IFA’s 2021 Annual Conference Brings Factoring Industry Back Together

After missing its Annual Conference in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Factoring Association’s yearly industry event returned in full force this past May, with more than 675 attendees participating either in-person or virtually. Terri Baker provides a look at the highlights of this year’s conference and details about next year’s location.

BY TERRI BAKER, MARKETING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL FACTORING ASSOCIATION

The International Factoring Association’s Annual Factoring Conference returned this year after the COVID-19 pandemic caused us to cancel the 2020 event, which was set to take place in Nashville, TN. After months of planning the 2021 Conference at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, CA, the IFA faced another obstacle when the California continued its prohibition of in-person gatherings for larger groups. We quickly realized we needed to make a decision, so we switched gears and opted to move the event to the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, where restrictions were less stringent at the time of the mid-May conference.

Planning a large-scale conference in only a couple of months is not an easy feat, especially with so much uncertainty concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s without mentioning this was the IFA’s first hybrid conference, which gave people the option to attend the event in-person or have it livestreamed from their home or office. Not knowing if anyone would be ready to travel, we didn’t really have a good feel for how many people would be attending. Even though Zoom fatigue was (and still is) at an all-time high, we found many people were uncomfortable making any travel arrangements and several companies were still banning corporate travel.   

As it turns out, there was still a sizable group of people who were more than ready for the face-to-face interactions they missed over the last several months. With more than 475 in-person attendees at the Biltmore, people were excited to get back to normal and start networking with their friends and colleagues again. We had another 200 virtual attendees and they were able to network with both in-person and virtual attendees, allowing us to connect both audiences together.

We also were excited to have more than 40 vendors showcasing their products and services to our attendees in the exhibit hall. Our exhibitors came from a variety of sectors, including consulting, credit card processing, insurance, lending, marketing, recruiting and software, to name a few. With such a large variety of service providers, attendees found everything they needed to assist them with running their businesses, all under one roof. 

Special thanks are in order for all of our sponsors who supported the IFA at the 2021 Conference. Every sponsorship dollar allowed us to provide quality content, improve our resources and better serve our attendees. We had more than 40 sponsors, and without their support, this event would not have been possible.

Forty-four phenomenal speakers contributed their expertise during the event, covering a wide spectrum of topics, such as legal issues in the industry, acquisitions, technology, fraud and the current economy. Our four roundtable sessions allowed maximum collaboration amongst like-minded groups of people to both give and receive feedback with their industry peers.

If you registered for the conference but missed any of the sessions, they are now available on the conference app to download. You can hear any session that occurred on the virtual-only day of the event on May 11 and also the main sessions that were held on May 13 and May 14. If you were not able to register this year and would like to listen to the conference recordings, they are available for purchase in the IFA’s online store.

Overall, the conference was a resounding success and every attendee seemed excited to get back to some sense of normalcy. We are now turning our attention to our next conference and starting the planning phases. We want everyone to mark their calendars for the 2022 Conference, which is set to take place in Boston from May 4 to May 7, 2022. The event will take place at the Sheraton Hotel, which is conveniently located in the Back Bay neighborhood and attached to the Prudential Center. With an array of attractions located in the heart of the city, Boston will be a perfect spot for conference attendees to enjoy all of the activities the metropolis provides.

In addition to the next Annual Conference, the IFA is continuing to plan events for the remainder of 2021 and through 2022. Even though an increasing number of people are now willing to travel to functions, we are still seeing a large market for our online courses. For the foreseeable future, we will continue to provide hybrid learning through our training classes for those unable to attend in-person. We also will continue with our webinars throughout the year, since they allow an easy and affordable way for our industry to continue their education and stay informed on relevant subjects. 

We have a lot planned for the IFA in the future and we look forward to sharing more as our plans continue to evolve!