The Advantages of Attending User Conferences for Banking Professionals

User conferences are dynamic events that community banks and credit unions can leverage to connect with industry experts and like-minded peers in an enriching environment. They provide a great opportunity for banking professionals to interact face-to-face with vendors; share ideas and experiences; and address their concerns about technology products, compliance, and other important industry issues. And unlike traditional industry tradeshows that are mainly designed to attract new business, user conferences have a broader purpose that translates into a host of benefits for attendees, including:

• Training and education — User conferences provide access to valuable information that can help attendees keep up with the growing complexity of the financial services industry and technology. Participants can receive on-the-spot training through software demonstrations that allow them to see products in action. They can also enhance their knowledge through informative workshops, topic-based roundtable discussions, and other educational sessions. This allows them to learn from industry and subject-matter experts that can answer their questions, share insights, and impart best practices. This type of focused, in-person learning can make it easier for attendees to stay up to date with the latest technological advancements and other developments impacting their industry.
• Networking opportunities — As another benefit, user conferences offer invaluable networking opportunities. Attendees can connect with their vendor’s team, ask specific questions, and learn better ways to use their products and services. They may even discover new tools for addressing some of the current challenges they are encountering. User conferences can also spark helpful interactions between colleagues who are using the same products; they can share strategies and best practices based on their respective experiences.
• Relationship building — The personal connections that happen at user conferences can help reinforce the relationships that attendees have with their vendors. These events offer banking professionals a unique opportunity to learn more about the companies, products, and people they rely on to support their organization. For instance, participants can discuss the capabilities of software products directly with the people who built them and meet face-to-face with support staff they normally speak to on the phone.
• Inspiration — While people often learn about their software products virtually, in-person user conferences provide a much more engaging—and inspirational alternative. Connecting with industry peers and vendors’ staff outside the daily office routine can stimulate creativity. The live interactions that unfold at conference events generate energy, excitement, and enthusiasm that can send participants home full of fresh ideas.

Meeting Regulatory Expectations

However, the incentive to take part in user conferences goes beyond the practical benefits; it is expected by regulators. Examiners are increasingly placing more focus on how financial institutions manage their vendors, including capitalizing on the influence of user groups. For example, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) IT Examination Handbook’s Outsourcing Technology Services booklet states: “User groups are another mechanism financial institutions can use to monitor and influence their service provider. User groups can participate and influence service provider testing (i.e., security, disaster recovery, and systems) as well as promote client issues. Independent user groups can monitor and influence a service provider better than its individual clients.”

In addition, the FFIEC requires employees of financial institutions to engage in ongoing education and technical expertise to maintain compliance.

NetConnect™ User Conference

Safe Systems’ National Customer User Conference, NetConnect, creates the ideal setting for banking professionals and vendors to come together with their peers. This year’s NetConnect will take place in Alpharetta, Ga., just a few miles from our Georgia headquarters, on November 7-8, with a pre-conference training day on November 6.

NetConnect will bring together Safe Systems’ employees, customers, and strategic partners to exchange ideas and learn about the latest technology, compliance, and security trends in community banking. Each year, we hear positive feedback about the event from conference attendees.

So, whether you are a long-time or relatively new customer of Safe Systems, visit our NetConnect website to learn more about this year’s conference and how it can help you get educated, motivated, and up-to-date with the latest industry and technology trends.