Schedule of Events
All agenda items are in Mountain Standard Time (MST).
Sunday, October 22
| 8:00 am | Golf Tournament and Luncheon (on property) |
| 9:00 am | Pickle Ball Tournament and Luncheon (on property) |
| 8:00 am- Noon |
Community Service Project
Community Garden Cleanup at Urban Farming Education(pre-registration required, offsite, limited to 60 attendees) |
| 8:00 am- Noon |
Jim McGrane Charity Bike Ride 22-mile route – leaves from the hotel (pre-registration required, limited to 40 attendees) |
| 10:00 am - 8:00 pm |
Convention Registration (Attendees & Exhibitors) |
| 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Exhibitor Set Up |
| 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm |
Community Service Project
Arizona ASPCA Chapter: Build a Dog House(pre-registration required, limited to 70 attendees, on property) |
| 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm |
New Member and Leadership Reception |
| 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm |
Women's Council Reception |
| 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
Welcoming Reception (in Exhibit Area) |
Monday, October 23
| 7:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Convention Registration |
| 7:00 am - 8:15 am |
Group Breakfast |
| 7:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Exhibits Open |
| 8:30 - 10:00 am |
General Session
Chairman’s Address and Keynote AddressSpeakers:
|
| 10:00 - 10:45 am |
Break |
| 10:45 - 11:45 am |
Issue Breakout Sessions
Foundation Room, Grand Canyon 11-13
Supported by the ELFA Climate Financing Committee Workgroup & Energy Transition spending topped $1.1 Trillion in 2022 – a new record and huge acceleration from the year before as the energy crisis and policy action drove faster deployment of clean energy technologies. This panel will provide real-world example of profitable ways companies can participate in this enormous market opportunity. Panelists will discuss how they are providing real world solutions across sectors including mobility and energy highlighting their approach and the risks and opportunities they have uncovered along the way. The panel will also provide an overview of research currently underway by the ELFF on clean energy and climate finance. Speakers:
JON DAVIES
MICHAEL DOW
LOU MASLOWE
BENJAMIN SPEED
PATRICIA VOORHEES, Moderator ELFA Room, Grand Canyon 9-10
Supported by: This presentation will follow closely on the heels of the Foundation study of the same name scheduled to be released in September. The supply chain disruptions due to Covid and now the largest European land war since WW2 was just the wake-up call to the risks in the supply chain. Supply chains in total are in the beginning stage of being revised and derisked as much as possible. Our project will adopt a perspective of geopolitical risk—a hybrid approach combining an assessment of the global security and political environment, demography, and economics—as it applies to critical supply chain nodes and operations in the manufacturing of ELFF member asset categories. This Panel Discussion will provide the concluding results of the study and actionable information for the ELFA membership. Speakers:
ANDREW BLACKLOCK
JEFFRY ELLIOTT, CLFP
CHRISTOPHER KELLEY
BOB RINALDI, Moderator BMO Room, Grand Canyon 3-5
Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for equipment finance has exploded since the public release of Chat GPT. All across the industry, people are wondering: What is possible now? What is next? What does it mean for our industry? Join this interactive session where you’ll connect with brilliant minds in the equipment finance industry who are curious and actively seeking the next breakthrough. Together we will dive in and explore:
Join this interactive panel discussion to gain valuable insights, best practices, and actionable takeaways for how you might apply ai-enabled applications in your business. Speakers:
NATHAN GIBBONS, CLFP
MARTIN KLOTZMAN, CLFP
DEBORAH REUBEN, CLFP, DES, Moderator
DARPAN SAINI People Power Room, Grand Canyon 1-2
Supported by the ELFA Equity Committee Join us for a lively discussion on inclusion vs. diversity along with a related audience exercise expertly presented by Christianne Garofalo, partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ San Francisco office and head of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practice in the Americas. Speakers:
SCOTT THACKER, CPA, CLFP, Moderator
DELROY STAUFFER, CLFP
CHRISTIANNE GAROFALO |
| 11:00 am - 4:30 pm |
Spouse/Companion EventATVing and Luncheon |
| 12:15 - 1:45 pm |
Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Luncheon
Speaker:
|
| 1:45 - 2:30 pm |
Refreshment Break in Exhibit Area |
| 2:30 - 3:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
Foundation Room, Grand Canyon 11-13
In today’s ever-expanding market it’s not enough to take a traditional approach to equipment lending. Borrowers expect more from their lenders, ranging from greater responsiveness to less friction, to faster decisioning. If lenders are going to effectively navigate the changing business climate it’s imperative to take a new approach to underwriting with non-traditional data. Join Equifax and our panel of experts as we discuss how to:
Speakers:
BARRY RIPES
DAVID ADAMS People Power Room, Grand Canyon 1-2
Both evolutionary and revolutionary trends in the workforce, the nature of work, and available technology are driving organizations to discover innovative ways to lead their companies, attract, and engage the right talent. One of the ways organizations are leaning into this is through fractional executives and associates for staff augmentation without the full-time employee expense, allowing for a more flexible workplace environment. They are helping drive success, executing on the vision and taking businesses to the next level. Given this, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding if this type of approach is right for your business on your business’s strategy for utilizing people – and what is the best way to go about implementing it. Acquiring the right talent is important and how you integrate them in and out of your organization and work with existing staff for the greatest outcome is vitally important to optimizing morale and eliminating fear. Other relevant strategies and current changes including, WFH, Onboarding and Engagement best practices, etc. will be covered. Speakers:
MEGAN AREY
JAIMIE HAVER
JENA MORGAN, Moderator
BOB RINALDI
TOM WARE BMO Room, Grand Canyon 3-5
This session provides a multifaceted perspective on AI's transformative role within the Equipment finance industry. We will explore the opportunities that AI offers in terms of customer experience, optimization, and innovation; but also, the technological and legal challenges that equipment finance companies will face as they navigate adoption. Attendees will gain an all-encompassing understanding of AI's strategic importance through real applicable examples within our industry and learnings from other industries.
Speakers:
GARY BRACKENRIDGE
KRISTIAN DOLAN, CLFP, Moderator
RAJ HARJIKA
HARMONY OSWALD
PATRICIO PAZMIÑO
TAWNYA STONE, CLFP ELFA Room, Grand Canyon 9-10
This session will cover some of the most material matters a busy CEO and other senior leasing executives need to know, including: UCC amendments that will materially impact our industry, critical regulatory developments, emerging market trends and related legal considerations. The session will focus on the business implications of the above. Speakers:
BARBARA GOODSTEIN
EDWARD GROSS
DOMINIC LIBERATORE, Moderator
MOORARI SHAH |
| 3:30 - 4:00 pm |
Break |
| 4:00 - 5:00 pm |
Equity and ETAC Reception |
| 5:00 pm | Individual Company-Sponsored Receptions and Events |
BOB NEAGLE
JASON TURNER 
DR. CHRIS HOWARD Tuesday, October 24
| 7:00 am - 3:00 pm |
Convention Registration |
| 7:00 - 8:15 am |
Group Breakfast |
| 7:00 am - Noon |
Exhibits Open |
| 8:30 - 10:15 am |
General Session
President’s Report and Keynote AddressSpeakers:
|
| 10:15 - 11:00 am |
Break |
| 11:00 am - Noon |
Issue Breakout Sessions
Foundation Room, Grand Canyon 11-13
Supported by: Turbulent economic conditions and the rapidly evolving digital landscape are driving rising rates of fraud. AI enabled tools can be used to both reduce fraud and to commit fraud against lenders. Equipment finance companies face the challenge of prioritizing fraud detection and prevention while delivering seamless user experiences. The rapid pace of fraudster innovation coupled with widespread AI capabilities creates an ever-evolving threat environment. As business fraud concerns rise, so does investment. According to Experian’s 2023 U.S. Identity and Fraud Report most businesses reported planning to increase fraud management budgets by 8-19%. Interestingly, despite increasing fraud prevention budgets, current measures don’t align with evolving customer expectations. Compliance, privacy, and managing customer expectations are key concerns for equipment finance companies, but striking the right balance between all three is challenging. How can organizations achieve these objectives without overburdening users or compromising personal boundaries? If fraud prevention limits our ability to create frictionless customer experiences, what is the right level of friction to achieve business objectives and still satisfy customers? Join this interactive panel discussion to gain valuable insights, best practices, and actionable techniques to optimize fraud prevention measures and elevate customer experience.
Speakers:
MARK BLAIS
HARMONY OSWALD
DEBORAH REUBEN, CLFP, DES, Moderator
MOTOFUMI TOHDA, CLFP People Power Room, Grand Canyon 1-2
This session will bring together a mix of Chief Marketing Officers and Senior Sales Leaders who lead marketing teams across the equipment finance industry. From organizations building from the ground up to large teams looking to add more efficiency to siloed sales and marketing structures. Understanding and defining the many profiles of customers can be a challenge for most organizations. Layer in the right mix of marketing and sales enablement to drive customer engagement and revenue, it can be a lot. Our expert panelists will address:
Speakers:
KELLY FURIA, Moderator
KYLE MALLINGER
KRISTI SCHON
JUSTIN TABONE BMO Room, Grand Canyon 3-5
Winners of the ELFA 2023 Operations & Technology Excellence Award Now in its twenty-third year, the Operations & Technology Excellence Award program is designed to recognize noteworthy achievements in operational and technology innovation in our industry. In this session, we will honor this year's award winner, Oakmont Capital Services, and showcase their award-winning solution. Hear from our winners as they share insights gleaned from their unique project experiences. The transformation highlighted will show the importance of strong leadership and the holistic approach that is vital to positioning a company with the right process and technology for the future. The project covered in this session is sure to resonate with both business and technology leaders who are considering significant process and technology change. Speakers:
MICHAEL BAEZ
SCOTT NELSON
KAYLA PERLINGER
CANDACE REINHART, CLFP, Moderator
WILLIAM SCHMIDT ELFA Room, Grand Canyon 9-10
Speakers:
JEFFREY BILBREY
ANDY FISHBURN, Moderator
STEPHANIE HALL, CLFP
BRADLEY SALYER |
| 11:00 am - 3:30 pm |
Spouse/Companion EventMusical Instrument Museum VIP Tour and Luncheon |
| 12:00 - 4:00 pm |
Exhibit Hall Tear Down |
| 2:00 - 2:30 pm |
Refreshment Break |
| 12:15 pm - 2:00 pm |
Community Luncheon |
| 2:30 - 3:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
Foundation Room, Grand Canyon 11-13
This session will provide an overview of the factors that have led to economic volatility in 2023 and the effects of that volatility on equipment verticals. The panel will cover construction, agricultural, industrial, material handling, and the transportation sector from both an auction and appraisal point of view. The verticals will be discussed and recapped by an equipment leasing professional who will share the real-world effect of the volatility on the retail side of equipment management and leasing. This session will use real world data produced and aggregated by the panelists. Speakers:
MITCH HELMAN
STEVE OLIVER
JIM RYAN
JENNIFER SABLOWSKI, Moderator
BENJAMIN SPEED BMO Room, Grand Canyon 3-5
Supported by the ELFA Technology Innovation Council What if, instead of having to follow standards imposed on us from outside the industry, we came together as an industry and create standards to accelerate innovation and resilience to shape the future? In this high-energy session, industry leaders and visionaries will come together to explore the role that standards play in shaping the future of equipment finance. Through thought-provoking discussions and lively debates, participants will delve into the ways in which standards can drive innovation, foster collaboration, and create a thriving ecosystem for all stakeholders. By the end of our time together, participants will gain valuable insights and hear an update on the crucial next steps to generate momentum around this vital topic. This session will foster discussion, challenge assumptions, spark innovation, ignite transformative ideas and drive for outcomes that accelerate innovation and liquidity in equipment finance. Progress comes from the industry's collective efforts, and this session aims to be a catalyst for change. Don't miss this incredible chance to have your voice heard and be part of an interactive, forward-thinking session sponsored by the ELFA’s Innovation Advisory council. Speakers:
JEFF BILBREY
ANDREW COTTER
ROMAN GAJDA
JENNIFER MARTIN, Moderator
DENIS STYPULKOSKI |
| 5:00 - 8:00 pm |
Closing Party |
| 8:00 - 9:30 pm |
After Glow Party |
RALPH PETTA 
TIM URBANThank You to our sponsors
