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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.

In a constantly evolving world and financial landscape, understanding today’s trends will guide future decision making and allow banks and credit unions to prepare their financial institution for the future.

In the dynamic landscape of finance, where innovation is the currency of the future, it's crucial for industry leaders to not only keep pace but also anticipate the trends that will shape tomorrow's banking experience. 

This year marked BankTech Ventures second annual Limited Partner Summit. BankTech Ventures is the first venture fund created specifically by and for key leaders in the community banking landscape. Launched in 2021, over 100 banks are now part of the fund, with 11 investments already made and over 100 companies in its current pipeline ready to continue fueling the innovation ecosystem for community banks.

Technology has both enhanced and hindered the financial industry. While many institutions have used tech to modernize consumer experiences and streamline office processes, many institutions have fallen victim to “shiny object syndrome” and adopted solutions that have complicated their operations or simply don’t work as they should. 

"Technology has made banking faster than ever before, and there's no going back to the slower pace of the past." – Suresh Renganathan, CTO for Teachers Federal Credit Union

ICBA LIVE could not have been timed better. Thousands of community bankers and fintechs converged in Honolulu over the weekend of March 12, when the stability of our nation’s financial markets was being challenged (yet again). ICBA and its bankers reacted quickly, providing much needed communication about how community banks are different, the stability of their financials, and that we are not facing a systematic problem.