A record-setting number of equipment finance professionals from across the US and Canada met for lively networking, focused educational sessions,and meetings with leading edge exhibitors at the National Equipment Finance Association’s 2018 Finance Summit from March 14 through March 16, at the Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa.
 
Chairperson for this year’s Finance Summit was Tina Cawthorn, CLFP, of Orange Commercial Credit.

“I always enjoy meeting with the my fellow NEFA members,” said Cawthorn, “so it was a pleasure to be asked to be the Chairperson for this event and especially for one which was so well attended.”

NEFA Executive Director and CEO Gerry Egan said this year’s Summit set several new records for the close-knit group.

“At just over 325, we registered the largest number of people we’ve ever registered for a NEFA conference. For our first time ever, we also had to turn away exhibitors because we ran out of space. We were also pleased to have a large number of first-time attendees and new members attend this conference, and we booked the most room nights we’ve ever booked at a conference hotel,” Egan said. “And on top of that, we had the most number of people stay until the very end!”

Mike Coon, CLFP, of Amur Equipment Finance, NEFA’s President and Board Chairman, said, “This year’s Summit was a very successful meeting on a lot of levels. The energy, confidence and optimism of the attendees was exciting to be a part of.”

At lunch on Thursday, Coon briefed the attendees about the current status of the association and the search for an Executive Director to replace Egan when he retires in October. Egan spoke to the attendees during the lunch about the development and impact of NEFA’s Online Learning Center.

On Wednesday morning, before the Summit kickoff, a golfing fundraiser was held to benefit NEFA’s Chris Walker Education Fund.

Randy Haug, of LeaseTeam, Inc.; Chris Lerma, CLFP, of AP Equipment Finance; Nancy Geary, CPA, CLFP, of ECS Financial Services, Inc.; Hugh Swandel of The Alta Group; and Chris Enbom, CLFP, of AP Equipment Finance, the Fund’s Directors, organized the event, which raised some $5,000, and were on hand during Thursday’s lunch to thank the golfers and speak to attendees about the Fund. Haug recognized the event’s winners and then presented some other prizes to some of the other golfers at the luncheon.