14th Annual Police Officers' CU Conference

14th Annual Police Officers' CU Conference Attracts Largest Attendance Since 2008

Orange, CA (Feb. 17, 2017) The Police Officers' Credit Union Association ( POCUA ) is elated with the first six weeks of 2017. Registrations for its premier event, the 14^th Annual Police Officers' Credit Union Conference , are up significantly from recent years. "Registration is still open until May 8 ^th and we already have the largest attendance since 2008," states Ken Bator, POCUA Co-Founder and Manager.

The event will be held in New Orleans from May 21 to May 23 and already has over 50 registrants representing 12 Police Credit Unions throughout the country. "Over the past few years we have been attracting about 30 to 35 people from eight to ten credit unions," added Bator. "It's encouraging to see we are getting back to pre-Great Recession levels."

Other than possibly a better economy, Ken attributes the program as the draw for the uptick in attendees. "After not only a couple of down years but also some very valuable feedback, I changed the formula a bit that made a big difference last year," said Bator. "The primary core tenets of our brand certainly stayed the same which is in order: Networking, Education, and Fun. But I changed the format of the agenda a tad and switched the model of how we chose our venues.

The result was an overall rating of 4.92 out of a possible 5 from the evaluations last year. I've been managing and speaking at events in one way, shape, or form since the 90's and I never saw a conference come this close to a perfect score before."

You might think that the success in 2016 would lead the POCUA to simply apply the exact same formula in 2017 but that's not the case. "I'm going for a perfect 5 out of 5! So we've made a couple of small changes," exclaimed Bator. "One is based on a suggestion from our attendees to have two venues. They want to get a true flavor of New Orleans. So while the sessions will be held at BB King's Blues Club, we'll be having our Sunday Night Welcome Reception at The Maison just a couple blocks away. A big part of our third brand tenet - fun - is enjoying some great food. I know we'll experience that at both venues."

"The second change is to the agenda. Rather than a series of lectures, we're going to provide a workshop format that focuses on the business of serving law enforcement. There are plenty of other conferences in the industry where our attendees can hear about 'Don't Tax My Credit Union' again or 'The Joy of Regulatory Burden' for the 112 ^th time.

One of the few things more important than being a credit union for POCUA members is the privilege of running a business that serves law enforcement. Plus, the workshop format that we will use will allow our sponsors to integrate with the audience in a very positive way."

The increase in attendance actually presented the POCUA with a welcomed but unexpected problem. "We not only blew past our minimum but also our capacity at one of our venues," laughed Bator. "Expecting the normal crowd, we reserved a room at BB King's Blues Club with a maximum capacity for 35 people. I figured if we get a few more than usual, like 38 attendees, we could certainly deal with it. I didn't expect 52 by early February. Fortunately BB King's recently renovated their New Orleans location and was able to bump us up to a space that can accommodate over 100 attendees."

Naturally the POCUA wants to continue the momentum of registrations and fill their new space now that they have plenty of capacity for the conference.

That's why the association is offering a $50/10% promotion until March 10, 2017. During the promotional period registrants will receive $50 per attendee off of the posted pricing. And, for those credit unions serving law enforcement that would like to become members of the POCUA, they can receive 10% off of their entire total by registering for the conference and by paying their dues for the remainder of 2017 and 2018. Sponsors wishing to attend the 14^th Annual Police Officers' Credit Union Conference can also take advantage of the promotion. Simply contact Ken Bator directly at kbator@btcinc.org or 630-854-6380 to register with the discount or for further details.

About the POCUA

Started in 2004 as the Police Officers' Credit Union Conference by Scott Arney, CEO of Chicago Patrolmen's FCU, and Kenneth Bator, President of Bator Training & Consulting, the POCUA serves as a consortium where institutions serving law enforcement professionals collaborate. The association is open to credit unions who serve police as one of the primary fields of membership. For more information, visit www.policecreditunions.com.