The ICBA Innovation Team takes to the road in the fall for conference season. Whether it is speaking at and attending state banking conventions, diving into fintech events, participating in core provider sessions, or canvassing emerging industry conferences, chances are you’ll find someone from ICBA in the crowd.
More than ever, community banks are seeking out new technologies that are cost-effective and address real pain points. So, whenever we can spend time in the field with bankers to better understand their technology challenges and source potential solutions that meet their strategic objectives, we consider it time well spent.
Join ICBA Innovation at Money 20/20
Oct. 19 at 12:45p.m.
Attending Money 20/20? Plan to join us for our panel discussion on digital transformation where ICBA will explore how community banks navigate the challenges with modernizing their systems while creating enhanced digital experiences for customers.
During this fast-paced session, we’ll discuss vendor selection, BaaS and embedded finance partnerships, and where digital investment actually moves the needle.
In fact, according to the 2025 Conference of State Banking Supervisors Annual Survey of Community Banks, 81% of community bankers view the internal risk of technology implementation and costs as either “extremely important” or “very important” and feel a drive toward incorporating the latest technology into their stacks.
The conference connection
Technology has become a great equalizer for community banks. Now that fintech solutions are more accessible and more easily orchestrated—thanks to middleware that offers an abstraction layer—there are more options to consider.
“Ten to 15 years ago, it was hard to provide what the biggest banks could offer on the tech side, but now, thanks to companies from ICBA’s ThinkTECH Accelerator, the tech curve has flattened out,” said Dan Maddox, chairman and CEO of $950 million-asset Citizens State Bank of New Castle, Ind. “Today, we can compete through smart partnerships. That's where our magic lies: We engage the best local relationship bankers, embed great technology, and create rich digital and personalized experiences for our clients. That's how we win.”
And conferences play a chief role in both identifying the right solutions and making company connections. For one, these industry forums are where business gets done: Gartner reports that nearly 60% of buyers still engage with a provider at an in-person event. That means there are real opportunities for us to uncover community bank-centric solution providers and encourage them to apply to the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator (applications for the next cohort are open now).
At the same time, events like Money 20/20 spotlight the latest developments in the broader fintech landscape.
As one banker noted, “Not every fintech is relevant to my bank, but as the competitive environment continues to shift, it’s important that we remain on top of the latest trends.”
Advancing opportunities
That’s why ICBA Innovation will be present at Money20/20 this year [see sidebar]. We plan to connect with community banks and the companies addressing their unique needs.
Having our pulse on the latest fintech developments and competitive landscape helps inform our approach not only for the ThinkTECH Accelerator, but how we connect fintech visionaries with community bank leaders at next year’s ICBA LIVE in Las Vegas.
The relationships we create and the insights we gather on the road help to frame our programming and support ICBA’s innovation strategy. Together, we can utilize these events to collectively build the future of community banking.
Kristina Morris is vice president of innovation investments at ICBA.