IACC Reaches for New Heights with 34th Annual Convention

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – As the majority of the country prepares for colder temperatures, members of the International Association of Commercial Collectors (IACC) will be enjoying the sun and warmth of Florida when they converge for the 34th Annual IACC Convention at the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza Resort in Miami Beach, Jan. 20-22, 2005.

Every January for over three decades, IACC members from around the country and throughout the world have been meeting to discuss and learn the latest in an ever-evolving and diverse industry.

This will be the second year that members have gathered at the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza, and it promises to be another worthwhile and insightful convention. Over the three-day period members will hear from their peers?experts in the field?about the hottest issues facing the industry through seminars, panel discussions and a variety of special events.

This year?s Convention sessions include:

• Commercial Collection Measurements;
• How to Run (or NOT Run) an Agency: Best and Worst Ideas Session;
• Going Paperless: The Do?s and Don?ts of Electronic Imaging in the Collection Office;
• Delivering Excellent Customer Service;
• Buying Commercial Receivables: The Wave of the Future?;
• Commercial Collection Software and;
• International Commercial Collection Topics.

For many in the commercial collection industry, the IACC Convention provides the occasion to meet, strengthen, and develop lasting relationships with peers in the industry in a secure and non-confrontational environment, whether the individual is a first-time attendee or a Convention veteran.

?From my very first IACC Convention, I felt at home,? said attorney David Skinner of Cohen & Skinner, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. ?(IACC Executive Director) Ted Smith and the staff of IACC, and current (IACC) president, Jim Bessenbacher Jr. and the other board members go out of their way to make the IACC Conventions as friendly and entertaining as possible. Let me put it this way; I have never left the IACC Convention without a story or two that I would share back at the office. In fact, I have never left an IACC Convention without a story or two that I would not share back at the office.?

Attendees are likely to hear dozens of stories they?ll be eager to share back at the office, thanks to the moderated ?Best or Worst Idea? session. As part of the price of admission, each attendee is required to submit an entry for this discussion. Members will vote on the Best and the Worst of the ideas, and prizes will be awarded to the winner of each category. If attendees leave the event with just a single idea to be implemented in their own agencies, the Convention will have paid for itself.

Deadline for early registration is Dec. 4, 2004. Fees are $349 for IACC members and $524 for non-members. After Dec. 4 registration fees are $424 for members and $636 for non-members.

To download the registration form online, visit the IACC Web site at http://www.commercialcollector.com/staticcontent/1/Meeting/IACC_Convention.pdf.

With 215 collection agency members and 142 attorney members, The International Association of Commercial Collectors Inc. (IACC) is the world?s largest international trade association for commercial debt collection professionals. Headquartered in Minneapolis, IACC serves members throughout the United States and in 24 other countries worldwide. Members of IACC recover millions of dollars annually for their clients and provide valuable assistance to credit departments in controlling mounting debts. To learn more, visit the IACC Web site at www.commercialcollector.com.