Happy Saturday, and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday, January 11, 2025, sponsored exclusively by Second Wind Consultants, specializing in article 9, out-of-court, transactional restructurings.
As we enter a new year, right from the start, TMA is ready to make again its mark for what represents best in class membership opportunities. Just days into the new year, there is much on the drawing board to be excited about and so very much to share.
In this new year, we will take membership to the next level, showing at every turn why membership matters, and will again remind one and all, that connection with purpose, brand building and the path to a more personal and professionally connected future starts not just with TMA, but as a member, the ONLY way to build a marquis profile where one gains industry and deal advantage.
This year, we will not only continue to profile members who have built their careers, in no small part because of membership in TMA, but will continue to foster connected opportunities that will welcome the next generation of members and leaders to our big tent, so they too can mentor others in the TMA way.
That will start in just a few weeks at the TMA 2025 Distressed Investing Conference, where more than 800 participants will come together, in a display of TMA opportunity as we impart on one and all, what it mans to connect and close deals, the TMA way.
And why this conference? Simple. It is the table setting conference of the year, and one that touches every aspect of deal and investment opportunities, best in class networking and real and relevant educational programming, to assure all who attend connect to the experience and each other in meaningful ways.
With a lineup like this, the odds will be ever in the favor of those fortunate enough to be part of these motivating three days that will start with an already sold out restructuring bootcamp, a wine down Wednesday welcome reception and the always highly anticipated joint opening reception with SFNet.
This year’s education sessions will all have real-time, real-world implications, starting with Collaboration and Best Practices for a Successful Turnaround and Restructuring; Deals and Steals: Avoiding ‘Craps’ when Betting on Distressed Assets; High Risk, High Reward: Cannabis Deals in 2025; Rolling the Dice on Lender Liability; and Improving the Odds: Navigating Ethics, Trust and the Future of AI.CLE, CPE, and CEU credits will be available for these sessions.
The Turnaround Capital Forum and Networking reception will again boast nearly 40 lenders from private equity, ABL and traditional lending institutions from throughout the US, and is sure to create the buzz that will lay the groundwork for this year’s deal opportunities.
Time and again, the TMA DIC is the first choice, and sometimes the only choice in conference opportunities, and one not to be missed. With a new year and a changing deal landscape, you most certainly will want to be there, so I urge those who have not yet registered to do so today.
With the gates of opportunity now open for 2025, there is much to look forward to in the months to come.
This year, the 11th Annual Network of Women Conference will be held in Nashville, TN and the NextGen Leadership Conference will touch down in New York City.
Planning is well underway for the third TMA Global International Symposium and European Annual, which will be held in Paris, France, in June. In a TMA first, TMA Australia, Hong Kong, India, and Singapore will host the first TMA regional Asia Pacific Conference in Singapore this August.
All TMA Global committees have now been formed and in the coming weeks, they will meet and begin their work to support why membership in TMA matters, by showing the innovation and imagination it takes to be as vital and vibrant as we are, as we build upon the strong foundation our committee structure provides in adding value to member-only opportunities.
Chapters are likewise gearing up to showcase the value of membership at the local and regional levels. In April, regional conference season will kick off with the Mid-America Regional Conference, which this year will be held in TMA’s hometown, Chicago, IL.
All of what I have shared today was created by our members for our members. Because of their commitment to TMA, our members create opportunities, empower our worldwide brand, and elevate their professional profiles.
Membership matters because without it, we cannot create the opportunities we do. Thus, the next generation of leaders will be supported so they, too, can create the TMA opportunities of the future.
TMA thrives not because of those who occasionally touch the organization but because of those who put in the time to support their local chapters by not just attending events, but participating in their creation, sitting on chapter boards, and sponsoring too.
TMA thrives because through mentorship, friendships, and professional support, trusted relationships are made, and the foundation of business and support is solidified, and that only comes from engaging in the TMA membership experience.
I hope you will join me, Global President Rachael Smiley, and our countless leaders across the world who care so deeply for our organization in the pursuit of meaningful membership in 2025 as we embark on our Membership Matters campaign this year. Support it, evangelize about it, and help us build it so we remain the vital and vibrant organization we are.
As always, thanks for taking the time to listen today. And thanks again to our TMA CEO Speaks exclusive sponsor, Second Wind Consultants, for your support of TMA and this podcast.
As TMA Lights The Way, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement the foundation that will create a better TMA for all of our members.
Until next time, I’m Scott Stuart. Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud.