T Accelerating Growth: 2025 MEGA CONFERENCE RECAP The Indiana Bankers Association’s annual Mega Conference equipped Hoosier bankers with the tools, insights and strategies to embrace innovation, harness emerging technologies and drive sustainable success. This year’s theme, “Accelerating Growth,” underscored the need to evolve in a world where agility, innovation and leadership define the path forward. Attendees for 2025 held steady at more than 1,200, including an increase in two-day/full-conference registrations. The conference teed off later than normal on Tuesday, May 27, the day after Memorial Day, with an afternoon golf tournament at The Fort Golf Resort at Fort Harrison State Park on the northeast side of the city. That evening, the IBA hosted its annual Associate Member Appreciation Reception at the JW Marriott in recognition of the many associate members who make Mega possible each year. Bankers and associate members enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres while networking with one another. The evening concluded with the popular hospitality suite in the Presidential Suite at the JW. On Wednesday, the conference schedule began in earnest with two morning and two afternoon rounds of educational breakout sessions, with six sessions to choose from in each slot. Wednesday morning also featured the return of the popular Fintech Showcase, sponsored by Profit Resources Inc. The showcase featured live pitches from emerging companies displaying their new technologies and opportunities to implement innovative solutions specifically designed for community banks and their customers. Between the morning and afternoon sessions was a lunch keynote featuring David Atkins, who discussed how to break through fear and adversity to achieve success. The luncheon also featured the presentation of 2025 Diamond Associate Member awards and recognition of 2024’s Five-Star Bank members. After the day’s educational sessions wrapped up, bankers returned to the exhibit hall for the Mega Celebration, where they mingled with one another and associate members over food and drinks. That evening, the IBA Future Leadership Division gathered for a casual networking event at Social Cantina, just a short walk from the convention center. All conference attendees were then invited back to the hospitality suite for another evening of fun, conversation, food and drinks. Thursday brought another four rounds of education sessions, again with six options each. At lunch, one of the IBA’s most popular keynote speakers, Lindsay Boccardo, dug into the differences between generations and how to build a winning workforce amid those differences. The luncheon also featured the announcement of this year’s Commitment to Community Award winners. The program is designed to showcase exceptional community outreach by banks in the state. Congratulations to Home Bank, Martinsville, for winning the category for banks with under $750 million in assets; Community First Bank of Indiana, Kokomo, for winning the category for banks with between $750 million and $3 billion in assets; and 1st Source Bank, South Bend, for winning the category for banks with more than $3 billion in assets. Learn more about all of this year’s nominees starting on page 10. Thank you to all who attended, and many thanks to our generous sponsors. We hope to see you at next year’s Mega Conference, scheduled for May 19-21, 2026, at the Indiana Convention Center. 16 HOOSIERBANKER
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