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, 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.

Save the date for the 2027 event on March 1-3 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Spotsylvania County, VA!

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors!

We were thrilled to have nearly 20 sponsoring companies join us for this year’s event!

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