2025 IBAT EDGE

May 6-7 | Waco

An event designed to meet the educational needs of community bankers in Texas and beyond. 

Hosted by the Education Foundation of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, this two-day event is designed to help you Educate, Develop, Guide and Empower your team to take the next steps in their careers, for the good of your bank and its customers. 

This event will include sessions featuring thought provoking and inspiring keynote speakers. Attendees will be able to pick from 48 breakout sessions, divided into six tracks: Compliance, Credit & Lending, Human Resources, Operations, Leadership & Strategy and Marketing.

Each breakout session will provide the opportunity to dive deep into hot topic issues related to each track. No matter what your role is in the bank, you will benefit from greater knowledge of how you can build a team and affect positive outcomes in your organization.

2025 Keynote Speakers

Dave Martin, BankMechanics

Speaker, Writer, Banker Advocate 
Keeping Banker Teams Resilient and Relevant in Times of Change

Christopher Williston, IBAT

President and CEO
Taking the Leading Role from Behind the Scenes

2025 Breakout Session Tracks

EDGE includes educational breakout tracks focused on six distinct topic areas.  Attendees may choose a single track to follow for the entire event or jump from track to track to create the learning experience that best supports your career growth.  Check out the full schedule as we get closer to the event to see the full lineup of topics and presenters. 

 

Compliance
  
Credit & Lending
  
Human Resources

Sessions in this track focus on mitigating risk and managing compliance efficiently. Topics covered:

  • Exam Management
  • 2023 CRA Changes
  • FinCEN Priorities in BSA/AML and Corporate Transparency
  • Reg E Dispute Management
  • How to Build Great Risk Assessments
  • Third-Party Risk Management 
  • Managing AI Risk
     
  

Best practices in finance for a sound loan portfolio, regulatory overview on lending, as well as creating new opportunities of engagement for market growth. Topics covered:

  • Optimization of Your Loan Portfolio
  • Preparing for Recession
  • Building a Stress Testing Program
  • Loan Collection and Recovery
  • Best Practices in Portfolio Monitoring
  • Innovation in Agricultural Lending
   As businesses and bank operations continue to evolve, Human Resources plays a vital role in handling employees to positively influence a bank’s growth and success. Topics covered:

  • Attracting Top Talent
  • Creating the Right Job Roles
  • Training and Development
  • Performance Management
  • Offering Attractive Compensation

Leadership & Strategy

  
Marketing

  
Operations

This track reviews the power behind technology advancements to grow business, processes to deploy smarter strategies for market expansion and how to exceed customer expectations. Topics covered:

  • Effects of Global Economy on
    Community Banks
  • Managing in a Changing Rate Environment
  • Driving Profitable Customer Relationships
  • Servant Leadership
  • Effective Project Management
  • Creating a Great Team Culture
 
   Get the inside scoop on properly marketing your bank to customers. Discover how to transform your existing brand and data into tools and branch aesthetics that will help your bank's brand stand out. Topics covered:
  • Branding Your Bank
  • Using Data for Effective Marketing
  • Retail Banking in a Digital World
  • Creating Customer Connections
  • Success Stories and Blunders in Bank Marketing 
 

   From staffing to project management to marketing to product development, this track covers a wide range of topics to help you optimize and strengthen your back-office operations. Topics covered:
  • Fraud Loss Prevention
  • Emerging Risks and Hot Topics
  • Effective Project Management
  • Branch Design and Innovation
  • Banking and AI
  • Building a Culture of Innovation
  • Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation
 

Who Should Attend and Pricing

This event was designed with your team in mind. It is intended to be a "one-stop shop" for live education and networking for a diverse group of bank officers and emerging leaders.

Registration Fees:
IBAT Member:  $995
Non-Member and Non-Associate Member: $1,595
If your bank or company is registering more than four employees, please contact Mandy Robinson ([email protected]) for discount options.

2025 Tentative Agenda 

Monday, May 5  
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. AM Banker Networking with Refreshments
5:00 p.m.
 Dinner on Your Own
   
Tuesday, May 6
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Exhibit Encounters
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. Breakfast
8:15 – 9:30 a.m.  General Session
9:30 – 10:00 a.m. 
 Refreshment Break
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
11:00 – 11:15 a.m.  Refreshment Break 
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch with Exhibitors
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
2:30 – 2:45 p.m.  Refreshment Break 
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.  Refreshment Break 
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.   Dinner and Entertainment 
   
Wednesday, May 7
  
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks
9:30 – 10:00 a.m.  Refreshment Break
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
11:00 –  11:15 a.m. Refreshment Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Breakout Sessions/Tracks 
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Closing General Session + Lunch 
2:00 p.m.  Event Concludes

2024 IBAT EDGE Sponsors

 EXCLUSIVE EDUCATION PARTNER

 
STRATEGIC SPONSOR

 
DIAMOND SPONSOR

        
 GOLD SPONSOR

                   

                   
SILVER SPONSOR
 
Advantage, powered by JMFA
BHG Financial
CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)
CP Insurance Associates
Eide Bailly LLP
Fenimore Kay Harrison LLP
FINTX, LLC
Glory Global Solutions
IntraFi
KlariVis
 BRONZE SPONSORS  BLUE RIBBON

Bedel Security
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
CollateralEdge
Curated Cyber
Data Business Equipment, Inc. (DBE)
Digital Onboarding, Inc.
Ironcore, Inc.
revio.
Strategic Resource Management, Inc.

 Adlumin Inc.
IBT Apps
JRBT and JRBT Bank Consulting
Quality Service Installation, Inc.

Exhibit Encounters


5ironCyber
Adlumin Inc.
Advantage Health Plans Trust
The Baker Group
Bankers Lender, a Division of Texas National Bank, Sweetwater
Cennox
CLA (Clifton Larson Allen LLP)
CollateralEdge

  
Comco Systems
CP Insurance Associates
Data Business Equipment Inc.
Digital Onboarding, Inc.
Farmers National Company - Energy
FIntegrate Technology
Fitech by Deluxe
FORVIS
Glory Global Solutions

  
GMR
HC3
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)
ICBA CRA Solutions
Integris
IntraFi
Ironcore, Inc.
KlariVis
Ncontracts

    
NuSource Financial
PULSE, a Discover Company
Purple Wave Auction 
revio.
RiskScout
S&P Global Market Intelligence
SHAZAM
Six Arrows Consulting
Strategic Resource Management, Inc.