There is a reason why this issue of Credit Union Times is a whopping 92 pages and contains many special features and stories with a direct connection to CUNA and NAFCU. (See page one box.) Most major credit union meetings include exposition programs that showcase all major vendors serving the credit union industry. These same vendors also place advertisements in all issues of Credit Union Times targeted at these conferences because the vendor ads make a direct connection with their physical expo presence at the meeting. Also, because issues like this one are distributed door-to-door by Credit Union Times to attendees at the conference hotels, it gives vendor/advertisers much more bang for their CU promotional buck. And more demand for ad space results in extra large issues. Like all but one of a half dozen national credit union conferences scheduled for this time frame following the tragedy in NYC, D.C., and Pennsylvania, both the CUNA National Symposium and the NAFCU Congressional Caucus have also been cancelled. Thus, this special issue cannot be distributed at their meetings. To compensate for that, Credit Union Times is sending this issue via first class mail to participants who would have received it at their hotel rooms, or at the Credit Union Times expo booth. The one national CU meeting that was not cancelled was the Annual Directors Roundtable sponsored by CU Conferences, an independent credit union meeting group based in St. Louis. Although approximately 200 participants did cancel and will be given a full refund, over 300 showed up in Las Vegas to swap CU ideas. -

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