Program | Bank Marketing Conference

7:00 AM – 5:15 PM

Conference Registration

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM

POWER BREAKFASTS

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

GENERAL SESSION

Influencing modern consumers: building connections and sales in the age of memes, gifs and selfies

Do you ever feel like you're speaking a different language than your customers? Decode the modern consumer — their behaviors, motivations and how to connect with them authentically. Not to mention why they’re so obsessed viral trends, and how learning about these obsessions can open the door to connection. Discover the power of free digital tools to tap into real-time consumer interests and get actionable strategies to cut through the digital clutter. Learn to craft compelling messages and use trends to your advantage.

• Steve Lerch, former Google executive 

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Break in the Hub

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

BREAKOUT SESSIONS III

Use data to drive ROI, customer retention and growth

Banks face an increasingly competitive and complex environment where every dollar invested to drive customer profitability matters. In this session, discover how data-driven insights — revealing the intersection of product portfolios, consumer behavior and customer relationship factors — are fundamental for developing cost-effective marketing strategies that drive profitable relationship expansion and retention. Learn how one bank improved cross-selling and upselling efforts over $270M in deposit and loan balances in six months, and how you can apply their approach at your bank.

• Sean Sanchez, VP, Head of Client Services, FirstBank
• Aaron Chestnut, EVP, Sr. Strategist, Infusion

Segment, measure and drive growth with core data

Transaction and core data tell us a lot about a customer, from unmet or externally met needs to levels of adoption with products and services. When analyzed, the data reveals insights that can be used to produce more effective campaigns that drive measurable growth results. Learn how and why to segment intelligent audiences based on need and product adoption. Focus on how core data can help you gain a more complete view of the customer, and measure growth results from campaigns.

• Brian Bauer, CEO, Revio Insight
• Lee Lamb, VP of Marketing and Brand, CCBank

11:30 AM – 12:45 PM

LUNCH AND GENERAL SESSION

Get a grip: practical strategies to stay focused, calm, and in control

Deadlines loom, inboxes overflow and work-life balance blurs together. In this fast-paced, solutions-focused session, learn to prevent burnout. Get practical, proven strategies you can immediately use to de-stress, and create grounding habits. After this session, you’ll have simple techniques to reclaim your time and sanity, and self-care moves that don’t require a full wellness retreat.

• Val Grubb, Executive Coach and People Development Leader 

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Dessert in the Hub

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

BREAKOUT SESSIONS IV

Sales enablement in action

There are no cutting-edge tools that will solve your bank’s sales problem if your employees aren’t selling your bank. Branch foot traffic has been declining, so it’s important that banks find creative ways to engage and motivate employees to be effective salespeople. In this session, learn different approaches banks are taking – including one that generated an additional $40M in face business per year with its sales referral contest. Discover how to use your brand and product positioning, education, communication and customer experience to enable better sales.

• Michael Brauer, Data Analytics Officer, Security National Bank
• Troy Steensen, VP of Marketing, Security National Bank
• Craig Rodenberger, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Ephrata National Bank

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Break in the Hub

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM

Peer Roundtable Discussions

In-house or outsource: navigating vendor decisions

Bank marketers are constantly weighing the benefits of adding internal staff versus employing third-party vendors. This choice can have lasting effects on a team’s agility, budget and brand consistency, so it’s vital to be strategic. Join this networking roundtable to discuss how other bank marketers approach vendor selection, manage vendor relationships and make staffing decisions. Whether you're exploring new vendor partnerships or re-evaluating your internal capacity, this session will provide actionable insights and practical tips from your peers.

• Theresa Wendhausen, First Vice President, Director of Marketing & Communications, First National Bank and Trust
• Michelle Allen Cassel, Senior VP, Marketing Director, Origin Bank

The budget conversation

Struggling to justify your marketing budget, allocating resources effectively or making the case for a significant increase? You're not alone. Join this interactive roundtable discussion fueled by the latest research from ABA. Explore practical approaches to budgeting and uncover strategies for proving marketing’s efficacy across your organization.

• Mark Gibson, Co-Practice Leader, Capital Performance Group

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

TUESDAY EVENING RECEPTION

7:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Conference Registration

7:45 AM – 8:15 AM

POWER BREAKFASTS

8:15 AM – 9:15 AM

BREAKOUT SESSIONS V

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

Break in the Hub

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

BREAKOUT SESSIONS VI

From caution to confidence: AI in banking

AI is no longer a distant concept — it's here, and it’s transforming how banks engage customers, drive growth and stay competitive. For many, AI still feels risky: concerns about data security, compliance, brand trust and customer experience loom large. Learn how to mitigate risk through thoughtful implementation, strong governance and human oversight — and how advances in AI safety and tooling will continue to improve. Reframe AI from a compliance risk to a competitive edge and use it to drive better market outcomes.

• Sam Mallikarjunan, General Manager, Agent.ai

Maximizing landing page ROI: A strategic approach to customer conversion

Struggling to turn clicks into conversions? Discover how proper customer segmentation and targeted landing page strategies can dramatically increase deposits. Get a practical playbook for design, messaging and measurement that can be implemented quickly. Banks that master these techniques see significant improvements in campaign performance, while those who don't risk falling behind competitors. Take home actionable scorecards and measurement frameworks to quantify your full-funnel ROI. Learn to build, test and optimize with proven tools.

• Wesley McChristian, AmericanEagle

Privacy savvy, marketing ready: Fundamentals every bank marketer should know

As bank marketers prioritize personalization and loyalty campaigns, data privacy remains an underexplored challenge. The consequences of ignoring this issue can be costly — missteps can lead to regulatory fines, wasted spending and lost growth. Get equipped to confidently advance your digital marketing strategies without compliance roadblocks. Learn how first-party data collection naturally aligns with sound privacy practices, how to navigate conversations with legal and compliance teams and get practical next steps based on your maturity level. Come away with a “crawl-walk-run” guide to privacy-safe personalization.

• Rebecca Minear, Digital Marketing Specialist, Peoples Bank 
• Colleen Barry, Head of Marketing, Ketch 
• Alysa Hutnik, Partner, Kelley Drye 

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

CLOSING GENERAL SESSION

Creating a Fans First Experience in Your Business

In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s hard to keep customers engaged and build a brand that stands out. In this session, discover how to create a fans first experience in your business.  Learn how The Savannah Bananas, the most fun team in sports, has built a culture that focuses on loving people and building fans no matter who you serve, what you do or what role you’re in.

• Jared Orton, President, Savannah Bananas