Three Reasons First-Time Registrations are Spiking for ICBA LIVE 2022

With time ticking down until ICBA LIVE, schedules are solidifying, speeches are taking shape, details are firming up, and hotel rooms are filling up (not to worry, we just added more, but space is limited, so book now). The energy and momentum around coming together in San Antonio February 27 – March 3 is palpable.

While I received a pre-employment preview of ICBA LIVE in 2020, this is really my first-event as part of the community – and I’m looking forward to connecting and engaging as a collective industry. I won’t be the only newbie: While we’ve seen great growth from our core group of community bankers that convene annually for this must-attend event, this year we’ve seen some of the highest numbers of first-time registrants ever.

Our team has been tracking the buzz around the program and the event – and here are some key areas driving the excitement, for us first-timers, in particular.

1. The opportunity to connect with peers and colleagues. Let’s face it, it’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to get together, laugh, share and learn with the industry, at this scale.

   “Without a doubt, I’m so excited to reunite with my community banker friends and our industry partners,” said Lindsay LaNore, group executive vice president and chief learning and experience officer. That personal connection speaks volumes; there’s just something about peer-to-peer sharing that gives way to new opportunities and ideas.

2. The chance to solve for the biggest customer pain points. As Charles Potts, ICBA’s executive vice president and chief innovation officer, summed up, “ICBA Live is one of those events that if you’re a community banker or you’re a fintech technology company with community banker [customers], you don’t want to miss it.”

   Through the Expo and the ICBA ThinkTECH Showcase, our annual convention provides line of sight to a host of new potential partners who support community bank needs. Attending offers an efficient way to find a solution and start a dialogue around whatever problem you’re facing.

3. Your chance to get up to speed on the most pressing topics facing community banking. We’ve asked ICBA LIVE registrants what topics they’re most looking forward to learning about – and what they told us naturally marries a variety of our newly released roster of Learning Labs.

   At the top of the list, we found ESG (here and here), digital currency, online lending and fintech partnerships. Community bankers are grappling with a host of challenging subjects, and this year’s program lineup offers sessions to help navigate their innovation strategies moving forward.

Add to that the welcoming atmosphere of San Antonio, its river walk, attractions, and fantastic food (please send all suggestions here) and it’s clear: Community bankers are all in and ready for what I know will be an ICBA LIVE to remember.

For more information or to register for ICBA LIVE, visit https://www.icba.org/events/icba-live.