Electronic Transactions Association Announces Small Business Event at 2013 ETA Expo

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the trade association of the global electronic payments industry, today announced the experts and Louisiana small business owners who will form the Small Business Panel at the 2013 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo in New Orleans. Small businesses are a driving force behind payments innovation, and the panel will feature small business leaders from a wide range of industries. The largest payments industry event of the year, the ETA Annual Meeting and Expo runs from April 30 to May 2, 2013, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the heart of New Orleans

The panelists will include; J. Chancy Lyford, Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Small Business Development Centers at the U.S. Small Business Administration; Steve Himelfarb, owner of Cake Cafe; Evie Poitevent, co-owner of Feet First Stores; and Rachel Billow, President of the NOLA Food Truck Association and owner of La Cocinita Food Truck. Ed Jay, Senior Vice President, of U.S. Small Merchants at American Express, will moderate the panel and provide an overview of the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses today.

"Small businesses play a pivotal role in the deployment of payments innovation," Oxman said. "ETA's 2013 meeting and expo is the only place to learn about new opportunities in payments, and our small business event will allow payments professionals to hear directly from small businesses about what they need from their payments solutions providers."

The panel will be held on Wednesday, May 1, from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the New Orleans Convention Center (900 Convention Center Boulevard), Room 210. The panelists will speak about innovative payment systems across a broad spectrum of small business models, from independent retailers like Ms. Poitevent to gourmet food trucks like the one operated by Ms. Billow.

ETA's 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo will feature 200 exhibitors across 150,000 square feet at the state-of-the-art Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the heart of New Orleans. More than 3,000 CEOs, presidents, investors, principals, payment professionals and members of the media representing the entire electronic payments ecosystem will gather to conduct business, strategize, and unveil new products and network.

Key conference highlights include:

• Keynote Addresses - David W. Nelms, Chairman and CEO of Discover Financial Services and Michael Abbott, CEO of ISIS
• Educational Supersessions - Throughout the annual meeting, education sessions will focus on the most pressing issues for the industry. Sessions include "To Aggregate, or Not to Aggregate," "The New Payments Paradigm: How Payment Start-Ups Will Change Our Industry," "Who Do You Think You Are? The Value of Brand Equity to Your Business," "NFC vs. Cloud: The Best Method to Engage Customers and Increase Sales," and many more.
• Exhibit Hall - The exhibit hall features more than 200 exhibitors across 150,000 square feet at the state-of-the-art Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the heart of New Orleans. A significant expansion of ETA's 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo – including the brand-new Mobile Pay Zone and the brand-new Payments Next Zone – established the ETA show as the hub of activity in the electronic transactions industry.
• Payments Next Zone, a dedicated pavilion on the exhibit show floor designed to showcase startup companies looking to bring innovative electronic payments technology products or services to the market. The Payments Next Zone will be the premier destination at the show where media, venture investors and potential industry partners can meet with startups to explore cutting-edge technology and discover opportunities to bring innovative financial services to market.
• ETA Executive Luncheon – A private lunch meeting with ETA CEO, Jason Oxman will include the release of the latest Economic Indicator Report and all-new Mobile Payments Committee consumer resource tips.

Pre-conference highlights include:

• Mobile Payment Innovations 2013, an all-day conference April 30 full of actionable business information from speakers representing a cross-section of players within the mobile payments ecosystem. Presented in partnership with Strategic Solutions Network, the creators of the industry-renowned Mobile Contactless Payment Innovations series of events.
• Electronic Transactions Association University (ETAU), a series of live, instructor-led, interactive classes that address key facets of the industry that are necessary for expanding attendees' knowledge and expertise.
• ETA's Government Panel, a discussion with the most influential professionals working on payments issues in the U.S. government. Speakers include top officials in both the executive and legislative branches of government including officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.

For more information about ETA's 2013 Annual Meeting and Expo or to register, visit http://www.electran.org/am13. For media inquiries, contact Brad Williamson at 703.398.1137 or [email protected]

About ETA

The Electronic Transactions Association is an international trade association representing more than 500 companies that offer electronic transaction processing products and services. ETA's mission is to advance the payments industry profession by providing leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information.

SOURCE Electronic Transactions Association