2023 INDEPENDENTS CONFERENCE & EXPO
April 17-20, 2023, The Aria, Las Vegas
Join AFSA’s independent members for a content-rich experience, engaging in strategic, thought-provoking discussions on issues affecting the industry.
AFSA is pleased to announce that the 2023 Independents Conference & Expo will be held April 17-20 at the beautiful Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Each day will feature fast-paced and informative keynotes sessions, thoughtful committee meetings, and engaging networking opportunities.
- Explore business strategies and insights from industry leaders and colleagues.
- Participate in thought-provoking keynotes, panels and committee meetings.
- Network with attendees, in the glittering Las Vegas.
Speakers
Hon. Cisco Aguilar
Secretary of State
The State of Nevada
Amanda Gore
CEO
The Joy Project
Jake Harriman
Founder
Nuru International
Danielle Fagre Arlowe
Senior Vice President
AFSA
John Behringer
Financial Services Risk Consulting Leader
RSM
Patrick Brenner
Founder & President
Southwest Public Policy Institute
Jason Dunn
Shareholder
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Bill Himpler
President & CEO
AFSA
Joe Kaczmarek
National Fintech Leader
RSM
Martin Less
President & CEO
Nationwide Acceptance
Rochelle McClanahan
CFO & Compliance Officer
Brundage Management / Sun Loan Company
Robert McMurry
Specialty Finance Assurance Partner
RSM
Lou Musto
National Specialty Finance Consulting Leader
RSM
Anthony Pacilio
Vice President
CAI Neurodiverse Solutions
Sheri Wilford
President
LPI Loans
Celia Winslow
Senior Vice President
AFSA
April 17
| 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Registration Center |
| 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Independents Section Board |
| 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Business Partner Board |
| 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | AFSAPAC Event |
April 18
| 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | AFSA Registration Center |
| 8:00 a.m. – 8:40 a.m. | Independent Auto Finance Executives Group Breakfast Sponsored by  |
| 8:40 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Independent Auto Finance Executives Group Meeting |
| 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Leadership Development Program Steering Committee |
| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | THE EDGE Advisory Board |
| 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | AFSA Education Foundation Board Meeting/Lunch |
| 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Marketing & Communications Networking Group |
| 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Executive Committee Sponsored by  |
| 2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | AFSA Board of Directors Sponsored by  |
| 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Speaker Sponsored by |
| 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | WELCOME RECEPTION WITH EXHIBITORS Reception Sponsored by  Entertainment Sponsored by  |
| 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. |
WELCOME DINNER/AFSAPAC AUCTION Entertainment Sponsored by |
April 19
| 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Registration Center |
| 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | State Government Affairs Traditional Installment Lending Subcommittee |
| 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | BREAKFAST WITH EXHIBITORS Sponsored by  |
| 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | OPENING GENERAL SESSION – President’s Remarks – AFSAEF Update – Chair Report Sponsored by  |
| 9:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. |
KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Amanda Gore For more than 25 years Amanda Gore, CEO of The Joy Project, has used her expertise in emotional intelligence, group dynamics, neurolinguistics, neuroscience, and occupational health to transform businesses and cultures by changing perceptions, improving relationships and team dynamics, managing change, leadership, and innovation. Her high-energy and inspiring session will also focus on how to enhance customer relationships. Amanda believes success in business is always about feelings; the way we feel about a product, organization, or customer, influences how we behave and informs our decisions on how we spend or serve or who we conduct business with. Sponsored by |
| 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | AFSA Award Presentations – Outstanding Independent Award – Outstanding Employee Awards (Click to review the brochure) |
| 10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | REFRESHMENTS WITH EXHIBITORS Sponsored by  |
| 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
GENERAL SESSION | Federal & State Briefing/AFSAPAC Remarks There’s no gambling or odds here. AFSA’s Federal & State Briefing with Danielle Arlowe and Celia Winslow, SVPs at AFSA will get you completely up-to-date with the information you need for business success. |
| Noon – 1:00 p.m. | LUNCHEON WITH EXHIBITORS Sponsored by  |
| 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. |
GENERAL SESSION | NV Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar Aguilar was elected in 2022, confirming his rising star in state and national politics, while bringing his legal, corporate, and political expertise to the table. He’ll share his experiences and lessons learned in a thought-provoking conversation, from his time on the Nevada Athletic Commission, his education and job training advocacy for young people, and his time as General Counsel for Agassi Graf and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. |
| 1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
SOLUTION SHOWCASE The Main Stage will buzzing with AFSA’s first solutions showcase, bringing together new AFSA Business Partner products or services that can help transform consumer credit operations. Five AFSA Business Partners selected by the Independents Section Board will showcase their best products and services that can add to any company’s value proposition spanning compliance, risk, payments, mobility, and marketing. |
| 2:30 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. | REFRESHMENTS WITH EXHIBITORS Sponsored by |
| 3:00 p.m. — 3:45 p.m. | CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS: RSM Survey RSM will present the results of their annual financial performance survey for AFSA Independents and other independently held finance companies across the United States. The results will include current trends with respect to growth, funding, leverage, profitability, income and expenses.
Sponsored by The State of State AG Action |
| 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. | Independents Accounting Committee Human Resource Networking Group |
| 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
RECEPTION WITH EXHIBITORS Reception Sponsored by Entertainment Sponsored by |
| FREE EVENING FOR PRIVATE EVENTS |
April 20
| 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. | Registration Center |
| 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Operations Networking Group |
| 8:30 a.m. — 9:15 a.m. |
BREAKFAST & BREAKOUTS UNICORN HUNTERS – EXPOSING THE MYTH OF RATE CAPS HIRING NEURODIVERGENT CANDIDATES |
| 9:30 a.m. — 10:00 a.m. | Leadership Roundtable Sponsored by  |
| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. |
CHAMPIONS CLUB SPEAKER | Jake Harriman Jake Harriman’s work has led to his being honored as a White House “Champion of Change” and by the Dalai Lama as an “Unsung Hero of Compassion.” Join Jake, a Former Marine Platoon Commander and Founder, Nuru International, for an inspiring discussion on the courage to drive change and the role economic opportunity plays in the life of our country and the world, and how our industry and your teams can expand our influence for growth and good. Sponsored by |
| 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Grab & Go Refreshments Sponsored by |
| 12:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | AFSA GOLF TOURNAMENT Sponsored by  |
Venue & Travel
Discover a world of illuminating experiences when visiting Aria in Las Vegas for the 2023 Independents Conference and Expo at AAA Five Diamond ARIA Resort & Casino, where world-class dining and five-star service converge with in-room technologies and award-winning rooms and suites.
Still want to register for the conference but worried you can’t get a hotel room? No worries! AFSA can help.
Contact AFSA’s Senior Director of Conferences Michele Battaline at mbattaline@afsamail.org.
Accommodations
The deadline to register for accommodations at AFSA’s special rate is Monday, March 27th. Rooms in the block are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and will fill quickly. Note, that reservations not cancelled 72 hours prior to arrival will be charged for the entire stay. A small portion of your roommate rate is rebated to AFSA to offset conference expenses.
Attendees of the 2023 Independents Conference & Expo can take advantage of special AFSA accommodation pricing:
- Sunday – Tuesday: $275
- Wednesday: $245
- Thursday: $185
Room rates are in addition to single/double tax and a $40 per person resort fee. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. with check-out time at 11:00 a.m. Visit the dedicated booking site or call (866) 359-7757.
Air Travel
AFSA is pleased to offer the following partner discounts:
- United Airlines: Discounts of 2% to 10% off published fares. Save an additional 3% off by booking your own reservations at www.united.com, using the the code ZMMF132341. Alternatively, call your travel professional or United Meetings at 800-426-1122 for reservations. When doing so, refer to the discount code above.
- Delta Air Lines offers air travel discounts to applicable fares for this conference. Reservations and ticketing is available at www.delta.com or (800) 328-1111, using the code NM26C.
If you have questions regarding the meeting feel free to contact AFSA’s Senior Director of Conferences, Michele Battaline, at 202-776-7302 or mbattaline@afsamail.org
Ground Transportation
The fare for taxi and rideshare services between McCarran International Airport and The Aria Resort & Casino is approximately $25. Travel time is 10-15 minutes.
AFSA Golf Tournament
AFSA’s Independents Conference & Expo golf tournament will be held on Thursday, April 20 at the Desert Pines Golf Club approximately a 20 minute drive from The Aria. Bus service to and from the hotel will be provided. The tournament is shotgun-style and tee time is 1:30 p.m. For questions, contact Tom Morano at tmorano@afsamail.org.
Sponsorships
Want to increase brand visibility at one of the consumer credit industry’s premier conferences? Review available conference sponsorship opportunities and AFSA’s Marketing Kit. Ready to book? Contact Jenny Bengtson at jbengtson@afsamail.org.
DIAMOND SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
Expo Hall
There are many exhibiting opportunities that allow companies to increase their brand presence at the conference. Please review pages 4 through 7 of the AFSA’s Marketing Kit and the information below. Contact Jenny Bengtson at jbengtson@afsamail.org for additional assistance if needed.
ABCoA Deal Pack | cyclCRM
Booth 24
All-in-one software ecosystem for independent dealers and finance companies. Run your entire business on one software without importing, exporting, or double-entry. All modules, including accounting, are fully integrated.
Jacksonville, FL
Natalie McKinney | Director, Sales
(800) 526-5832
ACI Worldwide Inc.
Kiosk K23
ACI Worldwide’s comprehensive suite of billing, payment, disbursement, and virtual collections software solutions accelerate payments, improve customer experience, and automate manual processes. The ACI Speedpay solution suite powers secure payments while lowering compliance burden.
Coral Gables, FL
Max Beebe | Senior Business Development Consultant
(334) 663-4487
Allied Business Systems
Booth 6/Kiosk K13
Loan Origination and Management Software
Macon, GA
Miranda Price | Vice President,
Business Development
(800) 727-7534
Allied Solutions | Securian Financial
Booth 2
Allied Solutions and Securian Financial partner to provide a comprehensive product suite of insurance, lending, marketing, and risk management services.
Carmel, IN
Suzi Straffon | Director, Finance
Company Markets
(313) 410-6523
Amsive
Booth 18
Amsive amplifies results: A full-service performance marketing agency with a team of experts who drive strategically-informed plans using audience science across all
consumer touchpoints.
Greenville, SC
Greg Hamby | Director, Business Development
(601) 214-7331
Black Book
Booth 23
Black Book provides industry-leading automotive analytics and data, including advanced residuals, retail listings, and valuation data.
Lawrenceville, GA
Susan Moritz | Senior Vice President, Sales
(770) 533-5288
BlytzPay
Booth 14
BlytzPay is payment processing with automated collections tools focused on communication and payments via text. BlitzPay makes collecting easy and efficient by giving customers a mobile experience that allows them to pay on their time with the payment method they prefer.
Draper, UT
TJ Lee | Vice President, Inside Sales
(801) 658-2212
Brock & Scott
Booth 21
Legal Services
Winston Salem, NC
Dennis LeVine | Managing Partner /
Auto Bankruptcy
(813) 601-0683
Chetu, Inc.
Kiosk K14
Chetu is a proud leader in providing high-quality, custom payment software solutions using our payments industry experience combined with our extensive knowledge for leveraging best-in-class programming tools and technologies
to enable fast, secure, and seamless
payment transactions.
Sunrise, FL
William Dawsey | Vice President, Sales
(954) 342-5676
Crypton
Booth 29
Crypton is a technology corporation specializing in software solutions for the consumer lending, real estate and automotive industries. Services include eSignatures, eVaulting, facial recognition, identity verification, text messaging, blockchain and compliance-based machine
learning solutions.
Augusta, GA
David Phillips | President
(706) 955-6407
DDI Technology
Booth 11
DDI Technology provides a complete automotive titling suite for lenders nationwide. Premier eTitleLien® enables your Loan Operations team to streamline processes, improve reporting and manage exceptions within a simple,
user-friendly application.
Irmo, SC
Luke Jumper | Senior Account Executive
(803) 638-1229
Remarketing by Element
Booth 28
Remarketing off-lease and repossessed vehicles can be a complicated and time-consuming process. With the Element advantage, the entire vehicle auction process is designed to obtain higher returns and shorten cycle times. We typically deliver 105 percent of market value for our clients, with average net returns that are $300 higher than industry benchmarks.
Hoffman Estates, IL
Jay Watson
(248) 904-9468
EverChain
Kiosk K10
EverChain facilitates debt sales for creditors that are focused on end-to-end compliance management of debt buyers and their collection agencies and law firms. We provide creditors with the technology, people, and processes to optimize receivables recovery.
Henderson, NV
Mike Walsh | Vice President,
Business Development
(702) 374-5609
Fortegra
Booth 7
For more than 45 years, Fortegra and its subsidiaries have underwritten risk management solutions that help people and businesses succeed in the face of uncertainty. As a global specialty insurer, we offer a diverse set of admitted and surplus insurance products and warranty solutions. Fortegra’s A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) is a result of our strict underwriting standards, consistent profitability, and high cash flows.
Jacksonville, FL
Mike Ferris | Senior Vice President,
Credit Protection
(904) 638-7502
GOLDPoint Systems
Booth 8
API based lending software platform for direct and indirect lenders. Industry leading functionality in Loan Origination, Servicing, Collections, Accounting, Payments, Reporting, Decisioning, Securitization, Vaulting, and more …
Provo, UT
Glen Twede | Executive Vice President, Sales
(801) 429-2172
IM Group
Booth 13
Marketing Strategy and Campaign
Execution Services.
West Deptford, NJ
Seth Manley | Director, Sales
(843) 408-5777
Inovatec
Kiosk K3
Inovatec’s proven cloud loan origination and loan management solutions empower lenders to close deals faster, satisfy fast-changing customer needs, shorten time-to-market, optimize revenue and lower operating costs.
Burnaby, BC, Canada
Brendon Aleski | Director, US Sales
(412) 735-1661
LAUNCHER.SOLUTIONS
Kiosk K24
appTRAKER Loan Origination System is configurable & scalable to fit any business model for subprime automotive lending institutions, regional banks, and credit unions. Integrated communication tools streamline digital engagement with both Dealers and
Direct Consumers.
Jacksonville, FL
Ray Antunez | Director, Client Services
(904) 479-1343
Lightico
Booth 9&10
Lightico empowers lenders to eliminate breakpoints in customer financing and servicing journeys. With the Lightico Digital Completion platform, lenders fund more deals, complete more servicing requests, and achieve their goals in record time. Some of the world’s top auto lenders rely on Lightico to eliminate breakpoints in their customer journeys.
New York, NY
Gaby Young | Vice President
(917) 475-0128
Megasys
Booth 20
Megasys is the leader in complete loan management systems for the consumer finance industry for over 40 years. We provide customizable software platforms for finance companies of every size, from startup businesses to major corporations.
Orange, CA
Diana Moreau | Manager, Sales
(800) 927-4490
Neo
Booth 5
Neo’s application scoring and underwriting system leverages AI/ML, along with your past loan performance data, to automate application processing, mitigate rise, increase profitability and decrease time to approvals.
San Jose, CA
Scott Shamrell | Head, Sales &
Business Development
(949) 326-4928
Park National Bank
Booth 30
Park National Bank provides revolving lines of credit from $5-48 million. Park also has the ability to arrange larger facilities with competitive interest and advance rates serving the lower 48 states.
Columbus, OH
Jack Arthur | Vice President
(614) 372-6441
PayNearMe
Booth 26
PayNearMe is the modern, reliable payments platform that enables consumers to pay how, when and where they choose. Accept more payment types–all with a single, intuitive platform. With PayNearMe, collect every payment, every time.
Santa Clara, CA
Jill Bohlken | Senior Director, Sales
(319) 610-2080
Protective Asset Protection
Booth 22
Protective Asset Protection has been providing F&I solutions for the automotive industry for over 60 years. We proudly serve thousands of dealerships throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with innovative F&I products, training, dealer participation programs and technology.
Chesterfield, MO
Mark Edmundson | Vice President, Sales
(818) 620-1987
REPAY
Booth 4
REPAY is a payment technology provider that offers card and ACH processing, Instant Funding, a consumer-facing mobile app, and online bill payment systems with web, text, and
IVR capabilities.
Atlanta, GA
Pam Hendee | Vice President, Sales
(405) 504-7473
RSM
Booth 12
RSM US LLP offers a range of services to help specialty finance companies address their complex business challenges such as regulatory compliance, security and privacy, and transaction due diligence. Through working with organizations like AFSA, we have developed an industry knowledge base to provide industry specific, meaningful observations and insights.
Chicago, IL
Morris Marshburn | Partner
(919) 645-6858
Secure Title Administration, Inc.
Booth 1
Secure Title Administration, Inc. (STA) provides lenders with transparent control over their titles while meeting all regulatory and legislative requirements within the title administration industry. Our team of experts handle your title administration work so you don’t have to.
Duluth, GA
Mark Gallagher | Account Executive
(866) 742-1466
Security Credit Services, LLC
Booth 16
Security Credit Services is an investment firm that purchases performing and non-performing account receivables. Our company is one of the United States’ top 10 receivables buyers and has purchased over $30 billion worth of delinquent and charged-off receivables since 2003.
Oxford, MS
Jim Matthews | Manager, Business Development
(662) 281-7314
Solutions by Text
Booth 15
Solutions by Text (SBT) is the pioneer of FinText(™), empowering consumer finance companies to engage, interact and transact with their consumers in real time through compliance-first text messaging and payments.
Dallas, TX
Cliff Elam | Senior Director, Sales
(919) 641- 2091
State National Companies
Booth 25
As dedicated CPI specialists for 50 years, State National offers customized solutions with less paperwork, time, and effort, and greater transparency—all while delivering more in
claim dollars.
Bedford, TX
Mark Baltuska | Vice President, Finance Company Markets
(817) 727-7316
Vergent LMS
Booth 17
Vergent LMS provides an omnichannel loan management system that covers every step of the loan life cycle with a robust suite of software tools that scale to any size, from startups to enterprise lending clients.
Ridgeland, MS
LeAnn Cotton | Vice President, Sales &
Lender Relations
(469) 262-9322
Winnow
Kiosk K4
Winnow® is a database-driven, RegTech platform that provides subscribers with accurate topic-driven surveys and automated compliance change management. It catalogs over 57,000 individual state and federal requirements maintained by an experienced team
of attorneys.
Anaheim Hills, CA
Chris Hilliard | Chief Operating Officer
(949) 356-0660
Xpress-pay
Kiosk K16
Xpress Pay is an ePayment Solution with credit card processing and fee recovery.
Cortland, NY
Craig Peterson | Business Development
(607) 753-6156 x416