Meeting face to face, and spending time talking to people, is the best way to really get a feel for the industry

As I was packing up to come to AFP this year I got asked why we need to go every year – are all the shows really that different. ‘Absolutely’ I replied and thought no more of it.

As I have been at AFP for the last few days, it strikes me just how different events are from anything else we do, and how much they change from year to year. Nothing can beat the value I get from being able to talk to so many people over the course of a few days. And I don’t just mean customers and prospects, but people across the spectrum of the industry – everyone talking about highs and lows, challenges and opportunities.

Over the course of each conference, as you talk to people and listen to sessions, a theme quickly emerges reflecting the hot button issues of the industry and times. It isn’t always what the organizers told you it was going to be either!

This year it’s all about international trade, risk mitigation and regulation – banks need to respond and react to the changing market. They aren’t new topics, but they aren’t going away. And, as hackers devise new methods of fraud and explore new channels, fraud prevention continues to be very high on everyone’s agenda.

Underlying everything is the trend of banks and their customers continue to focus inwardly on streamlining their processes, going back to basics, and evaluating their partnerships and platforms – ensuring that everything they do is as effective as possible. As one gentleman explained to me, nobody can afford to carry around extra ‘weight’ that might pull them back – only the most efficient and responsive will survive.

I wonder what the next year will bring…