We joined the Lenders One (L1) cooperative this year, so our team made it a priority to attend the Lenders One Summit in Orlando, FL. On behalf of Capacity, Karaline Venezia, Territory Manager at Capacity, and Anthony Heumann, Account Executive at Capacity, packed up their bags to attend their first in-person conference in 18 months. Since this was a relatively new experience, we asked them a few questions about what they enjoyed the most about the conference and if they had newfound advice for attending a tradeshow. Keep reading to learn more!
What did you enjoy most about Lenders One Conference?
Karaline really enjoyed getting out and meeting some of our clients and prospects. “Speaking via zoom and connecting in person is a completely different experience,” she explained. “There were a couple of clients like AFN and AnnieMac that I’ve spoken to a lot over the past year but never actually met face-to-face, so it was refreshing to have a chance to do that again.”
Anthony liked having the opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders who all truly want to help one another improve. “Overall, as a newer member of L1, we felt welcomed by both the L1 team members and vendors alike,” said Anthony. “The conference was well organized in terms of networking and formal sessions.”
What company or product stood out to you the most?
Karaline and Anthony both shared that the Lenders One Loan Automation (LOLA) initiative caught their attention. LOLA is an internally developed, cloud-based technology solution designed to automate loan manufacturing processes to improve members’ operational efficiency and make it easier for members to order and receive L1 Solutions through a single entry point.
What did you realize that you missed the most about in-person conferences?
Connecting with someone in person for the first time or catching up with a familiar face is something that we may have taken for granted in the past, but has become a refreshing experience at conferences.
“I missed the networking opportunities and the power of connecting with prospects and clients,” said Karaline. “LendersOne Summit was a relatively small event, so it gave us a chance to have meaningful conversations with prospects and join sessions to better understand industry dynamics.”
Over the course of the summit, Karaline shared that there were several instances where she introduced current clients to prospects and witnessed clients explain the reasons and benefits of working with Capacity.
Anthony missed the networking and groupthink the most. “It’s super exciting to have a group of leaders all engaged in discussing the same topics,” Anthony explained. “After almost 18 months of virtual calls and introductions, it was refreshing to be face-to-face with clients and prospects alike.”
Overall, meeting in person for both Karaline and Anthony was a great reminder that personal connections open doors. “It was good seeing firsthand how important these in-person events are for our business”, explained Karaline. “I had a chance to meet a couple of people who I had trouble getting in touch with over the past year.”
Do you have any advice for those attending future in-person events?
Karaline recommends being over-prepared. “Know who’s going to be there and who you want to talk to,” she said. “These events are great for making random connections but you also have the opportunity to deliberately position yourself next to people that you want to meet.”
Anthony recommends taking advantage of all the different opportunities presented to learn and network. “You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet,” he shared.
Thank you to Lenders One for welcoming our team to your summit and the cooperative. We look forward to future events and partnership opportunities.