Ohio’s first-ever statewide December mortgage event. Two days of the industry’s biggest voices, real 2027 business planning, and the most gloriously over-the-top holiday party the mortgage industry has ever thrown.
19 confirmed speakers — including Ross Bjork (Ohio State), Lisa Ingram (White Castle), and Stan Middleman (Freedom Mortgage) — alongside 16 more from across the industry.
Registration
Members $695 · Non-Members $995
Not a member yet? Join OMBA and save $300 → · ⏰ Book your hotel room when you register — the block won’t last.
Interested in Sponsoring?
Put your brand in front of 300+ lender executives and decision-makers. Anchor packages are moving fast.
Ready to purchase? Buy a package here · Questions? rich@ohiomba.org
🏨 The Venue
The Ohioan Hotel & Event Center
100 Green Meadows Dr S, Lewis Center, OH · theohioan.com
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🏠 193 Rooms Under One Roof
Hotel and ballroom are the same building. No shuttle. No weather. No excuses.
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🏭 40,000 Sq Ft of Event Space
Including a 6,000 sq ft ballroom — the room where the biggest Christmas party this industry has ever seen will happen.
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🍘 800+ Free Parking Spots
Park once. Stay for two days. Everything is on site — rooms, sessions, dinner, party, breakfast.
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❄ Built for December in Ohio
Sessions, dinner, and the party are all inside. This is the right venue for a December event in Ohio.
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🏨 OMBA Room Block — $164/Night
193 rooms. More than 193 people are coming.
Book your room when you register — not after you think about it over the weekend. The block will not last and the hotel is on site.
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What to Expect
A Business Trip That Feels Like a Holiday Party.
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🌟 19 Confirmed Speakers
A national lineup that happens to land in Columbus. Names from inside and well outside the mortgage industry.
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🎉 The Mother of All Christmas Parties
Open bar. Food all night. A ballroom transformed beyond reason. Bands. The biggest party this industry has ever seen.
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📈 2027 Business Planning Content
Close 2026 sharp. Walk into January already knowing everyone and loaded for spring.
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🏆 A Full Day on Tuesday
Breakfast at 8:00 AM, program 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Live podcast taping, producer sessions, fireside conversations, and more.
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🏟 Party-Only Tickets
Your team, your clients, your title rep — they can join for the night even if they skip the sessions.
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❤ Charity Component
Come do good while feeling good. Toys for Tots drive on-site. Details coming soon.
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🌟 The Speakers
19 Confirmed Speakers.
This is not a regional event that happens to be in Ohio. It is a national lineup that happens to land in Columbus. Every speaker on this list is worth the trip on their own.
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Ross Bjork
Athletic Director, Ohio State Athletics
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Lisa Ingram
CEO, White Castle
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Stan Middleman
Founder, President & CEO, Freedom Mortgage
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Jodi Hall
President & CEO, The Mortgage Collaborative
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Dan Snyder
Co-Founder & CEO, Lower
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Kevin Peranio
Chief Lending Officer, PRMG
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Brian Vieaux
President, MISMO
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Dustin Owen
Founder & CEO, The Loan Officer Podcast
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Erin Dee
SVP & Chief Innovation Officer, BankSouth Mortgage
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R.C. Whalen
Author & Chairman, Whalen Global Advisors
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Jennifer McGuinness-Lubbert
CEO, Pivot Financial
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Diane Yu
Co-Founder & CEO, TidalWave
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Eric Roman
President, Nations Lending
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Dave Savage
Chief Growth Officer, TrustEngine
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Kristin Messerli
Executive Director, FirstHome IQ
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Tim Rood
Founder & CEO, Impact Capitol DC
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Daniel Sa
Division President, NFM Lending
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Justin Allen
Area Branch Manager, Union Home Mortgage
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James Brody
Founder & Managing Partner, Brody Gapp LLP
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Follow OMBA on LinkedIn for ongoing updates and announcements.
🌟 Thank You
Our Sponsors Make This Possible.
Home for the Holidays exists because these companies believe in the Ohio mortgage industry. We’re grateful for every one of them.
The Schedule
Two Days. One Night You’ll Be Talking About in March.
35+ speakers. Holiday segments nobody else would dare put on a main stage. A MacBook for the first Buzzword Bingo blackout. And the Mother of All Christmas Parties on Monday night.
🎄 Sunday, December 6 — Arrival Night
8:00 PM — Welcome Reception (The Pre-Approval). Sponsor name to be announced.
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🌟 Monday, December 7 — The Main Event
| 8:00 AM |
Doors, breakfast, and your Bullshit Buzzword Bingo card |
| 9:00 AM |
Main stage opens. The Naughty List. The Adults Table (surprise panel — details to come). Ross Bjork. O-H-I-Ho-Ho-Ho. |
| 11:15 AM |
Seeing Around Corners. Stanley C. Middleman and R.C. Whalen. Stanley and Chris will be available briefly after the session to connect with attendees and sign copies of the book. Order your copy at freedommortgage.com/seeingaroundcorners. |
| 12:00 PM |
Lunch |
| 1:05 PM |
The Guilded Age. How CEO Terry Schmidt led Guild Mortgage on its journey from regional success to national power player. Moderated by Jodi Hall. |
| 1:40 PM |
Keynote, to be announced. |
| 2:15 PM |
Lisa Ingram, CEO, White Castle. The 2027 Prediction Card. |
| 3:15 PM |
Kevin Peranio, live. |
| 3:35 PM |
AI Governance Before the Examiners Show Up. Claire Barber moderates Brian Vieaux (MISMO), James Brody, and LaTasha Waddy (President, NFM Lending). |
| 4:05 PM |
Capitol Chaos Unwrapped. |
| 4:40 PM |
Last Call. Adjourn 4:50 PM. |
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6:30–10:30 PM
🎉 The Mother of All Christmas Parties
Grand Ballroom. Up to 470 people. Open bar. Professional holiday decorators. Entertainment. Don’t eat dinner. Trust us. The food stations open at 6:30.
Dress code: anywhere from your favorite jeans, sneakers and an ugly Christmas sweater to a full Buddy the Elf costume. A red vest absolutely counts. Nothing’s required. Everything’s encouraged. Cameras are everywhere.
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🏆 Tuesday, December 8 — Day Two (If You Survive)
| 8:00 AM |
Breakfast: Hair of the Dog. Coffee and Buckeye Donuts. Quiet voices. |
| 9:00 AM |
We Have the Photos. |
| 9:10 AM |
Tuesday Keynote, to be announced. |
| 9:45 AM |
Habits of the Highly Effective Producer. Dave Savage hosts Daniel Sa (NFM Lending), Justin Allen (Union Home Mortgage), and Sterling Smith (FCM). |
| 10:30 AM |
Break |
| 10:40 AM |
The Great Debate: Broker vs. Banker vs. Depository. Four podiums, moderated by Dodge Gatchel. Confirmed: Tammie Gravlee (Bank of Tennessee, Depository) and Dan Smith (FCM, Hybrid). Two more to be announced. |
| 11:15 AM |
What the Hell Is Going On With Credit? A Christmas Special. Jennifer McGuinness-Lubbert moderates. Confirmed: Devin Norales (Head of Mortgage & Capital Markets, FICO) and Justin Demola (Equifax). 1–2 more panelists to be announced. |
| 11:50 AM |
Holiday Hot Takes, Live. |
| 12:05 PM |
The Loan That Closes Itself. Agentic AI, Two Women Who Are Building It, and the Bank Already Running It. Diane Yu (TidalWave) and Kim Nelson (BankSouth), moderated by Jemma Pachiano. |
| 12:40 PM |
🎅 Sleigh the Runway. |
| 1:00 PM |
Lunch, Dining Room. |
| 2:00 PM |
After the Midterms: What Changes for Lenders. Tim Rood, Rodrigo Alba, Bob Niemi, CMB®. Moderated by Marianne Collins. |
| 2:35 PM |
Break |
| 2:45 PM |
The Loan Officer Podcast, Live. Dustin Owen records a live episode on stage. |
| 3:15 PM |
Human When It Matters, Digital When It Doesn’t. Dawn Carpenter moderates Kristin Messerli and Meg Handy. |
| 3:45 PM |
The Mortgage Company of 2030: What Work Will Humans Do. Brian Hewitt interviews Theo Ellis (CEO, Friday Harbor) and a lender CEO to be announced. |
| 4:15 PM |
Home Stretch. MacBook winner. Grand prize drawing. Dawn’s State of OMBA. Rich’s close. Leave early and you forfeit. Adjourn 4:30 PM. |
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Full session details, times, and speaker bios in the agenda PDF above.
Pricing
Register Now.
OMBA members always pay less. Not a member yet? Joining OMBA + registering beats the non-member rate — join here.
Full Conference Registration — Sunday Reception through Tuesday
Party-Only Tickets — Monday Evening
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Just the Party MEMBER | $295 |
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Significant Other MEMBER | $95 |
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Just the Party NON-MEMBER | $495 |
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Significant Other NON-MEMBER | $195 |
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Who Should Come
Built for the Whole Shop.
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💼 Lender Executives & Decision-Makers
2027 planning content, rate outlook, peer networking density. Bring your leadership team. Close the year sharp and walk into January already knowing everyone. More influential Ohio mortgage people in 48 hours than six normal months.
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🏠 Loan Officers & Producers
Tuesday is a full day built for producers — breakfast at 8, program 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Recognition, production-focused content, live podcast taping, and a room full of people who do what you do. If 2027 is the year you level up, this is where it starts.
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🤝 Vendors & Sponsors
300+ attendees including the decision-makers you spend all year chasing. First-mover sponsorship inventory on a brand-new signature event. View sponsorship packages or reach out to rich@ohiomba.org to get first in line.
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📈 Managers & Team Leaders
Send your high-upside people. It is the cheapest leadership development you will buy all year and it turns one registration pitch into a multi-seat sale.
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December 7–8, 2026 · The Ohioan · Columbus, Ohio
End 2026 Right. Start 2027 Running.
19 confirmed speakers. The Mother of All Christmas Parties. Two full days of content built around 2027 — Monday and Tuesday both run 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, plus the party Monday night. A hotel room block that will not last. Register now and book your room at the same time.
