Agenda – 2024 August Forum & EXPO

Demystify the Computations Used to Gauge Economic Activity on a Quarterly and Annual Basis

Presented by Steven C. Isberg, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Credit Research Foundation

This training will focus on identification of key indicators, how they are computed and how to interpret the results and put them into context to better understand the current and future impacts to you and your organization. Dr. Isberg will explore several of the key measures that identify trends and provide a peak into future economic growth. This session will help you:

• Gain a deep understanding of economic health: Learn how Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the cornerstone of economic indicators, is calculated and its implications for businesses and investors
• Unravel the mystery behind employment figures: Explore the various computations behind unemployment rates and decipher what they truly signify about the state of the job market
• Navigate market fluctuations with confidence: Demystify the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation and discover how it impacts purchasing power, investment decisions, and overall economic stability

SAP Best Practices Discussion Session

Presented by CRF

This is an interactive peer-to-peer informal discussion session that encourages participants to ask questions, share lessons learned, discuss internal and external resources and address process wins and issues remaining. Find out what your colleagues are experiencing.

The following topics will be discussed:

• Implementation & Migration to S4/Hana
• Bolt-on solutions that are working or NOT working
• What SAP modules participants are currently using
• IT resource concerns
• External consultants
• And more!

EXPO & Lunch

The exhibit hall will officially open at noon. Join us to network with some of the top service providers in the industry, as well as your peers, and fuel up with lunch before the Forum sessions begin!

Welcome/Opening Comments

Opening comments and reminders from CRF President, Matt Skudera.

Generative AI: Walking Before You Run

Presented by Sunil Rajasekar, CEO, ​Billtrust

Generative AI is here. And with it comes both excitement and trepidation from credit and collections teams and other AR professionals, especially because finance is often the last bastion of manual processes. During this informative presentation, Billtrust CEO Sunil Rajasekar will walk you through AI’s history, present and future, with a practical eye on identifying low-hanging fruit, allowing you to leverage AI for efficiency and improved decision making — all while gaining confidence to later expand into more sophisticated workflows. The end result? Creating world-class customer experiences while improving key metrics and impacting business results.

From Food Inflation to Interest Rates: Identifying Post-Pandemic Economic Indicators Driving Corporate Distress and Strategies to Protect Yourself

Presented by Jason Adams, Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group Chair, and Eric Wilson, Partner, Kelley Drye

In the years following the COVID pandemic, bankruptcy filings plummeted to their lowest levels in 40 years. However, beneath the service a number of economic indicators, including rising food and employee costs, higher interest rates, and inflation point to broader corporate distress. As consumer spending becomes constrained, the food and beverage, retail and ecommerce industries face heightened risks of default and the need to restructure. This presentation will discuss the economic indicators that could drive the next wave of bankruptcies, the issues facing creditors in today’s bankruptcy world, and how you can better prepare and mitigate risk for your troubled AR portfolio.

EXPO & Reception

Join us for a reception in the exhibit hall – grab a drink and some appetizers as you take another spin around the EXPO and discuss your needs with the industry’s top service providers!

75th Anniversary Celebration

Join us for the first night of our 75th Anniversary celebration! The festivities will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum!

Breakfast

Fuel up with coffee and breakfast before heading into the morning sessions! This is also a great opportunity to chat and network with other attendees.

Opening Comments

Opening comments and reminders from the Board and CRF team.

Generational Leadership Dilemma: Motivating Boomers to Zoomers in an Era of Transformation

Presented by Janine Friedman, Leadership & Career Coach, Choice Training & Coaching Solutions

The generational leadership dilemma explores the challenge of motivating individuals across different age groups, from the Silent Generation to Generation Z, amidst a period of transformative change. Janine Friedman from Choice Training & Coaching will address this dilemma and provide a framework of understanding that bridges the diverse values, expectations, and communication preferences of each generation to foster collaboration and drive organizational success in an evolving landscape.

Unlocking Strategic Insights: Maximizing Dashboard Efficiency, Forecast Accuracy, and AI Integration Through Process Digitization

Presented by Eric Joyner, Senior Solutions Marketing Manager, BlackLine

This presentation focuses on unlocking strategic insights by optimizing dashboard efficiency, enhancing forecast accuracy, and integrating AI through process digitization. It explores how leveraging digital tools and automation can streamline workflows, improve decision-making, and drive organizational agility in today’s data-driven business environment.

 Break

Strategies for Advancing O2C Initiatives

Leveraging Automation & AI to Improve Efficiencies & Reduce DSO – and Strategies to Sway the IT Team

Presented by: Timothy Ray, VP Sales, North America, and Nat McCall, Senior Customer Success Manager, Sidetrade

Join Sidetrade for this interactive presentation that explores how leveraging digital tools and automation can streamline workflows, improve decision-making, and drive organizational agility in today’s data-driven business environment. Learn about common challenges, how they can be addressed, why it all matters, and how to drive continued opportunities and efficiencies across O2C.

Playbook Roundtable: Insight on How to Mitigate Risk

Presented by Taylor Ricketts, Vice President, RetailStat; Jeff Weber, Director of Credit, Uline Inc; Craig Lydigsen, Head of Credit Risk & AR Administration, Nestle USA

The Playbook Roundtable brings together Retail Stats credit reporting services combined with credit professionals from various industries to share insights on mitigating commercial credit risk. Through collaborative discussion and shared expertise, participants explore effective strategies, best practices, and innovative approaches to minimize risk exposure and minimize bad debt exposure.

Lunch

Join us for a delicious lunch! A well-deserved break and an opportunity to network with attendees while you fuel up for the afternoon sessions!

Pre-Election Insights: Perspectives on What May Transpire

Presented by ArentFox Schiff, Senator Doug Jones

This presentation offers pre-election insights with viewpoints from a political heavyweight. The former senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, will provide a comprehensive analysis of key issues, policy agendas, and potential outcomes, offering valuable insights for navigating the political landscape leading up to the election.

Break

Grab some coffee, tea, water or soda and a TREAT…chat with attendees…then return refreshed for the final sessions!

Frontline Defense: Tools to Defend Against Fraud in Business Transactions

Presented by Alison Teixeira, Senior Product Manager, and Bonnie Gerrity, Team Lead – BIS Solutions Consultants, ​Experian

In this presentation, we will embark on a comprehensive journey that underscores the paramount importance of proactive measures in combating fraud, including first-payment defaults, bust-outs, write-offs, and credit abuse. We will begin by delving into the various definitions and forms of fraud, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of its complexities. Join our esteemed experts from Experian and seasoned practitioners as they share their invaluable insights on how fraud is impacting their bottom line as well as their internal processes and what they are doing about it. Discover how these professionals navigate the intricacies of gaining approval for fraud solutions and implementing them to ensure a seamless and robust credit decision process. This session will equip you with the knowledge and strategies necessary to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of fraud prevention and credit risk management.

Best Practices and Ways to Securitize Receivables

Presented by Adrian Segedy, Director of Sales, NCS Credit; Dominic Biegel, Director Sales, Bectran and Charles Edwards, VP of Credit Operations, SRS Distribution

During this panel discussion, we’ll review how automation and software can improve and streamline your credit granting processes. We’ll share best practices on how incorporating valuable automation with UCC filings, mechanic’s liens, credit approval & customer setup will assist in improving your cashflow and reducing your write-off risks. The experts from NCS Credit, Bectran and SRS Distribution will share the technology journey around how strategic system integrations have enhanced the credit granting process and assisted in recovery of accounts receivable for many organizations.

The following topics will be discussed:

• Automation – Streamlining business processes
• The value of securing receivables – success stories & best practices
• Tips on how to reduce your write-off risks
• Smart Integrations – improving A/R recovery & efficiency

75th Anniversary Celebration

Join us for dinner, drinks and maybe even some dancing at Ole Red for a casual, fun celebration of our 75th Anniversary! 

Breakfast

Join us for coffee/tea and breakfast to fuel up for the final day of the Forum!

Economic Update

Presented by Steve Isberg, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Credit Research Foundation

Steve Isberg, PhD. will share his insights and observations on economic indicators.

Open Forum

The Open Forum is often one of the most highly rated sessions at our live events. This is an open discussion session giving all attendees a chance to participate – ask questions and/or provide answers to others. As always, this Open Forum session allows for immediate feedback from your peers on the questions/topics that are important to YOU!

Please be sure to submit any questions or topics you would like to discuss on the registration form or email them to Angela.

National Building Materials Wholesale Best Practices Group Meeting

This is an independent, members-only group for senior level Credit & A/R professionals to engage in best practice processes and benchmarking conversations in an anti-trust compliant environment. The meeting includes an Economic overview presentation focused on the Construction and Building industries delivered by Macro-Economist, Richard Hastings.

For information about this group, to become a member or join this meeting as a first-time guest, please contact Matt Skudera.