Attendees Welcomed To LasVegas

LAS VEGAS - (07/15/05) -- The opening general session of theNAFCU annual convention here got off to an inauspicious start. Therear of the stage featured a replica of a famous local landmark,the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign that sits at thesouth end of the Strip. Just before NAFCU Chair Diane Furnasstepped up to the podium to address the group, the "M" of "WELCOME"fell down with a loud thud. A few minutes later, the first "E"dropped. Luckily, no one was near either of the falling letters.Furnas, who is departing the NAFCU Board after the meeting, saidthe conference theme, 'Raising the Stakes, is "appropriate for ameeting in Las Vegas, a town full of high stakes games." Thecombination of bank attacks, rising interest rates and threats tosecurity "raise the stakes," she said. In response, "credit unionsare stepping up their marketing efforts and making innovativechanges to attract more members."