TL;DR: As Blankfactor’s C-Level Executives, we showed up to ETA Transact, the biggest event in the digital payments industry. It was held last week, from April 12th to the 14th in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Here are our team impressions on this networking event with over 2500 attendees from the payments industry.  

Las Vegas was the setting for the latest (and biggest!) meetup event in the digital payments industry. From this past Tuesday, April 12th to Thursday the 14th, The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) powered the largest gathering in the payments and fintech industries － and we were there to be a part of it. 

Known as the world’s largest payments industry trade group, this nonprofit’s event, Transact, connected over 2500 attendees with 1000+ C-level executives, 150+ exhibitors, and more than 500+ companies. As Damian Tanenbaum, Blankfactor’s Chief Operating & People Officer, put it, the message around this event is simple; “in life surround yourself with the best people and learn as much as you can”. 

Together with Michael Wear, our CEO, Damian and I took this opportunity to meet and greet existing and potential fintech customers first-hand. As General Manager of Payments, it’s naturally important for me to be at the forefront of where these discussions are taking place. Here’s our take on what happened last week at Transact2022. 

Expanding the payments and fintech network

“From processors, networks, ISOs, and ISVs to neobanks and banks,” the gathering geared towards learning, connecting, and doing business. This is where, in the ETA’s words, “financial institutions, payments companies, fintech, and technology innovators […] convene to make the deals that shape the industry.” 

Their event was set as “an opportunity to make connections, get up to date on new information and upcoming trends, and lay the groundwork for a more productive rest of the year.” Another meetup goal was to “allow businesspeople to connect with key players to take a product to market, find distribution, or strengthen sales with new products to offer merchants.”

ETA Transact: Set out to learn and conquer

The educational aspect of Transact took place over six different immersive stages. Those were cryptocurrency, risk and compliance, sales growth, innovation and opportunities, PayFacs, and ETA’s Law School. This last item is especially relevant considering The ETA is cited as the world’s leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry. ETA members are the ones who “make commerce possible by processing approximately $22.5 trillion annually in purchases worldwide.” 

Throughout 40 sessions, the nonprofit hosted 100 speakers in just 2 days. The lineup included special partner content such as Bank of America’s The Future of Payment Solutions, Ingenico’s Unlock the Future of Payments with the Android Platform, and MasterCard’s The Rise of Open Banking. So, what did we think about it, behind the scenes?

Our Exec Review of ETA Transact 2022

First of all, it was great to be in person again and connect face to face! While on a smaller floor this year, the attendee meeting opportunities were rich and the caliber of attendees was strong.

ETA Transact had already highlighted how this was “the industry’s first in-person gathering in three years.” And we really felt it. As the organization says, “the last few years have shown there’s no substitute for the impact of meeting people face-to-face.” 

But also, real-time payments and settlements are clearly in vogue. It’s clear that automation and the ability to convert any items into real-time transactions were important. Open Banking/BaaS is expanding for incumbents as well as new entrants. And card brands, acquirers and issuers are all innovating at a rapid pace. In fact, their partners in the space are doing so, as well.

A few words from our Chief Operating and People Officer

On attending the event, Damian actually had an amazing time at ETA Transact, catching up with friends, bosses, peers, and mentors! You could see it was just a real pleasure for him to attend Transact2022. In his opinion, “The floor, speakers and after-parties did not disappoint.” 

He adds to have been equally impressed by the number of C-level / extremely successful participants available for discussion. Damian was able to converse with, share ideas, learn from, and network with industry legends. It’s clear to him how the fintech industry continues to evolve. And so do ETA and the many great leaders within the organizations that attend ETA Transact. He definitely looks forward to more learning and sharing.

Yet, one of the highlights for our Chief Operating & People Officer is how great it was to see so many different point of sale / integrated options enabling different forms of electronic payments around the world. For him, as payments evolve, so does the ease of use for both merchants and consumers.

But what’s key from Damian’s point of view is how equally exciting it was to know that Blankfactor can assist any and all of them with achieving their objectives, since our engineering resources can enable their technology development. Well said, as usual, Damian. 

Going from face-to-face to leading payment solutions

ETA Transact2022 was a great meetup that let us see our current and potential future customers face-to-face. We spent a few amazing days standing next to the legends in the current payments and fintech industries to shape the future of disruption together. And we plan on putting all this new knowledge forward. We actively work towards leading in these industries with the best talent worldwide. 

We hope our C-Level Exec Team’s vision and commitment to always being first-hand where innovation is happening can speak for itself. See you again soon!

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