NASHUA, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2006--Prepaid Media:
- Expo to Include New Payments Industry Update Track,
Dramatically Increased Healthcare Coverage Through Co-Located
2007 CDH Expo, Improved Number and Scope of Workshops, and
Expanded Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities
- Introducing Inaugural Prepaid Card Awards
Prepaid Media, a leading provider of business-to-business,
integrated media and information services to numerous emerging
industries, today announced the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo to be held
February 26-28, 2007 at The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Prepaid Media will also be hosting the inaugural
Prepaid Card Awards in conjunction with the Expo to recognize
noteworthy professionals, organizations, and programs throughout the
prepaid card industry.
The Prepaid Card Expo is the only conference to be dedicated to
the rapidly expanding network branded prepaid and stored value card
industry and will feature four primary tracks covering different
segments of the industry, including: Payments Industry Update;
Unbanked, Underserved, and Payroll; Corporate and Consumer; and
Government. The 2007 Prepaid Card Expo will be co-located with the
2007 CDH Expo, dramatically increasing the coverage of consumer-driven
healthcare (CDH), which represents a large vertical market opportunity
for prepaid cards. All attendees to the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo will be
able to attend the 2007 CDH Expo sessions as part of one registration
fee.
"The 2006 Prepaid Card Expo was a tremendous success, and the
single largest gathering in the prepaid card industry with over 1,000
attendees representing over 400 different organizations," said
Jonathan A. Weiner, president, Prepaid Media. "We have made some
exciting changes to the Prepaid Card Expo to ensure its continued
position as the premier conference and trade show for the network
branded prepaid and stored value card industry, providing critical
learning, buying and selling, and organized networking opportunities."
Details of the changes to the Prepaid Card Expo include:
- Increased Healthcare Coverage. Because of the significant
opportunity for prepaid cards in the healthcare industry, the
inaugural 2006 Prepaid Card Expo included a Healthcare Track.
For 2007, Prepaid Media will separate the Healthcare Track
from the Prepaid Card Expo and co-locate a consumer-driven
healthcare (CDH) event, the CDH Expo, with the Prepaid Card
Expo to dramatically increase the coverage of healthcare. All
attendees at the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo will be able to attend
the 2007 CDH Expo sessions as part of one registration fee.
The CDH Expo will provide the critical information needed to
make certain that new and established entities adapt to a
rapidly evolving healthcare payment landscape. Attendees will
learn from organizations that are making the migration to CDH
possible, including card networks, issuing banks, custodial
banks, payers, healthcare companies, and payments processors.
- Inaugural Prepaid Card Awards. Prepaid Media has created the
first, annual Prepaid Card Awards to recognize noteworthy
professionals, organizations and programs throughout the
prepaid card industry. At the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo, Prepaid
Media will host and present the inaugural Prepaid Card Awards
during a special Awards Dinner to be held on February 27,
2007. Further information, including submission details, for
the Prepaid Card Awards will be made available soon at
http://www.prepaidcardexpo.com.
- New Payments Industry Update Track. Prepaid cards have emerged
as part of a long-established payments marketplace. As part of
the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo, Prepaid Media has added a new
track to provide an overview of the opportunities presented
by, and the challenges of, the payments industry generally and
card marketplace in particular, with an emphasis on those that
impact prepaid cards and the various markets served by them.
The sessions will take a close look at subjects such as
interchange, legislation and regulation, compliance, emerging
card technologies, consumer awareness and marketing
strategies, loyalty programs, fee structures, and risk and
fraud. This new track will ensure attendees are up-to-date on
the prepaid card industry and the payments and card markets by
attending a single annual event.
- Improved Workshops - Prepaid Media has significantly improved
the number and scope of workshops to be offered as part of the
2007 Prepaid Card Expo. Among others, workshops are currently
slated to include: Introduction to Prepaid; Retail Gift Cards;
Processing Technology; International Applications (by region);
Money Laundering and the US Bank Secrecy Act; and Unbanked and
Underserved Markets.
- Expanded Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities. Prepaid Media
has expanded the sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities for
the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo to offer many ways in which
organizations can highlight their businesses and showcase
their products and services amongst the largest assembly of
prepaid card industry professionals that includes decision
makers from almost every organization in the prepaid card
industry and within each of the vertical markets served by
prepaid. Sponsorship packages and exhibitor opportunities are
carefully designed to specifically allow companies to gain the
maximum relevant exposure.
Details of the 2007 Prepaid Card Expo tracks include:
- Payments Industry Update Track - Prepaid cards have emerged as
part of a long-established payments marketplace - both
benefiting from the opportunities presented by, and subject to
the challenges of, the payments industry as it exists today
and continues to evolve. The 2007 Prepaid Card Expo includes a
new track to provide an overview of the potential of, and
critical issues facing, the payments industry generally and
card marketplace in particular, with an emphasis on those that
impact prepaid cards and the various markets served by them.
The sessions will take a close look at subjects such as
interchange, legislation and regulation, compliance, emerging
card technologies, consumer awareness and marketing
strategies, loyalty programs, fee structures, and risk and
fraud.
- Unbanked, Underserved, and Payroll Track - The emergence of
new prepaid card products, including payroll cards, remittance
cards, and general purpose cards, is bridging the divide
between the unbanked and underserved population and the
mainstream banked community. The successful development of
these card products by both start-up companies and established
players has caused a revolution in the relevance of the
unbanked and underserved to the financial services community.
It has also created new opportunities for those already
serving this segment with alternate financial products and
services. This track provides the critical information needed
to understand this changing landscape and to ensure that your
enterprise capitalizes on new opportunities as they unfold.
- Corporate and Consumer Track - A broad category of prepaid
cards utilized in corporate and consumer applications has
emerged in recent years, including incentive, network branded
gift, rebate and promotion, insurance claim, teen and travel
cards. While hype in the marketplace has many businesses,
including banks of all sizes, excited about launching prepaid
card programs as a way to improve their revenues and decrease
their costs, some organizations will build large, active
prepaid card portfolios while others will undoubtedly close
unsuccessful programs in the short- and medium-term. This
track provides insight into a wide variety of prepaid card
products used in corporate and consumer applications, and the
potential that exists for this group.
- Government Track - In recent years, domestic state and federal
governments as well as international governments have embraced
prepaid cards, demonstrating a commitment to displacing
existing, paper-intensive payment processes with prepaid card
programs, and in some cases, mandating their use. This track
provides an understanding of the broad spectrum of government
prepaid card applications, their promises, and their issues.
The sessions will take a close look at critical aspects of
prepaid card programs that are driving government adoption,
from the benefits attained by both the government and card
recipients to the economics of these programs for the various
financial institutions, technology, and other suppliers
critical to successful program deployment. Insightful case
studies will be used to better understand what makes for a
successful government program, and what to avoid.
For companies interested in sponsor and exhibitor information,
call (617) 671-1144 or email info@prepaidmedia.com.
About Prepaid Media
Prepaid Media provides a host of business-to-business, integrated
media and information services to numerous emerging industries. Areas
of focus include the rapidly growing: network branded prepaid and
stored value card industry, encompassing prepaid Visa®,
MasterCard® International, Discover® Network, American Express®
and other network branded cards; consumer-driven healthcare (CDH)
industry; and unbanked and underserved markets.
Prepaid Media's properties include the Prepaid Card Expo the
premier conference, exhibition and trade show for the network branded
prepaid and stored value card industry, and the CDH Expo, a leading
event for the consumer-driven healthcare industry.
As the various markets served by Prepaid Media continue to evolve,
Prepaid Media serves as a trusted partner, providing compelling
learning, buying and selling, and organized networking opportunities
to key market participants.
For more information on Prepaid Media and the 2007 Prepaid Card
Expo, visit http://www.prepaidmedia.com and
http://www.prepaidcardexpo.com.