FROM THE PUBLISHER William G. Sutton, CAE Connect, Engage and Grow in San Antonio W is no better event in the equipment leasing and finance industry to help you and your company succeed. With the Convention only a few weeks away, many of you are already consulting the agenda to decide which sessions to at-tend, reviewing the attendee list and planning your networking and business meetings. Get an overview of all the Convention activities in our special insert on page 31. photos from our successful Lease and Finance Accountants Conference on page 14, and watch for new resources and guidance from the association when the new rule is released. Finally, we are delighted to recognize long-time ELFA staff member Lesley Sterling, who will receive the 2015 Dis-tinguished Service Award at the Annual Convention (see page 49). We are fortunate to have such dedicated, profes-sional staff members like Lesley who, together with our re-markable member volunteers, are integral to our success as an organization. ■ ELCOME TO OUR SPECIAL 54TH ANNUAL CONVENTION EDITION of Equipment Leasing & Finance magazine. There Our Annual Convention theme this year is “Connect, En-gage, Grow.” You’ll establish connections with your fellow ex-ecutives that will enable you to engage in new opportunities and grow , both professionally and personally. We have a great lineup of keynote speakers, including geopolitical strategist and forecaster Peter Zeihan, leading industry economist Dr. Robert Wescott and technology strategist Salim Ismail. We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio, Oct. 25-27! On the following pages, you’ll get a preview of several of the hot topics that will be discussed in San Antonio. Check out our cover story on technology trends (page 24) and our feature stories on marketplace lending (page 40), industry economic indicators (page 44) and industry compensation (page 48) and then consider attending sessions on these topics on-site. Don’t worry if you can’t attend all the ses-sions—they will be available at our Conference Resource Center (see page 9). We also encourage you to review our 2015 Software Guide (page 53) and visit the Annual Convention Exhibit Hall to learn about the latest technology and services available to help increase the operational efficiency of your company. Another perennial hot topic that we’ll address in San Antonio is lease accounting, which continues to be at the forefront of our advocacy efforts as we await the release of a new lease accounting standard this year. Don’t miss the William G. Sutton, CAE, is the President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association and the publishing director of Equipment Leasing & Finance . To submit letters to the editor, email EL&F@ elfaonline.org. Watch my Annual Convention video invitation at www.elfaonline. org/events/2015/ AC/video.cfm or scan this QR code: I attend the ELFA Annual Convention for a number of reasons: to stay current on the parts of the industry I don’t touch on a day-to-day basis; to listen to the keynote speakers, who provide me context for all the things we see in our business; and, probably most importantly, to network with new, old and yet-to-be contacts. – Gary W. LoMonaco, Forsythe/McArthur Associates WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING We have several people from our company attend the ELFA Annual Convention every year. Whether it’s our operations people getting new insights on critical issues, our business development team identifying potential new partners, or simply the value of networking with peers, this event is invaluable for us year in and year out. –Nick Small, CIT Equipment Finance, US The ELFA Annual Convention is a fantastic opportunity to connect with existing colleagues and friends, while also having the opportunity to meet many more. The feedback and information you get on the current state of the industry and the opportunity to exchange best practices with your peers is invaluable. – Joseph Hines, SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing EQUIPMENT LEASING & FINANCE MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2015 3