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TradeAssociationNews
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his special Trade Association News section cel-
ebrates the Southeast Acquirers Association's
25th anniversary through two personal per-
T spectives. Allen Kopelman looks back on the
growth of SEAA from its earliest gatherings to the indus-
try powerhouse it is today, while Dee Karawadra pays
tribute to longtime board member John McCormick,
whose leadership, mentorship and service helped shape
the organization and the community surrounding it.

SEAA's 25th birthday bash

We have stayed in touch ever since and he has been a
guest on B2B Vault: The Biz to Biz Podcast three times
since he joined Visa.

I share the distinction of never missing a single SEAA
conference with my business partner David. One of my
favorite memories from the SEAA shows is the Derek's
Dogs fundraiser, honoring former SEAA board member
Derek Vowels. Derek was always smiling, kidding around
and having fun. The fundraiser is a perfect tribute to his
spirit and the impact he had on so many people in the
industry.

Good times
Sunday Fun Day was a great way to kick off the SEAA's
25th anniversary, with Netevia's dancing robots, especially
the one that fell in the pool. Not sure if that stunt was on
By Allen Kopelman purpose, but the optics were great. The opening reception
and bar, as always, were great places to network, meet
he Southeast Acquirers Association (SEAA) and new people and catch up with old friends.
my business, Nationwide Payment Systems,
both began in 2001. Dave and I were buying The SEAA is well known for its great speakers and
T Talento terminals from Judy Foster at the time, informative sessions. Last year and again this year, the
who was repping for Thales North America. Judy, who exhibit hall was filled with point-of-sale systems and
co-founded SEAA with John McCormick and Audrey software. This year's show attracted more than 1,800
Blackmon, invited us to their first official conference. registrants, according to event organizers, who had to
scramble to accommodate the crowds.
We met McCormick and Blackmon at that one-room show,
as well as Sonny Wooten, Steve Norell, Rosie Machado People tend to move around a lot on the vendor side. I saw
and others who became longtime friends, colleagues familiar faces sporting new titles and company logos and
and mentors. As the years went by and the industry quite a few companies that had rebranded and changed
matured, SEAA attracted more attendees, vendors and names. One small ask: Could we keep the show floor open
speakers. It became a kind of home base where payments longer? So many vendors and not enough time.
professionals could meet, learn from each other and create
lasting memories. Good breaks and breakouts
Good friends Attendees could choose from a smorgasbord of breakout
sessions. Day One featured concurrent sessions from
I still remember the third annual SEAA in Orlando, where NMI University, EPI Lounge and PayTech Women.
I heard someone call out from across the room, "Hey Chef Presentations by Global Payments, Suede, SparrowPay,
Allen, what are you doing here?" It was none other than Twill Payments, Linga POS, Vivid Commerce, Celero
Roger McNamara, who had walked into my restaurant Commerce, Impact Lab, AltoPay, Wellesley Hills and
six years earlier and convinced me to accept American others explored the multifaceted world of payments
Express. innovation and technology.
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