"It's huge, I really wasn't expecting it," Polina Yakusheva, vice president of marketing and business development at Fitzsimons Credit Union, said. "It's my first world credit union convention and I wasn't expecting this many people and this many great sessions. There's just so much experience here and so many different countries represented, so it's just great talking to so many different people, getting their opinions on what's working and what's not at their credit unions all over the world."

With dozens of sessions and keynote speakers, even seasoned attendees said they had something to take away from the convention.

Anne Cochran, president/CEO of the Louisiana Credit Union League, made history by being named the first-ever female chair of the WOCCU board of directors.

"The big thing was the [session on] reorganization, regeneration and reinvention…I guess that was the last one I went to," Mike Williams, president/CEO of the $131 million Colorado Credit Union in Littleton, Colo., said. "I don't know that we need to reinvent ourselves, but there's always room for improvement."

While many attending the convention were able to find ideas on how to grow their credit unions, they were also able to discuss some of the difficulties credit unions are facing and try to find solutions from each other.

"A lot of these other competitors that are outside the banking space don't have regulators," Myers said. "You know, PayPal is a big disruptor, but it's technically not a bank, so they don't have to deal with regulations. I teased the guy sitting at the NCUA booth and the exhibit hall today, to say, 'What can you do to help us ease this burden?' because that's really a lot of the issue that keeps us from getting more traction."

"We always talk about [how] there are not enough loans and the aging membership, and we all know this," Yakusheva said. "But I think by coming to this credit union [conference], you find out really quickly how many other competitors there are. In one of the breakout sessions there was a quote, 'Banking is necessary but banks are not.' And that really makes you think that we could be completely eliminated with an app. So I think that's one of the biggest things I've learned that makes me think."

Flag bearers from all over the world helped welcome 61 countries during the International Flag Parade.

Williams stated overregulation is one of the biggest hurdles for credit unions.

"Regulation I think, no question, is on everybody's mind," he said. "Compliance and the regulation that goes with it. It's just overregulated and is something fierce in my opinion. I think we need to continue to work on the relationships with regulators and work through that together."

Samayoa's concern is one many credit unions are familiar with: An aging membership and attracting a younger client base.

"[We] try to make an environment for attracting the millennials and Gen Y," he said.

WOCCU Chair Grzegorz Bierecki welcomed attendees to Denver, emphasizing the great potential that exists to grow credit unions worldwide.

The opening ceremony included a "Welcome to Country" show featuring clips from classic American films such as "Grease," "Casablanca" and "Footloose."

Attendees check out vendor offerings in the exhibit hall at the joint CUNA-WOCCU conference.

Incoming WOCCU Chair Anne Cochran received the chain of office from outgoing Chair Grzegorz Bierecki.

One flag bearer represented Armenia during the International Flag Parade at the joint CUNA-WOCCU conference.

CU Times Washington Reporter Elizabeth Peace got in on the CUNA-WOCCU selfie challenge by posing with two new friends from the Republic of Cameroon.

Attendees lined up to register at the joint CUNA-WOCCU conference in Denver.