Agenda & Details

The 2026 Annual Conference features a dynamic agenda with industry-driven sessions, inspiring keynote presentations, and interactive breakout discussions led by both members and vendors. Hands-on workshops will provide practical strategies to help members elevate performance and maximize their technology. With unparalleled opportunities to network with vendors and peers, this year's conference is the go-to event for growth, learning, and collaboration in the teleservices industry.

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

MERGECOMM IN MOTION
Building Real-World Automations That Work

From eResponse replacement to SMS alerts: Learn, build, and launch smarter MergeComm workflows.

If you’ve ever wanted to make MergeComm do more, this workshop is for you. Over a focused 1.5-day, hands-on session, you’ll design, configure, and test the automations that keep your operation connected and efficient.

Led by industry experts Joe Belfeuil of Anser and Joe Allen of Answer 365, this immersive workshop goes beyond theory. You’ll work directly in MergeComm, building and refining real workflows that matter most to your team:

Configure MergeComm Email as a full eResponse replacement.
Set up and test unsolicited SMS notifications and alerts.
Automate agent dependent tasks like creating rotating on-call coverage without maintaining an on-call schedule, checking call forwarding, and more.

Bring your MergeComm license and a test email address and leave with live, functioning automations, detailed notes, and the confidence to deploy smarter workflows the moment you get home.

ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION REQUIRED: $399.00 per person for both Saturday and Sunday sessions, lunch included.

GROW LEADERSHIP BY DESIGN
Turning Instinct into a Scalable Advantage

Join this interactive workshop to help you build the leadership culture your business needs — by design, not by accident.

Leadership isn’t missing in answering services — it’s often unspoken, informal, or unsupported. The people others turn to for answers aren’t always the ones with a title. Some were promoted because they excelled in one area but never had guidance on how to lead people. Others never sought leadership at all, yet still carry influence because their teammates trust them.

Through guided discussion and interactive working time, you will:

A customized Leadership Blueprint that defines what “great leadership” looks like inside your business
A clear plan for developing and supporting existing leaders
Strategies to shift authority from dependency to empowerment, so growth doesn’t pause when you’re not in the room
Practical tools and templates to embed leadership behaviors into daily operations

You’ll leave with a practical foundation and a clearer path to grow leadership by design, not by accident.

ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION REQUIRED: $249.00 per person includes lunch on Sunday.

Join our Emerald Sponsor, AMTELCO, for a special session highlighting innovation and tools shaping out industry.

NO ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION REQUIRED

CONFERENCE AGENDA

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2026

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Advanced Technical Workshop: MergeComm in Motion

Joe Belfeuil (Anser) & Joe Allen (Answer365)

12:00 PM- 1:00 PM

Lunch for Registered Pre-Conference Attendees

1:00 PM-5:00 PM

Advanced Technical Workshop: MergeComm in Motion

Joe Belfeuil (Anser) & Joe Allen (Answer365)

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2026

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Advanced Technical Workshop: MergeComm in Motion

Joe Belfeuil (Anser) & Joe Allen (Answer365)

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Leadership Summit: Grow Leadership By Design

Sharon Brainard ( Always Answer)

12:00 PM-1:00 PM

Lunch for Registered Pre-Conference Attendees

2:00 PM-8:00 PM

Registration

2:00 PM-5:00 PM

Amtelco University: Regular Members Only

2:00 PM-5:00 PM

NAEO Board of Directors Meeting

3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Amtelco Demo Room: Regular Members Only

6:00 PM-7:00 PM

First-Timers Welcome Reception: By Invitation

7:00 PM-10:00 PM

Opening Reception

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026

7:00 AM-7:45 AM

Michael Leibowitz Memorial Walk:

Don't forget to order your shirt HERE!

8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Amtelco Demo Room: Regular Members Only

8:00 AM-9:00 AM

Registration, Breakfast, and Sponsors

9:00 AM-10:00 AM

Welcome to the 2026 Annual Conference!

10:00 AM-10:15 AM

Break with Sponsors

10:15 AM-10:30 AM

Platinum/Keynote Sponsor Presentation

10:30 AM-11:30 AM

General Session - KEY NOTE SPEAKER

Keynote, Jeff Butler

11:30 AM-11:45 AM

Sponsor Presentation

11:45 AM-12:45 PM

Lunch

12:45 PM-1:00 PM

ATSI Presentation

1:00 PM-2:00 PM

Amtelco Presents: Regular Members Only

Kevin Beale - Amtelco

2:00 PM-2:15 PM

Sponsor Presentation

2:15 PM-2:45 PM

Break with Sponsors

2:45 PM-3:30 PM

Operations Track: Write it Right: The Art of Proper Documentation

Technical Track: IS Tips and Tricks

Executive Track: Marketing Your Call Center: Proven Tactics to Attract & Retain Clients

Ede Zajac - (Anserve)

Jaimie Guidry & Kelli Harrigin (Amtelco)

Dana Lloyd (Answer Plus)& Rob Van Buskirk (VanRein Compliance)

3:30 PM-3:45 PM

Break with Sponsors

3:45 PM-4:30 PM

Operations Track: Conflict Resolution & De-escalation Techniques for Call Center Staff

Technical Track: AI in Answering Services: Using artificial intelligence as an ally, not a replacement.

Executive Track: Leading in Times of Uncertainty.

Sharon Brainard ( Always Answer)

Kevin Beale (Amtelco)

Jeff Butler - (Keynote speaker)

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026

7:00 AM-7:45 AM

Michael Leibowitz Memorial Walk

Don't forget to order your shirt HERE!

8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Amtelco Demo Room: Regular Members Only

8:00 AM-9:00 AM

Registration, Breakfast, and Sponsors

9:00 AM-9:15 AM

CAM-X Presentation

9:15 AM-10:15 AM

Amtelco Presents: Regular Members Only

Kevin Beale (Amtelco)

10:15 AM-10:45 AM

Break with Sponsors

10:45 AM-11:30 AM

Operations Track: Effective Leadership in a Remote and Hybrid Work Environment

Technical Track (Panel): "Who's calling? It's the on-call checking in!" - Demo a quick and script add-on that uses the ANI to lookup if that ANI is in the directory and displays who that is so that the operator doesn't have to guess

Executive Track (Panel): Building a Customer Centric Culture Through Quality Service

Rick Drumm (Peak Leadership)

Ryan Nettesheim & Joe Belfeuil (Anser)

Sharon Brainard (Always Answer), Jazmin Rea (Anser), Jenn Ferby (Answer Plus)

11:30 AM-11:45 AM

Break with Sponsors

11:45 AM-12:45 PM

Lunch

12:45 PM-1:00 PM

Platinum/Keynote Sponsor Presentation

1:00 PM-2:00 PM

General Session: Keynote Speaker