The CRS 2018 conference (aka Collection and Recovery Solutions 2018) takes place May 9 – 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas and will feature workshops, keynote addresses, educational sessions, round-table discussions, networking opportunities and a tradeshow.
Attendees include senior level creditors involved in collections, recovery operations and strategy from organizations such as collection agencies, investment firms, banks, financial service companies, credit unions, auto finance companies, trade associations, government agencies, technology and data security companies, law firms, telecommunication companies, and education lenders.
The tradeshow will be populated by an enthusiastic group of exhibitors from collection agencies, law firms, lenders, debt management companies, receivable management 
companies, debt buyers and traders, and providers of financial services (compliance, skip tracing, location services, technology, software, automated dialers and analytics).
Part one of this series focused on the “Third Party Vendor Auditing” pre-conference workshops (May 7 – 8) while part two covered the programming scheduled for Wednesday, May 9. The remaining two days are equally compelling.
Thursday, May 10
The business portion of the day begins with opening remarks by Judy Hammond of Resource Management Services, Inc., the conference producer.
Next, a keynote session entitled “Next Generation Leadership/Collaboration: Keys to Engaging a Multi-Generational Workforce” begins at 9:00 am. This one-hour event is presented by Ryan Jenkins, author of the book “The Millennial Manual: The Complete How-To Guide to Manage, Develop, and Engage Millennials at Work.”
Jenkins will discuss how a “generationally diverse workforce” offers a “competitive advantage in today’s exponential and fast changing times.”
After a networking break, a general session about the latest regulatory concerns begins at 10:30 am.
John McNamara of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will review “What’s New at the CFPB” before Bob Belair of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP leads the “Washington Waterfront” panel discussion from 11:15 am to 12:00 pm.
These business events are followed by the lighter Networking Lunch in the Acacia Ballroom and “Make Your Own Sundaes” in the exhibit hall.
At 1:30 pm, the “Leveraging Change and New Information for Operational Success” creditor panel will review industry trends and “how new information, resources and analytics can change operational realities.”
At 2:30 pm, Nate Karlick of T-Mobile provides a look into the world of “Performance Management – 
Scorecards and Market Share” for collection agencies. He will demonstrate the merits of agency reporting, awareness of agency operational constraints and a “game plan” for optimizing allocations.
Next, members of the Recovery Management Network are invited to attend the concurrent session “Auto Finance Peer Group Member Roundtable Session” from 3:30 – 5:00 pm.
This interactive presentation “provides auto creditors the opportunity to meet with industry peers to discuss auto recovery issues, challenges and best practices.” Focus areas include current economic conditions, their impact on collection efforts, and best practices for managing recovery operations.
During that same time slot, the “Hot Topic Fast Track Panel” will review several issues impacting today’s collection and recovery solutions:
- The Work from Home Discussion Intensifies
- Harassment in the Workplace
- Rethinking Disaster Recovery Expectations and Plans
- TCPA/FCC – Where Are We Now? Can you Hear Me Now?
- Analytics – Can There Be Too Much Info?
- Bankruptcy – Deadlines and Rules
- FinTech
- Call Monitoring as a Coaching Tool
- Cyber Security – Quick Tips for Collection and Recovery Managers
The long day draws to a close with a cocktail reception and key box games in the exhibit hall from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Attendees receive keys from exhibitors and try their luck at opening boxes that hold fun prizes.
Friday, May 11
Friday activities begin with breakfast (8:30 – 10:00 am) featuring sparkling wine, Bloody Mary cocktails and peer networking before attendees attempt to focus on other collection 
and recovery solutions.
The Creditor’s Roundtables (10:00 – 11:40 am) enables attendees to choose three different roundtable sessions (each lasting 30 minutes) from the following topics:
- Bankruptcy – Deadlines and Rules
- Lessons from Call Monitoring of Your Third Parties
- Collection Strategies
- The Evolution of Credit Reportin
- Hands-On Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
- Military Lending
- Motivating Teams to Enjoy Their Jobs
- Repossession
- Seamless Service: Off Shore Vendors and the Customer Experience
- Vendor Oversight
At the close of the Creditor’s Roundtables, programming shifts to the Laptop Drawing and Closing Remarks before the distribution of box lunches at noon.
Optio Solutions at Collection and Recovery Solutions
Attendees are invited to visit Executive VP Todd Volkers of Optio Solutions at booth number 41 during exposition hours. Volkers will catch up with existing industry contacts and clients, and outline our individualized programs for organizations in utilities, retail, healthcare, education, auto and beyond.
Volkers has 25-plus years of experience in the industry, including a position as the VP of operations and sales at a receivables management company where he managed six directors and as many as 500 collectors. He now develops business plans and sales strategies for Optio’s contingency-based collection services division. Contact us today to how Optio’s collection and recovery solutions can help your organization.
