events
deBanked CONNECT MIAMI Shines
January 26, 2023
The sun wasn’t the only thing shining in the beautiful city of Miami on January 19th. Attendees were beaming with energy to forge connections at deBanked CONNECT. The annual half day event took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The venue offered a nice mix of educational speaking content and networking opportunities.
Among the panels of the day were Preparing for 2023 and a Possible Recession, moderated by Sarah Kelly with panelists Jim Granat, Dylan Howell, and Patrick Ontal and Let’s Talk Big Deals moderated by Daniel Dames, with panelists Jason Solomon, Jay Keller, and Patrick Manning. Advice, conversation, and different perspectives were shared about what can be done to elevate one’s business in the current environment.
Ocrolus’ David Snitkof and Sam Bobley presented a tech demo followed by Kuboon’s Brysen Patridge and Dalton Franklin where a lucky winner went home with a brand new iPad. Steve Denis alongside Jesse Carlson spoke on the latest news on the state of the business and policy issues.
Broker Fair is just four months away and will be at the New York Hilton Midtown, Monday May 8th. Tickets have easily sold out the past couple of events so try not to wait until the last minute!
deBanked CONNECT MIAMI 2023 Photos
January 22, 2023Photos from deBanked CONNECT MIAMI 2023 are now online. Thank to you all the speakers, sponsors, and attendees that made the day possible.
Welcome to deBanked CONNECT
January 19, 2023
Welcome to deBanked CONNECT MIAMI. If you’re registered for today’s event, check-in begins at 1pm. The Miami Beach Convention Center is BIG so here’s some tips to find us:
You must enter the Convention Center from the Convention Center Drive side, not the Washington Ave side. Enter through the Convention Center Drive side into the main lobby and approach the escalators on the far right side. Go up them and follow the signs towards Sunset Vista, which is up another escalator. You’ll find it.
There is no walk-in registration. You must already have been registered to get in today. It is too late to buy a ticket.
Our team will be very busy with producing today’s event, but if you have a question, email events@debanked.com.
deBanked CONNECT MIAMI is Thursday
January 17, 2023deBanked CONNECT MIAMI takes place this Thursday. This event is sold out and no walk-ins will be accepted.
For registered attendees, please take care to note that check-in BEGINS AT 1PM on January 19th at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The agenda can be found here. The networking reception ends at 8pm.
deBanked CONNECT events (Miami, San Diego, Toronto, etc.) are different from Broker Fair, which takes place each year in New York City.
This will be deBanked’s 5th event in Miami since 2018. It’s the ultimate networking experience for brokers, lenders, funders, fintech, collectors, lead generators, investors, software companies, law firms, and more. Thank you to Bitty Advance for being this year’s title sponsor.
Who’s Got Swag?
January 10, 2023
There’s a rush of excitement at Broker Fair and deBanked Connect. Behind the scenes there is also a fun creative process that sponsors get to prepare for right before every event. SWAG! It can be challenging to think of anything other than pens and Post-its to jazz up one’s table with memorable tchotchkes so here is some unforgettable swag from over the years:
Broker Fair 2019 in the Roosevelt Hotel, as some might recall, had a live basketball hoop by Rapid Finance. LoanMe brought out squeezable stress relievers and what better way to relieve it than squeezing a money wad. Silver sponsor Cooper Asset had special bags that came in handy when collecting all that swag.
At deBanked Connect San Diego 2019, PIRS Capital gave out mouse pads, great for guests to use at work with a constant reminder of where they got it from. Bitty Advance had reusable water containers, smart to stay hydrated while bouncing from sessions to the sponsor showcase room. BFS Capital had a bowl of candy on their table and who doesn’t love a sweet treat after endless meet and greets.
At deBanked Connect Miami 2019, SOS Capital was looking out for everyone by having a bowl of mints out for grab. And if one can’t calculate large numbers without a calculator handy, RTR Recovery had guests covered with that.
After having a virtual Broker Fair in 2020, Lendini stepped it up a notch with a hand-rolled cigar station at the pre-show party in 2021. If one didn’t have a pen and notepad to take down information, Velocity Capital Group made sure to have plenty available. Velocity also had a mini massage station to loosen everyone up after a tense year in quarantine.
Although Covid took some time away from events, the deBanked Connect Miami 2022 sponsors were more ready than ever to show off their swag. FundFi played it safe with hand sanitizers and the LCF Group knew everyone would need a ChapStick throughout the event after talking all day. FinTap got creative with their very own Staples easy-button that said ‘funded.’ Legend Funding had mini piggy banks, ROC Funding Group had cigar cutters, and Lendini had flasks and raffled off a Gucci duffle bag.
Broker Fair 2022 swag was a blend of the practical with the innovative. THOR Capital had shot glasses and if one needed a coaster for that Lifetime Funding had your back. Now that everyone has moved on to wireless headphones, Dedicated Financial GBC brought back wired headphones, which are perfect for flying. Beyonce said it best, “I got hot sauce in my bag swag,” and everyone could too because IOU Financial had mini hot sauce bottles. Following the tradition of raffling their most-wanted Gucci duffle, Lendini also had mini tool kits and Magic 8 Balls that fortuned all good news surrounding the event.
At deBanked events, sponsors always come through with original swag ideas. With Miami 2023 right around the corner, we are excited to see what will be there this year.
deBanked CONNECT MIAMI Has SOLD OUT
January 9, 2023The industry’s largest annual event in South Florida has once again sold out! If you have questions about your existing tickets or sponsorship to deBanked CONNECT MIAMI, please contact events@debanked.com.
This event is being held at the Miami Beach Convention Center on January 19th. It will be deBanked’s 5th event in Miami since 2018. It’s the ultimate networking experience for brokers, lenders, funders, fintech, collectors, lead generators, investors, software companies, law firms, and more. Thank you to Bitty Advance for being this year’s title sponsor.
2023 Is Here. Are You Ready?
January 1, 2023Happy New Year! deBanked CONNECT MIAMI is now only 2 and a half weeks away. Hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center in South Beach on January 19th, this event will set the industry’s course for 2023.
Putting in the “Work” in Network
November 18, 2022
Working in alternative finance goes beyond sitting at a desk, making phone calls, and closing deals. Social media, networking, and staying up to date on industry current events are just as necessary, if not crucial as a financial professional.
Social Media
While some may doubt social media’s importance when it comes to finance, it holds more value than one may give it credit for. LinkedIn was recently ranked as the #1 platform for financial services followed by Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram & Facebook. A business social media presence allows potential clients to see the success and growth of a company, remain updated on exciting news, and be constantly reminded of their existence.
“Us keeping our content up and our exposure up is vitally important in social media,” said David Kirk, National Sales Manager at ACH Works. “And not just LinkedIn, but also the blogs and the forums on the different channels.”
“I think the importance of being able to market on social media and being able to show other companies about yourself is huge,” said Josh Feinberg, President at Everlasting Capital. “And the reason why I think it’s huge is because it shows that you’re a real company with real goals, real values, and it shows the outside world you’re a real company.”
Feinberg added that businesses should use social media to support other people and businesses as well and not just talk about themselves all the time.
“I definitely think as an industry as a whole you have to work together and be able to shout out other companies and being able to show support because being able to get to the next level isn’t just a single-handed thing,” said Feinberg. “It definitely takes a team and sometimes that includes other people outside of your own company and really helping other companies grow alongside with you.”
Industry Events
Networking with other colleagues is an essential part of being an active member in the finance community. Forming genuine connections with people around the country can result in partnerships, a broader clientele, or just another ally in the field.
“As far as networking goes, I think it’s the most important thing you can do. You need to know what’s going on in the industry, around the industry, not only for yourself but also for your clients to be able to deliver a better product to the end user,” said Tony Cimino, Director of Partnerships at ROK Financial, during a brief interview at this past Broker Fair. “And that’s what we’re all here for anyways is to actually get deals done.”
“We do a lot of emails and phone calls but when it comes to that face-to-face interaction, it’s a totally different story,” said Brooke Brown, ISO Manager at Lendini, during Broker Fair. “It changes the game, and it just adds a completely different feel to the relationship, so I really look forward to these types of events.”
And one can’t forget the news itself to stay updated either.
“I go to AltFinance,” said Kirk of ACH Works. “I go to the Third Party Payment Processors Association, I get their newsletter, I regularly go to Daily Funder.”
