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Fear of missing out (FOMO), isn't just an emotional state brought on by an inability to participate, it can later lead to an overload. You miss something you planned to attend, and everything you’d hoped to accomplish is left undone. That's what happened to me earlier this month, when a medical issue caused me to cancel my attendance at MAG Payments Conference 25. I had to miss just my fourth MAG event out of 35 in MAG's history, and of all the conferences to miss, this was the one I least wanted to sit out.
To make the most out of my time at any conference, I always create a list of objectives to achieve. What makes our events unique is how rarely you’ll find this many service providers and merchants gathered in the same building for three days. The ability to optimize connections with our sponsors and members is best realized in person — and when you can’t attend, you find yourself scrambling to catch up afterwards. It's unlikely I'll have all the conversations I hoped to have.
In addition to missing connections and the intimate setting of our event, I missed some fantastic content!
- Many Americans are paying very close attention to the economy, and I'm no different. Our opening general session kicked off with a Mastercard economist who offered insights into what the macro and micro data is saying, as well as what we can expect in the long run.
- Following that, John Drechny took the stage for our opening keynote; a fireside chat with JP Morgan, Mastercard, and Walmart. Such a powerhouse group of speakers, and hearing about it afterwards was both inspiring and a little torturous — I could practically hear the buzz in the room.
- Finally, we closed out our general sessions with conversations featuring the Federal Reserve Financial Services and a panel on the global outlook for stablecoins. I pictured the packed ballroom leaning in during these discussions.
- Did you know you can watch select sessions on our website? Keep an eye out for the MAGMail announcing when they're published. I can hardly wait to watch these sessions upon release.
- Don’t get me started on the breakout sessions — a range of topics for anyone in payments, from fundamentals like debit routing and chargeback management to the next-generation of commerce and fraud mitigation. I would have spent the entire conference just in those rooms.
- Our Tech Forum offered just as many opportunities to hear and learn from technology experts. I only wish I experienced them firsthand.
Our Special Interest Groups (SIGS), saw their highest attendance in two years (and I promise I won’t take it personally — well, maybe just a little). As I read through the notes to prep them for posting to the MAG Learning Center, I wish I could have been in all of the rooms at once. This unique format allows merchants from similar verticals to discuss issues and challenges among their peers. Our merchant co-leaders and sponsor facilitators offer their expertise to augment the conversation, keeping it flowing and focused on what matters to our merchant community.
Aside from the incredible content, MAG Payments Conference 25 saw our highest attendance of guest merchant companies in recent history. Thirty merchant companies had the opportunity to experience our conference firsthand as guests, and I look forward to meeting many of them at the Gaylord Pacific in February as new members. I so enjoy spending time with our prospective members. Learning what matters to them, and how MAG can help them achieve their payments goals helps us evolve our programs to meet current needs. If you attended the event as a guest, and want to learn more about our Collaboration Committee, feel free to reach out to me directly – I am always happy to chat!