ATM OPERATORS DOMINATE SEMINAL ATMIA USA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SIOUX FALLS, SD, and ORLANDO, FL, February 20, 2017.  Last week’s annual ATMIA US conference and expo was a milestone in the ATM industry and was teaming with delegates from across the US and from around the world, who gathered to launch year-long celebrations of the 20th anniversary of ATMIA (the ATM Industry Association) and the 50th anniversary of the ATM.  One-third of those attendees represented ATM operators, with IADs (Independent ATM Operators) providing a large contingent, as well as a proliferation of FIs – making up the largest ATM conference in the world which includes both IAD and bank ATM deployers.

One of the most talked-about features of the event was the opening plenary session, which brought together some of the true pioneers of the industry to talk about the earliest days of ATMs in the US and the networks that make world-wide cash access possible.  Attendees were also able to stroll through a display of memorabilia highlighting the history of the industry. A common theme of many presentations and panel discussions was the wave of innovation hitting the ATM industry, which ATMIA is currently spearheading with its key members from both the deployment and manufacturing perspectives, through its Industry RFI for Next Generation ATMs.

The pre-conference day presents attendees with opportunities for in-depth learning on very specific topics in a workshop format.  For the first time, workshop participation was included with a full conference registration.  EMV post-implementation issues, business contract management, cash management, and next generation ATM operating systems were among the topics addressed.  Attendance was at or near capacity for the entire day.  The second ATM Future Town Hall meeting capped off the day’s educational agenda.  ATMIA members had an opportunity to hear from industry experts on their vision of the near-term future of the ATM.

This was the 18th annual ATMIA USA conference, which always takes place in February, at rotating venues.  “Attendance at our event passed the 1,000 mark for the first time in 2014 and has stayed there ever since” says David Tente, Executive Director for ATMIA USA.  “We work very hard to keep our content relevant and to provide our attendees with networking, industry committee work, advocacy and learning opportunities that aren’t available anywhere else through purely commercial conference producers.”

Overall attendance to the event was 1,024. The exhibit hall was a-buzz with well over 100 booths.  ATM operators represented the largest single segment of attendees, both IADs and banks, followed (in order) by ATM hardware manufacturers and network processors.  As the largest ATM-focused conference in the world, attendance from outside the US tends to be very strong.  This year, foreign delegates numbered 140 from 30 different countries, providing for a rich cross-fertilization of ideas, innovations, information and business networking.

“ATMIA’s Team USA hit a home run right out of the park,” commented Mike Lee, CEO.  ”The event will live long in the memories of satisfied delegates and exhibitors because it more than matched its billing as an industry celebration of the ATM’s past and future and of our 20 years of proud service.”

The next ATMIA US event will be hosted at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 6 – 8, 2018.