The inaugural BankSpaces Retreat took place from May 5-7 in the scenic locale of Palm Springs, CA. This groundbreaking event aimed to unite top banks and credit unions to discuss the future of brick-and-mortar retail banking, share best practices, and connect with premier suppliers. Among the notable attendees was apc’s EVP of Training & CX Insights, E.J. Kritz, who not only absorbed valuable insights but also delivered a highly acclaimed keynote titled, “Your Employees are F’ing Up your Design.”
Here are five standout highlights from BankSpaces:
- Bark if you love your bank. Kudos to apc client, TD Bank, for their fantastic presentation! Head of Retail Design and Experience, Martha MacInnis was joined on stage by Sr. Manager for Retail Design and Experience, Christina Sprows. Apart from their transparent discussion of how TD designs the next evolution of retail banking, this dynamic duo brought the house down by sharing TD’s ATM… no, not that ATM. This is their Automated “Treat” Machine for their four-legged guests. Read all about it here!
- Jim Marous, co-founder of The Financial Brand, led the retreat by discussing whether or not the retail branch was dead and alive. We saw this as a fantastic divergence from the more common question as to whether or not the retail bank branch will survive into the future. One of the biggest takeaways from Jim’s presentation, and there were many, was regarding the democratization of data. As banks work to break down silos, Jim explained that data must also be broken out of silo’s in order to allow the back of the house to work on behalf of creating seamless employee and customer experiences.
- apc friends DBSI took the stage, joined by SVP of Branch & ATM Channel Optimization for Synovus, Carla Trombly. We loved hearing from both a powerful bank brand as well as a best-in-class supplier on how to enable the digital world to live seamlessly within the four walls of the branch environment. Seeing specific and tangible examples of how Synovus is leveraging emerging technologies within branch environments gave whole new vision to “branch of the future.” Certainly, we also learned that any bank or credit union considering branch transformation would benefit from a visit to the DBSI “Bankers Playground,” also known as the Ideation Center in Chandler, AZ.
- We so appreciated the panel discussion let by Brian McEvoy from Webster 5 featuring leaders from US Bank, Truist, and Regions Bank. While this panel dubbed “Envisioning the Branch of the Future” led to a wide range of takeaways, one of the main impressions from the session was this: Every financial institution, regardless of size, is all aimed at the same objective and wrestling with the same headwinds. Branch transformation will have wrinkles from bank to bank and credit union to credit union, but ultimately, financial leaders should take comfort in collecting best practices from peers.
- Lastly… we were blown away by Liz Powers from ArtLifting. As the face of retail banking changes, one item that gained universal agreement throughout the retreat was the idea that bank branches need to house a genuine connection to the community they serve. Liz helped to share how her company champions artists impacted by disabilities, housing insecurity, and more. The idea that art based on purpose can create a more meaningful customer and employee experience left the audience moved and certainly considering a higher sense of responsibility when developing the overall pallet of the bank design.
Click here to learn more about BankSpaces including their upcoming event in Miami, currently scheduled for April 2025. Influence Group, host of BankSpaces, also has upcoming events for Retail, Healthcare, Higher Education, and more.
