Welcome
Given the continued uncertainty and travel restrictions in the nation, the MAG will host its 2021 Mid-Year Conference and Tech Forum as virtual events.
Join us as we present a dynamic line up of speakers who will focus on the latest payment-industry topics as well as share insight and an outlook on the future of payments. To maximize engagement throughout the events, we will also be offering unique networking opportunities for conference attendees to participate in. We look forward to you seeing you virtually in February!
Registration
Registration is now open for the Mid-Year Conference and Tech Forum. We look forward to you joining us virtually for a dynamic line up of speakers, discussions on the latest payment-industry topics and robust engagement opportunities.
Merchant Members
- Not sure if you are a member of the MAG? View current list of MAG members.
- If you are not a member of the MAG and wish to attend the conference, please contact the MAG.
Annual Sponsors
The number of complimentary registrations for MAG conferences are based on your sponsorship level. Sponsor companies and levels are listed on the MAG Annual Sponsor page.
Tech Forum Sponsors
- The number of complimentary registrations for the Tech Forum are based on your Tech Forum sponsorship level. Your company must be an Annual Sponsor in order to be a Tech Forum Sponsor.
- Each merchant member company receives 5 complimentary registrations to the Tech Forum. Additional registrations beyond the first 5 may be purchased at $75 each.
Prospect Annual Sponsors and Tech Forum Sponsors
- Mid-Year Conference registration is $900/individual
- Tech Forum registration is $450/individual
- Please contact Kari Hartley if you are interested in attending
- Payments professionals representing cross verticals who want to drive positive change in the payments industry.
- Payments operations or payments technology subject matter experts willing to share knowledge.
- New payments professionals looking to gain a foundational knowledge of payments and the ecosystem.
- Registration for the Tech Forum will close on Friday, February 5th
- Registration for the Mid-Year Conference will close on Friday, February 19th
- You must be registered for the conference to attend any of the Mid-Year or Tech Forum programming.
- Registration grants access to education sessions, general sessions and sponsor breakout sessions as well as the exhibit area.
- MAG offers Merchant-Only sessions that are restricted to MAG merchant members and guest merchants.
Cancellation Policy
- Registration for the Tech Forum will close on Friday, February 5th
- Registration for the Mid-Year Conference will close on Friday, February 19th
- Cancellations and/or registration transfer requests must be communicated to the MAG via written email communication.
- Virtual Tech Forum registrations cannot be transferred or refunded after Friday, February 5th.
- Virtual Mid-Year Conference registrations cannot be transferred or refunded after Tuesday, February 16th.
2021 Mid-Year
February 23, 2021
JOIN MERCHANT MEMBERS IN DRIVING POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE PAYMENTS INDUSTRY
MEET OUR MEMBERSTech Forum
The MAG Tech Forum is aligned with the MAG bi-annual conference designed specifically for payment IT professionals. Technologies in payments continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and the Tech Forum provides education and networking opportunities among merchant technology professionals and leading technology providers focused on innovative uses of these new relevant payment technologies.
The objectives of the Tech Forum event alongside our MAG conferences is to foster collaboration, provide tech-focused knowledge, and build relationships across merchants, their payments IT and business teams, and technology focused sponsors.
PAYMENTS TECHNOLOGY
LEARN MORE!Sophisticated bots are evolving beyond the capabilities of traditional tools. While web application firewalls (WAFs) and content delivery networks (CDN)s can protect your perimeter, they aren’t enough. How do you manage good bots? And what about new bots that mimic human behavior? In this new era of bot activity, bots make up 40% of all internet traffic. And businesses need to identify and control bots throughout the customer journey – they need to adapt their response to different types of bots in real time. With event-level control over bots, businesses can protect their customers, revenue, and brand without adding friction to the customer experience.
- Identify and block malicious bot activity
- Recognize and remove friction for good bots
- Classify and adapt responses to questionable bots
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- #CXSIG - Customer Experience SIG - Merchant Only
- #Cybersecurity SIG - Merchant Only
Sophisticated bots are evolving beyond the capabilities of traditional tools. While web application firewalls (WAFs) and content delivery networks (CDN)s can protect your perimeter, they aren’t enough. How do you manage good bots? And what about new bots that mimic human behavior? In this new era of bot activity, bots make up 40% of all internet traffic. And businesses need to identify and control bots throughout the customer journey – they need to adapt their response to different types of bots in real time. With event-level control over bots, businesses can protect their customers, revenue, and brand without adding friction to the customer experience.
- Identify and block malicious bot activity
- Recognize and remove friction for good bots
- Classify and adapt responses to questionable bots
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- #CXSIG - Customer Experience SIG - Merchant Only
- #Cybersecurity SIG - Merchant Only
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
#MAGTechForum | #MAGMIDYEAR | @MAGPayments!The consumer experience has shifted drastically over the last few years. What was once sending in a catalog order to a merchant through the mail has evolved into ordering online, paying with a QR code, and even not paying at checkout until sometime later…after you receive the product! But merchants should never "innovate" without taking immense consideration for what that experience will look like for your customer.. Both at the time of checkout and afterwards. As a merchant, how should you think about and plan for upgrading your own shopping experiences to meet consumer expectations in 2021? In this educational session, hear from leading experts with a pulse on these emerging payment experiences, and from merchants who have flipped their checkouts upside down to meet demand for how their customers want to interact with them.
- Identify the different techniques merchants have used to evolve checkout experiences throughout 2020
- Explain the various ways consumers are experiencing installment payments (Buy Now Pay Later, or BNPL) today and how to develop a business plan to determine if BNPL is right for your business model
- Recognize the benefits and options available for a QR Code implementation at checkout… and why it matters now more than ever
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- Mass Merchant
- eCommerce
- Petro/Convenience
- Small Ticket/Restaurant
Track 1: Fraud/Chargebacks
COVID has accelerated the shift from retail payments to ecom payments, and from contact payments to mobile/contactless payments. With this shift comes growth in fraud and chargebacks. Attend the [Chargebacks]
track to learn about the latest solutions to combat and mitigate these ever growing risks to your organization.
Track 2: Alternative Payments
After an intense and sobering 2020, it appears at long last that alternative payments are ready for prime-time. A more open transacting environment is finally emerging, enabling more
secure and efficient payment options to sink in and gain scale.
Increased interest by MAG members in fielding more effective payment interactions with their customers drove development of this new Product Showcase track for alternative
payments. Attendees will be able to experience up to a half-dozen brief 'deep-dives' in this Product Showcase track from credible providers, along with an opportunity to follow-up with them with specific interests subsequent to the session. Providers
will be dispensing specific, targeted and relevant information about what it takes for merchants to put these new payment products into action--helping to make 2021 the year to finally make the transition to a payment system that works for everyone.
Track 3: Gateway
For many organizations, gateways serve as the backbone of their payment acceptance infrastructure. Gateways have the potential to transform an organization’s payment strategy and create meaningful efficiencies.
Gateways offer solutions to integrate new payment types and methods, mitigate fraud, increase authorization rates, harness new technology, improve interchange qualifications, and leverage solutions like PINless debit, debit routing, tokenization and
encryption.
When it comes to gateways, there are many providers and countless solutions. Ensuring the proper alignment and fit is critical. Organizations must ensure they partner with a provider who will help them evolve their strategy and increase
the efficiency of their payments. If not properly aligned, a gateway can create undue burden, unnecessary complications, business challenges, roadblocks in the customer journey, and a layer of additional cost.
In this track, we will showcase
several gateway providers. They will share with us their available solutions and the wealth of benefits they offer to help your organization better understand the current market offerings. Identifying the optimal solution, that presents the best fit
and can grow with your organization, serves as a foundational pillar to evolving your payments strategy.
Track 4: Enabling Payments
When a customer pays for goods, sometimes they can pay in multiple ways. Sometimes, they only have one method they can use. Transferring value requires navigation through our various payment infrastructures. The Payments Enablement track presents the opportunities and means for mitigating limitations within the U.S. merchant payments infrastructure.
Track 1: Fraud/Chargebacks
COVID has accelerated the shift from retail payments to ecom payments, and from contact payments to mobile/contactless payments. With this shift comes growth in fraud and chargebacks. Attend the [Chargebacks]
track to learn about the latest solutions to combat and mitigate these ever growing risks to your organization.
Track 2: Alternative Payments
After an intense and sobering 2020, it appears at long last that alternative payments are ready for prime-time. A more open transacting environment is finally emerging, enabling more
secure and efficient payment options to sink in and gain scale.
Increased interest by MAG members in fielding more effective payment interactions with their customers drove development of this new Product Showcase track for alternative
payments. Attendees will be able to experience up to a half-dozen brief 'deep-dives' in this Product Showcase track from credible providers, along with an opportunity to follow-up with them with specific interests subsequent to the session. Providers
will be dispensing specific, targeted and relevant information about what it takes for merchants to put these new payment products into action--helping to make 2021 the year to finally make the transition to a payment system that works for everyone.
Track 3: Gateway
For many organizations, gateways serve as the backbone of their payment acceptance infrastructure. Gateways have the potential to transform an organization’s payment strategy and create meaningful efficiencies.
Gateways offer solutions to integrate new payment types and methods, mitigate fraud, increase authorization rates, harness new technology, improve interchange qualifications, and leverage solutions like PINless debit, debit routing, tokenization and
encryption.
When it comes to gateways, there are many providers and countless solutions. Ensuring the proper alignment and fit is critical. Organizations must ensure they partner with a provider who will help them evolve their strategy and increase
the efficiency of their payments. If not properly aligned, a gateway can create undue burden, unnecessary complications, business challenges, roadblocks in the customer journey, and a layer of additional cost.
In this track, we will showcase
several gateway providers. They will share with us their available solutions and the wealth of benefits they offer to help your organization better understand the current market offerings. Identifying the optimal solution, that presents the best fit
and can grow with your organization, serves as a foundational pillar to evolving your payments strategy.
Track 4: Enabling Payments
When a customer pays for goods, sometimes they can pay in multiple ways. Sometimes, they only have one method they can use. Transferring value requires navigation through our various payment infrastructures. The Payments Enablement track presents the opportunities and means for mitigating limitations within the U.S. merchant payments infrastructure.
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- Mass Merchant
- Petro/Convenience
- Small Ticket/Restaurant
The consumer experience has shifted drastically over the last few years. What was once sending in a catalog order to a merchant through the mail has evolved into ordering online, paying with a QR code, and even not paying at checkout until sometime later…after you receive the product! But merchants should never "innovate" without taking immense consideration for what that experience will look like for your customer.. Both at the time of checkout and afterwards. As a merchant, how should you think about and plan for upgrading your own shopping experiences to meet consumer expectations in 2021? In this educational session, hear from leading experts with a pulse on these emerging payment experiences, and from merchants who have flipped their checkouts upside down to meet demand for how their customers want to interact with them.
- Identify the different techniques merchants have used to evolve checkout experiences throughout 2020
- Explain the various ways consumers are experiencing installment payments (Buy Now Pay Later, or BNPL) today and how to develop a business plan to determine if BNPL is right for your business model
- Recognize the benefits and options available for a QR Code implementation at checkout… and why it matters now more than ever
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- Mass Merchant
- eCommerce
- Petro/Convenience
- Small Ticket/Restaurant
Track 1: Fraud/Chargebacks
COVID has accelerated the shift from retail payments to ecom payments, and from contact payments to mobile/contactless payments. With this shift comes growth in fraud and chargebacks. Attend the [Chargebacks]
track to learn about the latest solutions to combat and mitigate these ever growing risks to your organization.
Track 2: Alternative Payments
After an intense and sobering 2020, it appears at long last that alternative payments are ready for prime-time. A more open transacting environment is finally emerging, enabling more
secure and efficient payment options to sink in and gain scale.
Increased interest by MAG members in fielding more effective payment interactions with their customers drove development of this new Product Showcase track for alternative
payments. Attendees will be able to experience up to a half-dozen brief 'deep-dives' in this Product Showcase track from credible providers, along with an opportunity to follow-up with them with specific interests subsequent to the session. Providers
will be dispensing specific, targeted and relevant information about what it takes for merchants to put these new payment products into action--helping to make 2021 the year to finally make the transition to a payment system that works for everyone.
Track 3: Gateway
For many organizations, gateways serve as the backbone of their payment acceptance infrastructure. Gateways have the potential to transform an organization’s payment strategy and create meaningful efficiencies.
Gateways offer solutions to integrate new payment types and methods, mitigate fraud, increase authorization rates, harness new technology, improve interchange qualifications, and leverage solutions like PINless debit, debit routing, tokenization and
encryption.
When it comes to gateways, there are many providers and countless solutions. Ensuring the proper alignment and fit is critical. Organizations must ensure they partner with a provider who will help them evolve their strategy and increase
the efficiency of their payments. If not properly aligned, a gateway can create undue burden, unnecessary complications, business challenges, roadblocks in the customer journey, and a layer of additional cost.
In this track, we will showcase
several gateway providers. They will share with us their available solutions and the wealth of benefits they offer to help your organization better understand the current market offerings. Identifying the optimal solution, that presents the best fit
and can grow with your organization, serves as a foundational pillar to evolving your payments strategy.
Track 4: Enabling Payments
When a customer pays for goods, sometimes they can pay in multiple ways. Sometimes, they only have one method they can use. Transferring value requires navigation through our various payment infrastructures. The Payments Enablement track presents the opportunities and means for mitigating limitations within the U.S. merchant payments infrastructure.
Track 1: Fraud/Chargebacks
COVID has accelerated the shift from retail payments to ecom payments, and from contact payments to mobile/contactless payments. With this shift comes growth in fraud and chargebacks. Attend the [Chargebacks]
track to learn about the latest solutions to combat and mitigate these ever growing risks to your organization.
Track 2: Alternative Payments
After an intense and sobering 2020, it appears at long last that alternative payments are ready for prime-time. A more open transacting environment is finally emerging, enabling more
secure and efficient payment options to sink in and gain scale.
Increased interest by MAG members in fielding more effective payment interactions with their customers drove development of this new Product Showcase track for alternative
payments. Attendees will be able to experience up to a half-dozen brief 'deep-dives' in this Product Showcase track from credible providers, along with an opportunity to follow-up with them with specific interests subsequent to the session. Providers
will be dispensing specific, targeted and relevant information about what it takes for merchants to put these new payment products into action--helping to make 2021 the year to finally make the transition to a payment system that works for everyone.
Track 3: Gateway
For many organizations, gateways serve as the backbone of their payment acceptance infrastructure. Gateways have the potential to transform an organization’s payment strategy and create meaningful efficiencies.
Gateways offer solutions to integrate new payment types and methods, mitigate fraud, increase authorization rates, harness new technology, improve interchange qualifications, and leverage solutions like PINless debit, debit routing, tokenization and
encryption.
When it comes to gateways, there are many providers and countless solutions. Ensuring the proper alignment and fit is critical. Organizations must ensure they partner with a provider who will help them evolve their strategy and increase
the efficiency of their payments. If not properly aligned, a gateway can create undue burden, unnecessary complications, business challenges, roadblocks in the customer journey, and a layer of additional cost.
In this track, we will showcase
several gateway providers. They will share with us their available solutions and the wealth of benefits they offer to help your organization better understand the current market offerings. Identifying the optimal solution, that presents the best fit
and can grow with your organization, serves as a foundational pillar to evolving your payments strategy.
Track 4: Enabling Payments
When a customer pays for goods, sometimes they can pay in multiple ways. Sometimes, they only have one method they can use. Transferring value requires navigation through our various payment infrastructures. The Payments Enablement track presents the opportunities and means for mitigating limitations within the U.S. merchant payments infrastructure.
The ultimate networking session! Come join the most highly rated sessions of a MAG conference - these merchant-only discussion groups - led by merchant leaders - give you an opportunity in a no-pressure environment for an open and honest chat with your peers about what keeps you up at night.
- Mass Merchant
- Petro/Convenience
- Small Ticket/Restaurant
Conference Sponsors & Exhibitors
The 2021 Mid-Year Conference & Tech Forum will offer a variety of opportunities to show support for the MAG and gain additional exposure as you showcase your brand to conference attendees.
Sponsorship Value
As a MAG conference sponsor, merchants will:
- Remember your company, products and services
- See you as a supporter and partner in the payments community
- Recognize your brand
EXHIBIT AND SPONSORSHIP GUIDE
VIEWEXHIBIT AND SPONSORSHIP SELECTIONS
SUBMIT HERE
Discounted pricing available if selecting opportunities for both Mid-Year Conference & Tech Forum.
Reminder: You must be a current MAG Annual Sponsor in good standing to be a Mid-Year and/or Tech Forum conference sponsor.
Important Deadlines
December 31, 2020:
Deadline to sign up as a MAG Annual or Tech Forum Sponsor.
January 15, 2021:
Deadline to sign up as a Mid-Year or Tech Forum Conference Sponsor and/or Exhibitor and be included in conference marketing materials.
Annual Sponsorship Opportunities
Learn MoreThank You to our Media Sponsor
Speakers
Thank for you being a valued MAG partner and agreeing to share your expertise and insights with our conference attendees. Check this page often for the latest updates and guidelines for your presentation.
Important Deadlines
- January 6: PowerPoint submissions and handouts due to MAG staff
- January 15: Speaker Bios (in PDF format), Headshots and Speaker Agreements due to MAG staff
- January 20: Deadline for speakers to register
Questions? Please contact, Lisa Mercurio
ADDITIONAL SPEAKER INFORMATION
LEARN MORE!On-Demand Session Access and Conference Presentations
