eHopper at 2018 MWAA Conference

Last weekend, eHopper had the opportunity to take part in the MidWest Acquirers Association’s 2018 conference. The conference took place in Chicago at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile – a beautiful location with incredible views of Lake Michigan.

The two-day trade event offered an assortment of activities to ISOs and other members of the acquiring industry, including , a lineup of qualified speakers, and a trade show featuring the latest in payments and value-added products and services, and of course, prime networking opportunities.

eHopper participated in the 2018 Midwest Acquirers Association conference in Chicago

MWAA aims to provide regional base for training, education and networking the Midwest acquiring community. eHopper was pleased to join everyone who took part, and have the chance to feature our fully integrated point-of-sale solution.

Building upon the success of the 2017 conference, thousands from businesses around the country learned about the state of the payments industry, as well as future possibilities and market trends.

We were able to demonstrate the full range of our complete POS solutions, from hardware to eCommerce support.

MWAA provides a regional opportunity for training, education and networking in the Midwest acquiring industry as well as a forum for the discussion of issues related to the payments industry.

An Information Stream for ISOs

The MWAA conference was packed with general sessions. These talks dealt with the latest information on payment cards, while also simultaneously addressing the needs of merchants and ISOs:

“Helping Small Business Sleep Better at Night” — Barry Davis (Womply)

“Run Your ISO Like A Pro” — Garima Shah (Direct Connect, LLC)

“Addressing Legal Issues in Merchant Cash Advance” — James Huber (Global Legal Law Firm)

“KYC In the Post Equifax Breach World” — Moderator Deana Rich (Rich Consulting) with panelists David Vasser (director of Underwriting for Braintree), Jennifer Papenhagen (Elevated Risk Manager, MB Financial) and James Huber (Global Legal Law Firm).

“To Surcharge or not to Surcharge? That is the question!” — Moderator Mary Winingham (Mirror Consulting) with panelists Holli Targan (attorney and partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, P.C.) and Heather Petersen (CEO of National Merchants Association).

Description: Enjoy this point-counterpoint discussion on this interesting and hot topic. The pros and cons, plus compliance and legal implications will be discussed.

“Payments Doing Good” — Moderator Mark Dunn (Field Guide for ISOs) with panelists Bob Carr (founder and CEO of Beyond), Jeff Marcous (co-founder and CEO of Dharma Merchant Services) and Andy Kinnecom (president and CEO of Swipe For A Cause)

Networking Events

The MWAA Conference offered a stacked lineup of networking events where attendees were able to casually discuss the day’s insights, or even just schmooze with colleagues from the acquiring industry.

Sponsored by MWAA, Wednesday’s Field Guide Attendees Lunch was the first of five fabulous networking events.

Later that day, the Industry Achievement Award was presented to Holli Targan, attorney and partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, P.C. The presentation was followed by three other events:

Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall, providing ample opportunity for attendees to visit with exhibitors and enjoy the hospitality of the MWAA.
After Hours Party with Karaoke — “munch a little, sip a little, sing a lot.”
Closing Reception where attendees can meet with exhibitors and enjoy further hospitality.