The Green Sheet Online Edition
June 22, 2026 • 26:06:02
Trade Association News
SEAA's 25th birthday bash
The Southeast Acquirers Association (SEAA) and my business, Nationwide Payment Systems, both began in 2001. Dave and I were buying Talento terminals from Judy Foster at the time, who was repping for Thales North America. Judy, who co-founded SEAA with John McCormick and Audrey Blackmon, invited us to their first official conference.
We met McCormick and Blackmon at that one-room show, as well as Sonny Wooten, Steve Norell, Rosie Machado and others who became longtime friends, colleagues and mentors. As the years went by and the industry matured, SEAA attracted more attendees, vendors and speakers. It became a kind of home base where payments professionals could meet, learn from each other and create lasting memories.
Good friends
I still remember the third annual SEAA in Orlando, where I heard someone call out from across the room, "Hey Chef Allen, what are you doing here?" It was none other than Roger McNamara, who had walked into my restaurant six years earlier and convinced me to accept American Express. 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 purpose, but the optics were great. The opening reception and bar, as always, were great places to network, meet new people and catch up with old friends.
The SEAA is well known for its great speakers and informative sessions. Last year and again this year, the exhibit hall was filled with point-of-sale systems and software. This year's show attracted more than 1,800 registrants, according to event organizers, who had to scramble to accommodate the crowds.
People tend to move around a lot on the vendor side. I saw familiar faces sporting new titles and company logos and quite a few companies that had rebranded and changed names. One small ask: Could we keep the show floor open longer? So many vendors and not enough time.
Good breaks and breakouts
Attendees could choose from a smorgasbord of breakout sessions. Day One featured concurrent sessions from NMI University, EPI Lounge and PayTech Women. Presentations by Global Payments, Suede, SparrowPay, Twill Payments, Linga POS, Vivid Commerce, Celero Commerce, Impact Lab, AltoPay, Wellesley Hills and others explored the multifaceted world of payments innovation and technology. The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), a North American community of VARs, software developers, vendors, and distributors, covered AI's expanding role in payments.
Visa presented real-time money, agentic commerce and value-added solutions. The session might have been even more informative if audience members had been given the opportunity to ask questions alongside the prepared questions and discussion.
In addition to the educational presentations and exhibits, keynote speaker Jon Dorenbos shared his entertaining and uplifting story about overcoming adversity while performing the same amazing card trick that garnered him a second-place prize on America's Got Talent.
For many of us, the puppies, parties and happy hours were the best part of SEAA 2026. After a top-drawer closing reception, festivities continued far into the night at the LIV Night Club, where Audrey Blackmon, retired-but-still-on-fire Judy Foster and outgoing SEAA president John McCormick danced the night away with hundreds of their closest friends.
The Board of the SEAA and the meeting planners did an amazing job for the 25th anniversary, and I got a T-shirt for being at every SEAA since 2001.
Allen Kopelman, a serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. and host of B2B Vault: The Biz to Biz podcast. Email him at allen@npsbank.com and connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/ and Twitter @AllenKopelman.
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