Attendees at the last in-person CUNA GAC on Feb. 23, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
After creating a completely virtual event earlier this year, CUNA officials announced on Wednesday that its Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) will return as an in-person event and will be held Feb. 27-March 3, 2022 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
During a press conference on Wednesday, CUNA Chief Products and Services Officer Todd Spiczenski said, "There's a genuine excitement I can say around CUNA about going back and being in person. I know in talking to credit unions and to several of our vendor partners, they're excited about this opportunity as well."
In a statement, CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle said, "We look forward to welcoming credit union advocates back to Washington, D.C. This conference is invaluable to the credit union movement. It is the one time each year when we come together to advocate, learn and network in meaningful ways. When we meet again in-person in 2022, we want all who wish to attend to be able to do so safely."
For the first time ever, CUNA cancelled the in-person event this year due to safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, CUNA hosted a multi-day virtual event, which brought in more than 3,000 attendees. Historically, the in-person GAC attracts roughly 6,000 people to Washington, D.C. – the largest credit union event by far.
"Our most recent CUNA GAC proved that we can adapt well to the digital environment, but the true power behind the GAC has always been all of us — CUNA, Leagues, credit unions and system supporters — coming together," Spiczenski said. "The pandemic has changed the meetings and events landscape considerably. Our job is to adapt and to create an unforgettable experience that strives to keep everyone safe."
Concerning safety protocols at next year's in-person GAC, Spiczenski said they will adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, as well as any local protocols required by Washington, D.C. officials. This will include physical distancing, sanitizing stations and providing more time between sessions.
While the agenda has yet to be finalized, Spiczenski said that keynote sessions might be smaller and shorter than in previous years. "But it'll largely be the same with some differences that I think people will notice, to allow for us to make sure we can deliver a safe and healthy environment for attendees."
He added, "We feel pretty confident that as long as our country continues on this same improvement health wise, with the vaccines, that we'll be able to deliver this in a safe and healthy way."
In case the country does see another surge of COVID-19 and it becomes difficult to do an in-person GAC, Spiczenski said CUNA has a back-up plan in place. "We'll be prepared to pivot and go back to a virtual setting if need be … [we are] confident and hopeful that that's not going to be the case, but we'll be ready to do so if need be."
As in the past, CUNA will livestream the opening ceremony and general sessions via Facebook live for those who cannot attend in person.
As of Wednesday, registration for the 2022 CUNA GAC has opened.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
