Coachella of Banking?

If you haven’t already seen the agency’s Tradeshow Guide for 2025, you will notice that the majority of events tend to be Spring and Fall. However, one exception, and one of my favorite events of the year, is Bank Director's Acquire or Be Acquired Conference which is January 26-28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. Entering its 31^st year, this annual conference enables bank CEOs, board of directors and executive teams to gain a better understanding of the economy, explore opportunities for enhancing shareholder value, provide insight into how the competitive landscape is evolving and explore financial growth opportunities and strategic planning ideas that go beyond M&A.

I wrote the headline with my tongue firmly planted in cheek, as both Coachella and Bank Director's Acquire or Be Acquired Conference are held in the desert and audiences are passionate about the experience.

As of early December, the event already has over 950 bank CEOs, Chairs, CFOs, directors and senior executives registered to attend, with anticipated participation that represents well over 500 financial institutions.

The asset breakdown of the banks (based on 2024) is:

Over the course of the conference, attendees have opportunities to hear valuable insights from the top minds in banking on topics such as:

• What to Expect from Washington
• Balance Sheets and Valuations
• Transforming Your Bank for the Future
• Creating a Growth Focused Strategic Plan
• Embracing AI
• M&A Best Practices
• New Risks in Banking
• Recruiting & Retaining Talent

William Mills Agency will have a presence at the event, and we hope to see you there. If you have any questions or need more details about the event, feel free to reach out. If you are interested in attending the event you can register here.

If you have already attended the event, we’d appreciate hearing your thoughts—please share your feedback below.