You know how sometimes you go on a trip and come back with tons of things to share — but your friends only want to see the pictures?

We get it! We have so many great stories from our amazing trip to CUNA Operations & Member Experience and Tech Councils Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, but you only have so much time, so…

Welcome to our top five 2022 CUNA OME & Tech Councils Conference takeaways, “picture or it didn’t happen” style. 😉

1. Las Vegas does it in (nice!) style.

While Las Vegas may be known for plenty of other things, we really met some of the nicest people at this event! Sure, the beautiful surroundings made everything feel a bit more fancy, but the staff at Caesars Palace, the CUNA event hosts, and even other attendees were great! I guess that whole member experience thing is really just a way of life for some folks. 😉

2. Five minutes goes by reallllly fast.

Ian Crowley, perhaps our bravest colleague, stepped up onto a big stage for a big challenge: Present all the key elements of our SogoCX solution in just five minutes, followed by two minutes of questions from a panel of judges. And hey, don’t just talk through it, but navigate through the whole platform in a real-time demo — in front of hundreds of people. Got it?

As a senior member of our sales team, in fact, Ian had totally got it. Cool, calm, and collected in the spotlights and camera flashes, he was able to present a clear and cohesive value proposition and high-level overview that was engaging enough to keep event attendees popping up at our booth for the rest of the event to congratulate him and learn more. Nicely done!

3. Conversation powers collaboration.

Our colleague Laurie Flanders, a recent employee of and lifelong ambassador for the credit union movement, also connected with a broad audience during this event. Her breakout session (offered twice by popular demand!) was collaborative, with attendees brainstorming in groups and sharing some of the most pressing issues keeping them up at night. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many attendees nodded and agreed as the same issues came up again and again. But what to do — tackle everything?

While Ian’s session was a clear product demo, Laurie’s sessions took a thought leadership approach to encourage participants to drill down on how their teams are currently making decisions in prioritizing resources. How can you know which issues to tackle first? Which problems do you need to solve to have the biggest impact on member experience and/or employee experience? Without giving too much away, it’s fair to say that feedback played a key role in many of the solutions discussed. 😉

4. Celebration and recognition make a difference.

Just as we need to practice what we preach, we need to honor what we value. As in so many credit union events, this conference included a “give back” element: stuffing bags with donations and writing cards and messages to families being served by the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas. This nonprofit does amazing work supporting families with children facing significant medical challenges and treatment. Their service has helped members of my own family and countless others, and the chance to celebrate and support this kind of work is something I’ve come to both expect and admire in credit union gatherings.

Likewise, numerous awards and recognitions were announced to honor those doing outstanding work in their own credit unions and communities. Lifetimes of service, significant contributions, and innovative approaches were celebrated — and therefore encouraged! Truly, recognition does make a difference.

5. It’s good to have a team.

This was a great event with a lot going on, and I was grateful that we were able to have multiple team members join us to cover all the bases and make it look easy. A shout-out to Josh Apsey, who’s been having great conversations with lots of people in recent events, and who set up a super engaging golf game at our booth, too! Bonus fact: This was the first time that all four of us had ever been in the same place — even the same state!! — at the same time!

Since we’re honoring what we value, there you have it: It’s the people who make the difference, and I’m proud of the amazing team we have and the chance to grow our community!

If you missed out on this event, we’d still love to chat! Connect with us on LinkedIn (tagged above!) or request a demo to get some time on the calendar so we can check in on how you’re turning your questions and issues into decisions and solutions — and, ultimately, celebrations!