insideARM Innovates Again, With "One of the Most Productive Events in the History of the ARM Industry"

What do you get when you bring together twenty Creditor Grantors with fifteen ARM Agencies and have over 160 intimate, yet formal appointments?  You get one of the most productive events in the history of the industry: insideARM’s Inaugural One-to-One Appointments Forum.

Held last week in Alexandria, Virginia, the One-to-One Appointments Forum was the first-of-its-kind meeting designed exclusively for the ARM industry.

The One-to-One provided attendees with a distinct change of pace from the traditional conference environment. How? By putting formal 45-minute meetings between potential buyers and sellers at the center of the event. insideARM matched Credit Grantors with Agencies based on mutual interest and suitability and established quiet, professional spaces for them to meet. What resulted was perhaps the most effective and useful two days any of these executives have ever spent outside of the office.

The Credit Grantors

36 individuals represented the twenty select Credit Grantors.  These participants were either the ultimate decision makers or the individuals that actually manage their Agency partners. They represented a myriad of industries, from Financial Services to Student Loan, Telecom, Cable Providers, Retail and Commercial Services. The services they were looking for included traditional bad debt contingent services, first party outsourcing, and specialty offerings.

The Agencies

33 individuals represented the fifteen Agencies that participated in the inaugural event. They valued the efficiency of traveling to one location and engaging in meaningful dialogue with 8-12 Credit Grantors that had pre-selected them for 45-minute meetings. Because of an extensive pre-Forum process, the Agencies knew in advance what to address for each Credit Grantor.

The Benefits

Several things stood out for both parties:

1. insideARM did not advertise the event. As a result, the Credit Grantors were not inundated with phone calls, emails, and requests for appointments prior to the event. The Agency participants had agreed not to contact the Credit Grantors in advance of the Forum meetings. There were also no “lounge lizards” at the location waiting to pounce upon unsuspecting Credit Grantors.
2. There was meaningful structure to the event. Well in advance, the Credit Grantors responded to a questionnaire to let participating Agencies know what issues they wanted addressed and what special needs they may have. Likewise, the Agency participants provided answers to a uniform questionnaire to provide critical information to the Credit Grantors. All came well prepared.
3. All participants agreed to a mutual matching process to set the appointments.
4. There was a meaningful opportunity to socialize with peers and engage in dialogue on issues impacting each other.

The Feedback

From Creditors:

“Just what was intended. Scheduled meetings without having to avoid folks and have conversations interrupted. Ability to choose who to meet with as well, not wasting time where no relationship will work.”

“I liked the simplicity of the whole one-to-one process in a private setting rather than at a booth in a vendor area at a conference. Also, I like not being hounded. Thank you!”

“We have been a part of many conventions. This format delivers quality from both sides of the table, directly leading to meaningful meetings. It will positively contribute to making our business better. Thank you for the opportunity to participate.”

“Unique, innovative approach in a relaxed setting to discover what agencies have to offer.”

“The insideARM One-to-One Forum provided a unique opportunity to meet with agencies both familiar and unfamiliar to gain a broader understanding of what solutions are available, channels being leveraged (or not) and challenges they are facing…the focus of the sessions was conducive to open dialogue.”

“Good format to have a detailed private conversation. Most conferences, the conversations are in a restaurant or a bar.”

“The format worked well; getting to meet for an appropriate length of time. The Forum was well-managed from top to bottom.”

“The structure was great and well managed. The meetings were incredibly meaningful due to all of the pre-work done.”

“Great opportunity to meet with agencies one-on-one. Provided many who were not even on my radar as potential business partners. Time was well spent!”

“I find insideARM conferences to be helpful and informative. This is a new and improved take on the traditional conference.”

“I came in as a skeptic with the belief that I would get little out of the two days. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of agencies present, along with their diligent preparation for our session! I learned a lot.”

From Agencies: 

“After more than 2 decades of attending industry conferences, this insideARM One-to-One Appointments Forum ranks as one of the most engaging and productive conferences that I have ever attended.”

“The One-to-One Forum was absolutely worth the investment for our organization. I was pleasantly surprised by the genuine interest many of the creditors displayed.”

“The one on one time with creditors is invaluable. The meetings set this way make the creditors more willing to talk to us, unlike at conferences where they’re in shark infested water, so to speak.”

“The Forum was an excellent way for us to present our story to creditors who have been difficult to get in front of otherwise. Understanding there are a lot of us in the business, it seemed to lend instant credibility by being part of the Forum.”

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised. We had the opportunity to meet with prospective clients that we may not have ever gotten to speak with. Very happy about the outcome and pleased to say we will likely soon be doing business with several of the companies we met here.”

“The cost-benefit analysis is resoundingly positive! The creditors were here to do business and you had their undivided attention to present your business. We left with several real opportunities.”

Future One-to-One Events

Want to get in on a future One-to-One schedule? Please contact Mark Eidelman or Tim Bauer.

About insideARM and The iA Institute

The iA Institute is a digital media company that specializes in providing context, insight, and practical information to the complex debt industry. Boasting a history of consistent innovation, the company has grown from its inception as publisher of a daily newsletter to one that influences the industry at the highest level. Our initiatives bring a range of stakeholders to the table in a candid environment to inform, to build a culture of compliance, to address industry challenges, and to make profitable connections. 

In addition to publishing insideARM.com, the iA Institute runs the Compliance Professionals Forum (a membership organization that provides context and practical support for day-to-day compliance challenges), and manages the Consumer Relations Consortium (an extremely active group of nearly 30 larger market participants who discuss evolving practices, and regularly engage with consumer advocates and regulators to affect industry rulemaking). More at www.theiainstitute.com.

Don’t miss the next opportunity to participate in an insideARM event… the First Party Summit, October 17-19, 2016.