Limited speaking opportunities are still available!

Do you have a session concept you feel would add value to the PAYMENTS 2009 program? NACHA is accepting additional proposals for this program until December 3, 2008.

HOW TO SUBMIT SESSION PROPOSALS

Submit your proposal via email to conferences@nacha.org. Include “PAYMENTS 2009” in the subject line.

WHAT YOU GAIN AS A CONFERENCE SPEAKER

• Recognition of being associated with the premiere payments industry event
• Visibility and credibility within the industry for you and your organization
• A complimentary full conference registration
• Excellent networking opportunities

PRESENTATION FORMATS

Concurrent Sessions – Typically 60 minutes in length; a limited number of sessions may be 75 minutes in length. Concurrent sessions allow speakers to present information on a wide variety of topics. Attendees are particularly interested in case studies and original research results. Proposals should offer tangible value to the audience including customer
perspectives, lessons learned, best practices, and performance metrics. Financial institution and vendor/service provider submissions are expected to include an end-user/customer or an unbiased, industry expert as co-presenter. 

LEVEL OF PRESENTATIONS

The level of presentation is identified by the submitter(s) and is based on expected audience experience and knowledge. Session attendees evaluate the presentation by the appropriateness of the level and the ability of the speakers to meet the described objectives. It is very important to accurately identify the level of your proposal. The Conference Planning Committee reserves the right to modify the level and will instruct submitters accordingly so that they may meet audience expectations.

Fundamental sessions require little or no previous knowledge of the topic material by attendees and should emphasize the definition of terms and description of key concepts. These sessions take the “who, what, when, where, why and how” approach.

Intermediate sessions require a basic knowledge and some experience in the topic area by the attendees. Brief emphasis on terms is recommended. The focus should be on the
practical use of the topic and the user benefits, and should include detailed examples. Some evaluation of alternative methods would be appropriate.

Advanced sessions require a working knowledge and considerable experience in the topic area by attendees and may further require basic or working knowledge in one or more related areas outside the specific topic. Examples and calculations may be fairly complex and only new technical terminology should be specifically defined. These proposals should be strategic in scope and focus on emerging trends or products.

CONFERENCE TRACK DESIGNATIONS

Concurrent sessions are assigned to one of seven program track designations. The track designations for PAYMENTS 2009 are as follows:

• Automated Clearing House (ACH)
• Card Solutions
• Check Electronification
• Corporate Payments Solutions
• Global Focus
• Risk & Compliance
• The Payments Biz

Submitters must designate the appropriate track when submitting session proposals. For a full description of the conference program tracks, please click here.

REVIEW PROCEDURES

Hot Topic Proposals submitted for PAYMENTS 2009 are reviewed  according to specific criteria, including:

• Relevance to the electronic payments industry;
• Originality of material;
• Overall perceived quality of session content;
• Timeliness of topic;
• A well-defined focus;
• Completeness of presentation proposal;
• Appropriate inclusion of customer/end-user or unbiased, industry expert co-presenter;
• Perceived take-away value for attendees;
• Speaking experience of presenters;
• Participant evaluations of presenter at previous NACHA events, if applicable;
• Uniqueness of approach to the topic or of presenter perspective.

HOW TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF ACCEPTANCE

The PAYMENTS 2009 Conference Planning Committee will work from an extremely selective set of guidelines for reviewing and rating this year’s session proposals. To ensure your proposal ends up at the top of the “accept” pile, please take a few moments to ask:

Originality — Is my focus on information that is not easily accessible elsewhere? Are the concepts being presented new or emerging thoughts?

Compelling Content — Am I offering a salient message, thought-provoking concept, or a controversial issues has great appeal to attendees.

Co-Presenter Recruitment — Am I able to bring a customer/end-user or un-biased industry expert as a co-presenter?

Educational Value Proposition — Is my session title clear and specific? Am I able to relate tangible benefits to specific market stakeholders and segments?

Direct, Bottom-line Implications — Can business relevance, ROI, metrics, and results be measured?

Use Clear, Concise Language — Are the focus and relevance of the proposal clear? Is the value of the proposal readily understood? 

Avoid Sales Pitches — Have I ensured that I am not conveying commercial pitches for particular companies, products, or services?

Case Studies — Am I able to provide real-life examples? Sessions involving case studies are typically the best attended, and receive the highest evaluation scores. People want to hear lessons learned and insights from their peers.

Take-Away Value — Am I able to offer a concrete technique, tool, practice or information that attendees can take back to their organizations?

DEADLINE

Proposals MUST be received at the NACHA office by the close of business on Wednesday, December 3, 2008.