Business

Money Talking: The Best Way To Plan A Productive Bankers Conference

Published

3 years ago

January 11, 2023

Planning a banker’s conference can be a daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be. With careful planning, you can make sure that your conference runs smoothly and that all of your guests have an enjoyable experience.

From selecting a venue to organizing accommodations and meals, there are a number of things that must be taken into consideration. By paying attention to detail, you can create an event that will be remembered for years to come. From the initial planning stages to the execution of the event, this guide will help you plan a banker’s conference that will be a success.

Let’s take a look at some of the things you need on your checklist.

Budget For The Conference

The first thing you need to do is to set aside a certain amount of money for the conference. The amount will depend on how many people are attending, how many speakers you want to invite, and how much food and beverages you want to include.

If you are organizing the conference on your own, then you will need to decide how much money you want to spend for the event. If you are going to invite speakers, you will need to decide how much money those speakers will cost. If you are inviting speakers who will be speaking on a topic that is relevant to your company, then you can choose the amount of money that they will charge for their presentations.

You may also want to consider whether or not you should use a hotel or whether you should rent rooms at a nearby hotel. You may want to look at the hotel’s rate and see if it is more reasonable than the rate of the hotel next door. You may also want to look at the number of rooms that are available and see if it is enough for everyone.

Invite the Right People

Once you have decided how much money to spend on the conference and who should be invited, then you can start planning the rest of the details of the event. One of the most important things is to invite the right people. You will want to invite people who have an influence on your team or who have an influence on your customers or your industry.

You may also want to invite people who can make your conference more productive by simply being there. This is a great way to get people talking with each other and to get them thinking about what they can do to make your company better.

Create Free Promotional Products

Next, you will want to create free promotional products for your company and its products or services. These products can include pens, stickers, bags, T-shirts, mugs, or whatever else you think would be useful. These promotional products will help your attendees remember your company by having something that they can use during the conference that reminds them of your company.

Select Food and Beverages

The next thing you will want to do is select food and beverages for your conference. You may want to purchase food from one of the companies that you work with or from a local restaurant. If you are planning on having speakers at your conference, then you may want to have food catering at your conference instead. Food catering can range from simple snacks like bagels or muffins to meals such as pizza or pasta. If your company has a cafeteria or kitchen facility available, then you may want to consider having food there instead of outside food vendors or caterers. You may also want to consider having local vendors provide drinks like water or soda instead of having a vendor bring drinks in.

Encourage Attendees To Post On Social Media

You will also want to encourage attendees to post on social media about their experience at your conference. You can do this by having them take photos of themselves at your conference using their cell phone or tablet. Then you can post these photos on social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter so that others can see them. They can also post about their experience at your conference during the event itself so that others can see them too. This helps attendees feel more connected with the company they work for and helps them remember what they saw at the conference long after they leave the conference venue.

Now that you have learned how to plan a productive bankers’ conference, you are well on your way to having a successful event. By following these tips, you will be able to create a conference that is informative, entertaining, and most importantly, productive.

Business

Derik Fay and the Quiet Rise of a Fintech Dynasty: How a Relentless Visionary is Redefining the Future of Payments

Published

5 days ago

October 17, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Long before the headlines, before the Forbes features, and well before he became a respected fixture in boardrooms across the country, Derik Fay was a kid from Westerly, Rhode Island with little more than grit and audacity. Now, with a strategic footprint spanning more than 40 companies—including holdings in media, construction, real estate, pharma, fitness, and fintech—Fay’s influence is as diversified as it is deliberate. And his most recent move may be his boldest yet: the acquisition and co-ownership of Tycoon Payments, a fintech venture poised to disrupt an industry built on middlemen and outdated rules.

Where many entrepreneurs chase headlines, Fay chases legacy.

Rebuilding the Foundation of Fintech

In the saturated space of payment processors, Fay didn’t just want another transactional brand. He saw a broken system—one that labeled too many businesses as “high-risk,” denied them access, and overcharged them into silence. Tycoon Payments, under his stewardship, is rewriting that narrative from the ground up.

Instead of the all-too-common “fake processor” model, where companies act as brokers rather than actual underwriters, Tycoon Payments is being engineered to own the rails—integrating direct banking partnerships, custom risk modeling, and flexible support for underserved industries.

“Disruption isn’t about being loud,” Fay said in a private strategy session with advisors. “It’s about fixing what’s been ignored for too long. I don’t chase waves—I build the coastline.”

Quiet Power, Strategic Depth

Now 46 years old, Fay has evolved from scrappy gym owner to an empire builder, founding 3F Management as a private equity and venture vehicle to scale fast-growth businesses with staying power. His portfolio includes names like Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, BIGG Pharma, Results Roofing, FayMs Films, and SalonPlex—but also dozens of companies that never make headlines. That’s by design.

Where others seek followers, Fay builds founders. Where most celebrate their exits, Fay reinvests in people.

While he often deflects conversations around his personal wealth, analysts estimate his net worth to exceed $100 million, with some placing it comfortably over $250 million, based on exits, real estate holdings, and the trajectory of his current ventures.

Yet unlike others in his tax bracket, Fay still answers cold DMs. He mentors rising entrepreneurs without cameras rolling. And he shows up—not just with capital, but with conviction.

A Mogul Grounded in Real Life

Outside of business, Fay remains committed to his role as a father and partner. He shares two daughters, Sophia Elena Fay and Isabella Roslyn Fay, and has been in a relationship with Shandra Phillips since 2021. He’s known for keeping his personal life private, but those close to him speak of a man who brings the same intention to parenting as he does to scaling multimillion-dollar ventures—focused, present, and consistent.

His physical stature—standing at 6′1″—matches his professional gravitas, but what’s more striking is his ability to operate with both discipline and empathy. Fay’s reputation among founders and CEOs is not just one of capital deployment, but emotional intelligence. As one partner noted, “He’s the kind of guy who will break down your pitch—and rebuild your belief in yourself in the same breath.”

The Tycoon Blueprint

The playbook Fay is writing at Tycoon Payments doesn’t just threaten incumbents—it reinvents the infrastructure. This isn’t another “fintech startup” with a flashy brand and no backend. It’s a strategically positioned venture with real underwriting power, cross-border ambitions, and a founder who understands how to scale quietly until the entire industry has to take notice.

In an age where so many entrepreneurs rely on noise and virality to build influence, Fay remains a master of what can only be called elite stealth. He doesn’t need the spotlight. But his impact casts a long shadow.

Conclusion: The Empire Expands

From Rhode Island beginnings to venture boardrooms, from gym owner to fintech force, Derik Fay continues to build not just businesses—but a blueprint. One rooted in resilience, innovation, and long-term infrastructure.

Tycoon Payments may be the latest chess piece. But the game he’s playing is bigger than one move. It’s a long game of strategic leverage, intentional legacy, and generational wealth.

And Fay is not just playing it. He’s redefining the rules.