PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Card Manufacturers Association announced today that its keynote speakers will focus on the state of the global economy, including a geopolitical outlook and the importance of customer experience.
ICMA, which is a global trade association for card manufacturers, personalizers, issuers and suppliers, will host the 2018 EXPO on March 26-29 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Florida.
Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at The Economic Outlook Group, will deliver the first keynote, "The Global Economic & Geopolitical Outlook: What are the Opportunities & Risks Ahead?" He will analyze the global economic recovery, which countries will succeed and those that will lag behind, as well as the impact on inflation, interest rates and currencies. He will also discuss disruptive technologies that are reshaping how we do business, coupled with the increasing frequency of economic and geopolitical shocks.
"We are pleased to welcome Bernard Baumohl to the 2018 ICMA EXPO," said Jeffrey Barnhart, executive director and founder of ICMA. "He is the perfect choice to offer perspective on our first broad-based global economic recovery in more than a decade, as well as the intersection and impact of economics, politics and technological change."
Baumohl has extensive experience as an economist, and he is well known for being ahead of the curve in assessing the direction of the U.S. and world economies. He was an analyst with the Council on Foreign Relations, a think-tank specializing in international affairs and national security. He also served as an economist at European American Bank, where he monitored the global economy and developed forecasts.
Baumohl is a faculty member at the New York Institute of Finance, where he conducts seminars on how forward-looking economic indicators can help business leaders foresee turning points in the economy. He authored the best-selling book, "The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities."
Aimee Lucas CCXP, vice president & customer experience transformist at The Temkin Group, will deliver the second keynote address, "The Six Laws of Customer Experience."
She will outline how organizations can make better, more customer-centric decisions and why focusing on customer experience is more important than ever. People and organizations that excel in customer service do things differently in order to consistently deliver positive customer experiences.
Lucas has more than 15 years of experience improving service delivery and transforming the customer experience through people development and process improvement initiatives. Her areas of expertise include market research, program management, marketing, instructional design and training.
Prior to joining Temkin Group, Lucas was responsible for implementing the client experience strategy and managing the Voice of the Customer program for one of the top 10 public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Her work included starting the firm's internal market research function, managing the design and implementation of its sales and relationship management process and delivering instructional design and training services across the organization.
"Aimee Lucas will turn the focus from the global economic and geopolitical perspective to that of companies and how they manage and optimize their customer experiences," Barnhart said. "Her expertise and background in transforming organizations will bring tremendous value to ICMA EXPO attendees seeking to maximize their existing customer relationships and provide the best framework for future business relationships.
"Together, these two keynotes will provide insight that will position our members for success," Barnhart said.
For the third consecutive year, ICMA will co-locate the EXPO with the Secure Technology Alliance's Payments Summit. Secure Technology Alliance is a multi-industry association working to stimulate adoption of smart card technology and advanced payment technology. This year, the associations will also co-locate with the U.S. Payments Forum All Members Meeting.
Sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are now available for the 2018 co-located events. For more information or to register, visit www.icmaexpo.com.
About ICMA
For nearly 30 years, ICMA has been a nonprofit association of card manufacturers, personalizers, suppliers and related industry participants. With more than 200 members globally, ICMA acts as a resource for industry issues, including the production, technology, application, security and environmental issues of cards. More information is available at icma.com.
Media Contacts:
Greta Cuyler, ICMA Public Relations Manager
1-609-297-2208
gcuyler@icma.com
SOURCE ICMA