As prepaid continues to converge, the latest products, leading individuals and hottest trends will be on display at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas August 24th to 26th. The producers of The Prepaid Press Expo say that this event is the focal point for the converging prepaid industry, and say that this year’s event promises to be the biggest and best ever.

“We started out strong in 2008,” said Robin Tobias, Managing Partner of The Prepaid Press Expo.  “And, while the rest of the industry was down in 2009, we actually grew about 35%.” Tobias said that the growth in exhibitors and attendees was bigger than they expected, a welcome surprise. 

“A growth of 20% or so is normal for a second year, but in 2009, the economy caused many shows to be down a great deal. Some folded completely,” added Tobias. But, The Prepaid Press Expo grew in excess of what the producers expected.

There were over 1,500 registered attendees, and exhibitors increased 20% over the first year. Tobias credited increasing interest in prepaid convergence as a prime reason for the growth.



Prepaid Convergence Drives Growth

As the various segments of the prepaid industry continue to evolve and develop, it becomes obvious that convergence will propel the growth.

“Consumers are becoming aware of the benefits offered by prepaid,” said Lori Breitzke, a prepaid financial consultant. Breitzke is also conference host for the Day Three financial tract. “While the main segments of the prepaid industry are very different in what they offer and even in how they operate, they come together at the consumer level,” Breitzke offered. She says that, in the eyes of the consumer, there is more commonality between prepaid calling cards, wireless, and general spend cards, than there are differences.

“It all came together with the prepaid card malls,” said Tobias. “That was the first point of convergence, and it obviously worked.” Today, the card racks offering a variety of prepaid products – calling cards, wireless, gift cards, debit cards and other open loop general spend products – appear in thousands of retail locations.

“The original prepaid cards were the prepaid calling cards,” said Gene Retske, The Prepaid Press Expo Partner and Conference Host. “They were targeted at a very specific audience, but quickly spread to other telecom areas, and beyond.”  Mercator Advisory Group estimates the total size of the prepaid industry, 33 sectors in all, at over $427 billion. (The Prepaid Press, February 15, 2010, p. 1)

“Just to illustrate how significant the prepaid convergence has been, prepaid wireless has caught up with conventional, contractual wireless, in terms of growth,” said Tobias.  The phenomenal growth of gift cards in the past few years, and the increase in the use of debit cards for payroll are other examples of how rapidly prepaid is growing, and converging.



Expo Conference

The Prepaid Press Expo 2010 in Las Vegas was designed for the various segments of the prepaid industry, often strangers to each other, to come together and explore their synergies.

“No other conference offers the complete view of the entire industry that we do,” noted Retske.  “The three tracks, calling card, wireless and payments, are representative of the biggest segments of prepaid. Nowhere else are they all together as they are here.”

The Prepaid Press Expo conference has offered a unique structure from the very beginning; each conference track is one complete day.

“Most trade shows spread their conference tracks across the duration of the show,” said Ken Osowski, Director of Product Marketing, Dialogic, and Day Two Conference Host.  The Prepaid Press Expo recognized that attending all three days of a conference to get all the sessions of one track was impractical and expensive.

“The Prepaid Press Expo decided early on to set up the conference for the needs of its attendees, eliminating the need to be there all three days to attend one track,” added Osowski. Conference surveys have confirmed the popularity of this approach.

The 2010 conference has also added sessions that are unique.

“We’ve declared an end to the ‘death by powerpoint’ approach of other conferences,” said Retske. “Town Halls and ‘You Be the Judge’ sessions offer a way to let everyone participate equally.”

Town Hall discussions will involve the audience as an active participant in the conference itself. The discussions are moderated, and a unique opportunity for everyone to be heard and to dialogue.



What is Expected at the Expo

This year’s conference promises to be bigger and better than ever, furthering the convergence of the prepaid industry.

“The mix of exhibitors and sponsors in the 2010 Expo spans the range of the prepaid industry,” said Lisa Brown, Event Director, The Prepaid Press Expo. “We have equal representation of nearly every segment in prepaid.”

Brown said that exhibit sales are very brisk, and that show sponsors have already grown to exceed both 2008 and 2009 events.  

In addition to the expanded Exhibit Hall, all activities of tppEXPO’10 will circle around the HUB show stage area, and the Connection Corner and Networking Niche meeting areas.  The HUB will be a beehive of activity according to Brown. “There will be continuous magic shows, announcements of all current activities for the event, and prize giveaways every hour.” Brown said that there will be numerous prizes given away. On Wednesday, there will be at least 7 prizes and Thursday there will be at least 3 prizes.

The Connection Corner and Networking Niche meeting areas are located in the front of the exhibit floor.  These areas are meeting spots for exhibitors and attendees to get together during the show, facilitating meetings and allowing participants to be comfortable and relaxed.

Brown says that the meeting areas are one the highlights of the show. “People come to shows to make connections, interact and, most importantly, do business,” added Brown. “We recognize that the most important aspect of most shows is making the exhibit hall conducive to conducting business.”

The Prepaid Press Expo runs from August 24 to August 26, 2010 at Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas. Details on the conference can be found in this issue of The Prepaid Press, or at the show’s website, www.PrepaidPressExpo.com.