The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association has announced two new opportunities for lessors to learn about forthcoming changes to the lease accounting standard: a one-hour web seminar on Feb. 9 and a one-day workshop on March 2. Both events are designed to help lessors understand and prepare for the new lease accounting rules that the Financial Accounting Standards Board is expected to release in the first quarter of 2016.

Web Seminar: Overview of the Final Lease Accounting Standard

• Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2pm-3pm ET
• Agenda: Panelists Bill Bosco and John Bober, both of whom are members of the FASB/IASB Lease Accounting Project Working Group, will provide a high-level overview of what’s in the new standard and how to prepare. The agenda will include: Headlines/Timing; Six Things Lessees Should Know; Six Things Lessors Should Know; Implications; Engaging the Customer and Q&A.
• Moderator: Ralph Petta, ELFA President and CEO
• Speakers: John Bober, Managing Director, Global Technical Controller, GE Commercial Finance and Bill Bosco, Leasing 101
• Cost: This web seminar is free for all attendees, but space is limited.
• Registration: To register, go to: www.elfaonline.org/WebSeminarFinalLeaseAccountingStandard/. Log-in/dial-in instructions will be emailed to attendees one week prior to the event. 

Workshop: Doing Business Under the New Lease Accounting Standard

• Date: Wednesday, March 2, 9am-4:30pm ET
• Location: Hyatt Regency Baltimore - Inner Harbor
• Agenda: Join a team of equipment finance industry experts for skilled guidance and practical takeaways on how to do business under the new lease accounting standard. This one-day workshop will give you the tools and tips to talk to your customers and lead your team through and beyond the transition. Get a firm foundation on what’s in the rules, discover minefields and opportunities, learn what your CFO/Treasurer needs to know, discuss how to overcome customer concerns and learn how the changes will impact your business beyond booking the transaction. You’ll leave this workshop with an action plan to take back to your company.
• Who Should Attend: Equipment finance lessors, including sales, business heads, lease accounting project managers and others within the organization who need to know how the rules have changed.
• Cost: $650 ELFA Member / $950 Nonmember
• Registration: To register, go to: www.elfaonline.org/ACCTWORKSHOP/

For questions about either of these events, please contact Alexa Carnibella at acarnibella@elfaonline.org or 202/238-3416.

ELFA is encouraging lessors to plan now for upcoming changes to the lease accounting standard and to educate their sales teams, vendor partners, end-user customers and other stakeholders about the new rules. For more information and resources on this topic, please visit the ELFA website at www.elfaonline.org/Issues/Accounting/.