Euronet Worldwide recently hosted its third annual industry conference, Financial Solutions Conference 2002, on April 22 - 24 at the Prague Marriott in the Czech Republic. More than 130 attendees, exhibitors and speakers participated.

The event, entitled "Electronic Financial Solutions: Fostering Cross-Industry Synergies and Optimizing Electronic Payment Transactions," was the first time a forum was created uniting mobile operators and bankers from 21 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the US. Industry experts discussed the latest developments in electronic transactions and payment solutions. Conference exhibitors and sponsors included Euronet, NCR, Thales-eSecurity, Diebold, VeriFone, Lansa, Papelaco Banking Machines, Vision Solutions and Hypercom.

"The convergence of wireless communications and banking is revolutionizing our world at an amazing rate," said Daniel R. Henry, Euronet Worldwide President and Chief Operating Officer. "It's evolving so fast that companies are looking for places to turn to help them succeed. We broke new ground at this conference, helping financial institutions and mobile operators explore and find solutions in the new communications era."

Conference sessions addressed the future of electronic payments, customer loyalty, marketing strategies, outsourcing and the user's wireless experience. Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Andrzej Olechowski and Mr. Josef Zieleniec, former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the Czech Republic. Speakers from 13 countries included executives from financial institutions, such as BRE Bank, Egyptian American Bank, Piraeus Bank, Citicorp, Budapest Bank, Bank Zachodni WBK, Inteligo Financial Services and Visa International. Mobile operator speakers included Swisscom Mobile, Satelindo, Escotel, Orange UK, max.mobil and Plus GSM, as well as content providers such as AOL & Turner Broadcasting and magic4. Industry experts speakers included Giesecke & Devrient (G&D), Carmody & Bloom, and Gassner Stockmann & Kollegen.