Technologies, Inc.; Marla Knutson, Transfirst; Joe Kaplan, Innovative Merchant Solutions LLC.