Ramping Up for Paybefore Awards

By Marilyn Bochicchio, Paybefore CEO

The run up to Paybefore Awards is the most exciting time on the Paybefore calendar, because it’s when we receive nominations from organizations all over the world telling us about the amazing prepaid programs they’ve launched to solve real-world payments problems and create new products and services that are valuable for consumers, businesses and governments.

This year, once again, our office was inundated with nominations. In fact, we received the most entries ever. The most popular categories—and, therefore, the most competitive—are Best B2C or B2E Prepaid Program, Best Consumer Value, Most Innovative and Best Non-U.S. Prepaid Program. The judges, who have just received their boxes of compiled nominations, will have their work cut out for them selecting the winners in these categories especially.

The judges are a very important part of the Paybefore Awards process and we ask them to dedicate significant time to evaluating nominations. This year we actually have two groups of judges. One group will consider the “category” awards. The other group—comprised of past Paybefore Awards Industry Achievement winners—will select the next Industry Achievement winner or winners. I think it’s especially exciting that past winners will have the full responsibility of selecting the next person (or persons) to receive this coveted title.

What are the surprises in this year’s nominations? Once again (so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise) is the number of countries represented in the Paybefore Awards nominations: India, Turkey, Canada, Germany, Venezuela, Poland—to name a few. And, also, this year I’m sensing a particularly high level of energy and inventiveness in the nominations. I’m quite excited about digging into my own two boxes (yes, two large boxes) of documents and getting a better appreciation of the thought and care that has gone into the nominated programs.

Paybefore will announce 51 Paybefore Awards winners (three each in 17 categories) in Paybefore Update in January. But, you’ll have to join us at the Paybefore Awards ceremony and celebration on March 7 at Prepaid Expo USA in Orlando if you want to be among the first to know the programs selected Best in Category and the winners of the prestigious Industry Achievement award.

I hope you’ll join us there to celebrate your own successes in prepaid as well as those of your colleagues!

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Lessons from a Master Thief... only at Prepaid Expo Europe

New Keynote Speaker Announcement for Prepaid Expo Europe

Hamish Taylor: A “Master Thief” Provides Insights into How to Ensure Long-Term Growth in the Prepaid Industry
Former CEO of Sainsbury Bank and Eurostar shares how to apply innovative strategies to reap the benefits of a burgeoning sector

Prepaid programs in Europe are at risk of not achieving their true potential. Executives anxious to jump on the Prepaid and gift card bandwagon might not be doing the proper due diligence to ensure that what they’re offering is what their customers actually want. Hamish Taylor has sat at the helm of Sainsbury Bank and Eurostar and led branding at British Airways... and his biggest successes with these legendary brands came as a result of applying revolutionary strategies from outside the given industry. His record of innovation by transferring ideas between sectors has garnered him the dubious title of “master thief”—but it is these very tactics from established industries that need to be applied to the relatively new Prepaid space in order to ensure success.

Prepaid Expo Europe is honoured to have Hamish share his amazing and entertaining anecdotes about turning businesses around by going “beyond the data” and listening to the customer. Hamish will offer specific actions that you can apply to your prepaid program to ensure that your strategy is a growth strategy, ensuring long-term market dominance.

View the Prepaid Expo Europe Homepage

View the most up-to-date Prepaid Expo Europe agenda

Register Before 16 April for € 200 off the standard rate, use code XX2003BLOG1

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Prepaid Expo Europe 2010 - call for case studies

Accepting Submissions for Case Study Presentations for the 2010 Prepaid Expo Europe April 7-9 2010 in Brussels

The 2010 Prepaid Expo Europe agenda and program are now being developed, and I am accepting proposals for specific case studies highlighting successful prepaid programs. If you’d like to be considered, please send an email with the following information to Andrew Borowiec at aborowiec@iirusa.com , by October 6, 2009 for consideration. Please note the following instructions:

I am looking for prepaid case studies from the following market segments:
• Retail and direct sellers (open & closed loop programs)
• Corporate-funded programs (loyalty, reward, rebate, incentive, promotion)
• Commercial applications (payroll, HR, administrative, sales & marketing support, etc.)
• Affinity programs (e.g. prepaid programs marketed toward affinity groups, inc. associations, colleges and universities, religious groups, etc.)
• Government programs (state and federal programs)
• Mobile payment applications (e.g. cell phone payments, airline tix, etc.)

For your proposal, please include the following information:
• Proposed description of your case study
• Your contact details
• Speakers full names, titles and companies (with full contact details; full address, phone, e-mail)
• Target audience for your session
• Specific details on the case study, including:
Background on the customer challenge and needs
Vendor selection process, including details on the criteria used to vet and choose vendors
Details on the program design, including goals and go-to-market strategy
Recap of program launch and operations to date
Discussion on program metrics, including results (is it profitable, does it support other organizational goals?)
Rough details on future direction of the program.

• Four-five benefits or takeaways the audience will leave with after attending the session indicating why attendees will be interested in the session
• Any other comments you’d like me to consider


Submission of an entry does not guarantee a spot on the agenda, nor does it mean the format you suggested will be used. Incomplete entries will not be considered. I will absolutely contact you if I am interested in learning more about your program. Thank you.


Regards,
Andrew Borowiec
Finance & Investments Division
Institute for International Research (IIR)
Direct Dial: +1 646 895 7468
Fax: +1 212 661 3708

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One to One Marketing Solutions Inc. Joins Forces with American Express Incentive Services

International Business Times reports that One to One Marketing Solutions Inc. has entered into a licensing agreement with American Express Incentive Services. As a result of this agreement, One to One Marketing Solutions will be able to access AEIS’s patented merchant acceptance process, DirectSpend.

One to One Marketing will use DirectSpend as part of its strategy of providng clients with customized prepaid programs. Mark Tepper, president of One to One Marketing mentions:

"One to One Marketing takes pride in a consultative and client-centricbusiness model. This philosophy guideseverything from our industry-leading product suite to our ancillaryofferings. DirectSpend is well aligned with our prepaid products andservices and will enable us to deliver innovative business opportunities toour client partners."

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