Which of today’s challenges will equipment finance businesses still be talking about 10 years from now?

Industry legal experts will predict just that during their “Back to the Future” session at the ELFA Annual Convention, said Paul Bent of The Alta Group. Patricia Voorhees, Diane Croessmann and John Bober report other panels will explore circular economy and ESG financing opportunities, new “as-a-service” financing business models, and the transition away from the LIBOR interest rate.

The full schedule for the convention Oct. 24-26 in San Antonio, TX, is available on the ELFA website but here’s a preview.

The Shift from Hard Assets to Servitization: New Models for Equipment Finance Providers, 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25 – This session will cover servitization or “as-a-service” financing trends, operational challenges and practical application of these models from the perspective of both manufacturers and funders, says Diane Croessmann of Alta. Cameron Krueger (moderator) of Accenture, James Cress of Stryker, Flex Financial, and Joseph Pulicano of Accenture are also on the panel.

Back to the Future: Hot Legal Topics for ELFA’s 70th Anniversary, 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25 – The 2021 convention marks ELFA’s 60th, but the panel will pretend they are planning the 70th, focusing on topics with staying power including UCC changes, commercial financing disclosure rules, Bankruptcy Code changes and cannabis industry financing, notes Alta’s Paul Bent, panel moderator. Robert S. Cohen of Moritt Hock & Hamroff, Debra Devassy Babu of Darcy & Devassy, Edward K. Gross of Vedder Price, and Steve Whelan of Blank Rome will also speak.

“The legal landscape of leasing is changing, and the next decade of our industry will involve legal changes that we expect to affect lawyers and businesspeople alike,” Bent said.

Financing the Intersection of the Circular Economy and the ESG Revolution, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 – This session will delve into financing opportunities related to circular economy trends and the increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts, explained Voorhees of Alta, panel moderator. Topics will include industry-specific examples in healthcare and renewable energy. Cortland Brady of Aspen Field Services, Michael Dow of Womble Bond Dickinson, Brett Reed of Cohealo, and Cristina Dolan of insideCHAINS and author of “Transparency in ESG and the Circular Economy” are also on the panel.

“The pandemic has exponentially increased the focus on ESG issues, investors and end user demand for solutions. This panel promises to be a lively discussion unpacking circular economy equipment solutions, what they are, how they are impacting financing and the need for technology enabled asset management solutions,” Voorhees said.

Leaving LIBOR Behind - What’s Next?, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 – The transition away from LIBOR as a generally accepted interest rate will be a significant change involving trillions of dollars in transactions. This session will explore the pros and cons of alternate rates, regulatory concerns, accounting issues, and transition planning, explained Bober of Alta. Scott Thacker of Ivory Consulting Corporation (moderator), Adam Schneider of Oliver Wyman, and Jeff Elliott of Huntington Equipment Finance will also speak.