The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association released the agenda for the 2024 Equipment Management Conference & Exhibition, which will be held March 10-12 in New Orleans. The agenda includes breakout sessions evaluating current market conditions, off-site equipment tours at actual worksite locations and multiple networking opportunities for all attendees.
“Equipment management is essential—and growing even more important as the equipment finance industry evolves,” Wade Whitenburg, chair of the ELFA’s equipment management committee, said. “The Equipment Management Conference is the best place to learn from experts and to meet more people to help grow your business. We’re going to delve into the state of the industry, key sector trends and equipment technologies. Attending the conference will give you a foundation of knowledge and understanding that will pay off handsomely.”
Highlights on the agenda include:
- Sector sessions offering an overview and outlook of market conditions for a variety of equipment segments, including trucks, tractors and trailers, technology/IT, construction/cranes, marine, healthcare, machine tools and plastics, material handling, and agriculture and food.
- Educational sessions on the Basics of Asset Management (Including Fraud); Return Provisions: Managing Through the End of Term; Modeling, Stats and Analytics; and Conducting Aircraft Appraisals: The Valuation Process.
- Expanded roundtable discussions on GPS and telematics, healthcare and impairment review best practices.
- Keynotes on the ELFA’s “Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2024” and “What’s Hot, What’s Not in Equipment Leasing & Finance for 2024.”
- Off-site tours of the Port of New Orleans, Edison Chouest Offshore Shipyard and C&C Marine & Repair.
- An exhibition of equipment appraisers, remarketers, auctioneers and other service providers.
- Multiple networking opportunities, including a newcomer reception for first-time conference attendees, an opening reception in the exhibit area, networking breaks and a closing reception.
- Launch of the “Prodigy Program” created to highlight emerging professionals and to excite new talent about the asset management field.
Planning Committee
Multiple subject matter experts on the 2024 equipment management committee were involved in developing the program content for the Equipment Management Conference, including:
- Whitenburg, who is a strategic accounts manager for finance and insolvency management at Ritchie Bros. (committee chair)
- Dennis Bolton, head of North America equipment finance, Gordon Brothers Equipment Finance
- Carl Chrappa, senior managing director, The Alta Group (chair emeritus)
- Nicholas Coscia, equipment manager for asset management Americas CT&I, DLL
- Anthony Gordon, manager of asset management, Farm Credit Leasing
- Laura Grill, vice president of asset management, Truist Equipment Finance
- Robert Herb, vice president and global asset manager for healthcare and clean technology, DLL
- Philip Houser, director of asset management, First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance
- Kelly Lane, senior vice president of asset management, BciCapital
- Robert Mercogliano, senior vice president and head of asset management, PEAC Solutions
- James Merz, senior vice president and head of equipment management, Fifth Third Bank
- Thomas Monroe, Jr., senior vice president of ATEL Equipment Services at ATEL Capital Group
- Andrew Pace, chief client experience officer, Asset Compliant Solutions
- Jane Rethmeier, CEO, Harbor Capital Leasing
- Joseph Santora, president, Irontrax
- Kevin Sensenbrenner, senior vice president/senior managing director and head of asset management, Stonebriar Commercial Finance
- Douglas Simon, senior vice president and head of equipment management, M&T Bank
- Micheal Smith, president and CEO, RTR Services
- Heather Staverman, director of meetings and exhibits, ELFA
- Kevin Toye, senior vice president, Bank of America Global Leasing
- Geoffrey Walshe, equipment manager, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Prodigy Program Associates:
- Riley Nemeth, senior asset manager, Wintrust Commercial Finance
- Alex Ohanessian, vice president of asset management – IMH, Insight Investments
