More than 220 bankers and industry partners joined us in Roanoke from March 25-27 for the Connect|Protect Experience. This event brought together banking professionals in the areas of marketing, human resources, retail banking, training, security, enterprise risk management, compliance, and operations and technology. This year’s event featured five general sessions and five rounds of concurrent breakout sessions, during which attendees uncovered new ideas, trends, and developments in banking.

Details about the 2027 event will be announced later this year!

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors!

We were thrilled to have 25 sponsoring companies join us for this year’s event and an Exhibit Hall that featured 21 booths!

General Session Topics & Speakers

How Community Banks Can Compete in the Age of AI 
Stacey Bryant | Cornerstone Advisors

Industry Update 
Bruce Whitehurst | Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association & Virginia Bankers Association

Oppositioning: One Surprising Strategy for Innovation and Differentiation
David Rendall | The Freak Factory

Exhibitor Solutions Showcase

Idea Hack-a-Thon: Turning Concepts Into Action

Pictures from the Event