Credit Congress Shines at the Rio

NACM's 114th Credit Congress glimmered and glistened this year, much like the lights of its host city, Las Vegas. An enormous group of attendees, including industry professionals, vendors, academics and lawyers, descended on the luxurious Rio Hotel and Resort for four days of thorough educational sessions and valuable networking opportunities that can only be found at Credit Congress.

Opening officially on Sunday evening at the grand opening of the Expo, the event continued the following morning at the General Session, featuring a carousing opening performance by Cher impersonator, Heidi Thompson, who played the part so well, many in the audience wondered if it was the real Cher! Thompson's enlivening performance involved a great deal of laughs and crowd participation, gearing attendees up for the rest of the week's festivities. "As frequently as you've seen it portrayed on TV or in film, few things impress and overwhelm us like the Vegas skyline," said NACM Chairman Phyllis Truitt, CCE in her opening remarks. "It's great to be back in Las Vegas. I thank all of you, our members, for taking the time to support our association and our profession by attending this year's Credit Congress."

Truitt went on to present this year's Honors & Awards recipients, then welcomed Chester Elton, motivation and recognition specialist and co-author of New York Times best-seller The Carrot Principle. Called the "apostle of appreciation," Elton delivered a rousing presentation to a room of rapt attendees, eager to take advantage of Elton's unique insights into the world of recognition-based management. "Recognize excellence, and that's the thing: it's excellence," he noted. "It's not rewarding people for arriving on time, three days in a row, sober. Rewarded behavior gets repeated. It's common sense, uncommonly practiced."

Tuesday at Credit Congress opened with a mesmerizing performance by a hoop dancer, who, with her precision dance moves, wowed attendees before the morning's Super Session and Annual Business Meeting, which also included the presentation of this year's Group Membership and GSCFM Awards. Guests on hand at the Super Session included NACM Economic Advisor Chris Kuehl, Ph.D., who discussed the unique value of NACM's Credit Managers' Index (CMI), President of the Dutch Credit Management Association Mannes Westhuis, who presented NACM with its 2010 friendship award, and ACM and United Tranz*Actions President Dean Middleton, who once again generously pledged his organization's commitment to NACM and its members.

Keith McFarland was this year's Super Session speaker, and delivered his presentation, based on his two best-selling strategy books The Breakthrough Company and Bounce, with a relaxed sense of humor and wit. McFarland challenged attendees to remember that "Great companies aren't built during the good times; they're built during bad times."

Educational sessions abounded throughout the week, including this year's addition of Executive Exchange Sessions to the program, which offered attendees a wealth of opportunities to share their own insights with each other and with experts in the field. There was no shortage of networking events either, as this year's Credit Congress also hosted the GSCFM Designee and Alumni Event, held at the Rio Bowling Alley, the Annual Golf Outing and Silent Auction, both of which benefited the NACM Scholarship Foundation, and a series of networking luncheons and receptions that took place throughout the convention. Time in the Expo also gave attendees the chance to mingle among like-minded credit professionals, as well as meet with industry-leading vendors offering the products companies need to improve their bottom line.

Check back here for more coverage and photos of this year's Credit Congress! Also be sure to watch for more on this year's event in the July/August issue of Business Credit magazine.