FORT WORTH, Texas – More than 1,300 financial industry professionals, including CEOs, IT decision makers, and suppliers, registered to attend TechMecca. In its third year, TechMecca is billed as the premier technology conference and expo for financial institutions. The three-day event originated as a means of offering members of the nation's financial industry one-stop shopping for all technology needs. TechMecca 2004 featured a sold-out exhibit hall, showcasing leading-edge products and services from 174 companies. TechMecca's success is a result of the efforts of the three sponsoring groups – Texas Credit Union League, PULSE EFT Association, and Independent Bankers Association of Texas – to bring together leaders from each segment of the industry into one huge forum. In addition to Stan Paur, Pulse Eft keynote speakers included Daniel Burrus, founder and CEO of Burrus Research, and Tom Asacker, author and business strategist. Breakout sessions allowed attendees to choose sessions from four tracks: Security and Fraud; Delivery Channels; Operations; and Strategic Management. Among the leading industry speakers appearing at breakout sessions were representatives of MasterCard International, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard and the Federal Reserve Bank. Dixie Ward, senior vice president of PULSE, was featured speaker in an optional pre-conference workshop, discussing the hot topic of stored value cards and the opportunities the fast-expanding market offers for financial institutions.