Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Set to Perform at Consumer Bankers Association Conference

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Set to Perform at Consumer Bankers Association Conference

New Orleans' House of Blues Will Be the Venue for a Major Event to Kick-Off the Organization's Home Equity Conference

ARLINGTON, Va., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Who says bankers can't boogie?

In fact, more than 800 of them will toss their suits and ties and swing with the sounds of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, when the band performs at the opening event for the 2005 Home Equity Conference on September 18th at the House of Blues in New Orleans.

Hosted by the Consumer Bankers Association and Group9, the Pennsylvania company that was named the fastest growing, privately held company by The Philadelphia Business Journal, the gala will have a distinct New Orleans flair.

With the House of Blues as the venue for this year's event, anyone attending will be treated to New Orleans classic cuisine such as Jambalaya and Crawfish, as well as a concert by one of the country's most innovative bands. As part of this year's event, there will also be a raffle to benefit a charity that supports veterans' families.

In 1992, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy burst on the scene in Southern California, making a name for themselves in LA's swing scene. With their popular hit, You and Me & the Bottle Makes Three Tonight (Baby), the band revived the sounds of the '40s and '50s, borrowing some of the Rat Pack lingo in addition to zoot suits. In 1997, the band released two albums - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and What'chu Want for Christmas - which led to a major label contract with Capitol Records. By the time the band came together for a follow-up, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy had sold over three million albums, performed at Super Bowl XXXIII with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan and had their music used in over 60 film and TV trailers. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was unstoppable. Their fifth album Save My Soul was released in July 2003, five years after their Interscope debut.

"Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the New Orleans House of Blues will be a dynamite kick-off for a great conference. We're also planning a charity tie-in which we will announce at a later date," said Chuck Moore, Chairman of CBA's Home Equity Committee and President, U.S. Bank Consumer Finance.

"This promises to be an exciting event for us," said Chris Ulsh, president and one of the founders of Group9. "Every year we try to create an event that will be memorable, and will start our conference off with a bang."

Chris Mallon, also a founder of Group9, and its executive vice president, believes the location and talent will "be the perfect combination to give participants a real New Orleans experience, and set the stage for an exciting and productive conference."

The Home Equity Lending Conference will take place from September 18-21 at the Sheraton New Orleans. The conference will provide Home Equity professionals with strategic insight and practical solutions to pressing issues such as integration of market segments, partnerships and alliances, value-added uses of technology, and creating customer value.

Attendance is open to CBA corporate, holding company affiliates, national associates or home equity associate members. To register, visit CBA's website -- http://www.cbanet.org/. Special discounted rooms will be available until September 2, 2005 at the Sheraton. To make reservations call (504) 525-6223.

Group9 is an innovative, growing company that has found a niche in the real estate lending industry by creating products and services that streamline a lender's loan process. The executive team is comprised of industry experts who bring more than fifty years of industry knowledge to bear in the dynamic, fast-paced lending industry. Since Group9's inception in 2000, the company's expansion speaks to the demand in the marketplace for services that help lenders meet the demand of the explosive growth of their mortgage and second mortgage businesses. Group9 provides services to a wide range of financial institutions, including some of the nation's largest and elite mortgage lenders. Founded in 2000, by Christopher Ulsh, Christopher Mallon and Theresa Littleton Mallon, Group9 is among Philadelphia's fastest growing, privately held companies. Group9 is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, with an office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that houses its loan closing operation.

Source: Group9

CONTACT: Dava Guerin of Guerin Public Relations, Inc., +1-215-914-2040, or (wireless) +1-215-262-0740, for Group9; or Fritz Elmendorf of Consumer Bankers Association, +1-703-276-3879

NOTE TO EDITORS: Coverage of the conference is invited. Coverage of the concert is welcome, and credentials will be required.

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