From education to connections: The lasting value of Credit Congress

Many credit departments are considering how to make the most of professional development opportunities. That’s where NACM’s Credit Congress & Exposition comes in. Those who’ve attended the annual conference can attest to its long-lasting value and how it remains one of the most rewarding investments they can make in their growth.

Why it matters: The NACM Annual Credit Congress & Exposition is the largest conference for business credit professionals. For education, networking and professional development, this event simply has no equal. From education to networking to strolling the expo hall, Credit Congress is a one-of-a-kind experience for credit managers that not only improves a credit manager’s performance but strengthens the credit department as a whole. 

Attend alongside more than a thousand industry professionals and hear from peers and experts on the topics of innovations within credit teams and processes, automation, leadership development and global perspectives on today’s credit challenges. Seasoned credit professionals with a few Credit Congress experiences under their belt can tell you that each conference is unique in the educational and networking opportunities afforded to attendees. 

“Each year is different,” said Chris Birdwell, credit manager for BG Products (Wichita, KS). “Having made connections over the years, it just makes Credit Congress feel more like a family reunion, with the added benefit of the relevant and amazing educational opportunities.” 

From attending sessions to taking professional certification exams, the resources readily available at Credit Congress help to build and refine a wide range of key skills by providing education to build and refine a wide range of key skills from leveraging AI and automation fluency to create efficient workflows, customer communication to negotiation and regulatory compliance along with soft skills that build strong credit teams.

“I’ve learned so much attending Credit Congress,” Birdwell said. “There is a lot of education available at Credit Congress on a lot of different topics, giving you a lot of freedom when planning what sessions to attend. The conference is basically a half-a-week-long college of credit. Sometimes you attend sessions and take notes, but it might not be immediately relevant to your work, until suddenly you’re faced with a new challenge or you’re implementing something new and you’re reminded to go back and look at your notes from Congress.” 

Birdwell added, “For anyone who is on the fence about attending Credit Congress, absolutely make the investment because it’ll be well worth it.” 

As a first-time attendee at this year’s Credit Congress in Cleveland, Ginny Overbeck, CCE, director of Financial Services for William M. Bird & Co. (North Charleston, SC), learned firsthand how valuable attending Credit Congress is not only for the education, but for the networking opportunities.  

“It was great meeting other credit managers across other industries and commiserating because we all face similar problems, regardless of business or industry,” said Overbeck. “It was really interesting being able to brainstorm with others in different areas of the field about potential solutions.”  

The relationships built during Credit Congress last well past the end of the last session. It’s easy to become siloed by your own company or industry, but Credit Congress is a chance to forge meaningful connections with credit managers from every corner of the business credit world and exhibitors who can help you find new ways to incorporate technology into your work.  

“Coming from an introvert, I’m not good at networking,” Overbeck said. “But between sessions at lunch and even during sessions, there were opportunities to meet other people, talk among ourselves and share stories. I met several people from companies that we do business with that I had never met before, so that was a great chance to put a face with a name.” 

The bottom line: Attending Credit Congress is an investment that will pay off in more efficient practices, proven solutions, new insights and ideas for your credit department.

Join us next year in St. Louis, MO! Register here by Dec. 5 to reserve a spot at the early bird rate!