It’s showtime!
A wide range of industry events and conferences ripe with great sales and prospecting ideas, specific market intelligence and networking opportunities are on the docket – from coast to coast – as summer stretches into fall.
At least one of these events is likely not too far away, and would be well worth the trip. If you’ve been meaning to but haven’t made it to a conference in a while, it’s time to get back out there to learn about the latest trends and get inspired and motivated by top experts presenting fresh ideas, sharing stories of success and keeping you current on the very latest in insurance product design and selling techniques.
Over the next several pages, you’ll find previews with highlights and links to registration pages for many notable industry events scheduled for dates ranging from later this week all the way into the holiday season.
Here’s a rundown of the events previewed, by month:
August
• Advisor Network Summit (Las Vegas)
• LIMRA 2015 Social Media Conference for Financial Services (San Francisco)
September
• 2015 NAPSLO Annual Convention (San Diego)
• VISION: IRI Annual Meeting 2015 (Charleston, SC)
• 2015 LIDMA Fall Meeting & Showcase (Nashville, TN)
October
• NAIFA 2015 Annual Conference (New Orleans)
• ACLI Annual Conference 2015: Winds of Change (Chicago)
• NAFA Annuity Distribution Summit (Coral Gables, FL)
• LISA 21st Annual Fall Life Settlement & Compliance Conference (Clearwater Beach, FL)
• 2015 LIMRA Annual Conference (Boston)
November
• NAILBA 34 Annual Meeting (Orlando)
• Advisor Network Summit
Aug. 5-7, The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
About the event: A heavyweight lineup of speakers will be at The Venetian in Las Vegas this week for the 2015 Advisor Network Summit, set for Aug. 5-7.
Super-producers Van Mueller and Josh Mellberg will be among the keynotes, as will high-profile industry experts Joe Jordan and Tom Hegna, CLU, ChFC, CASL.
The Advisor Network Summit is a peer-to-peer event for top Life-Health advisors and producers. The agenda is focused on top-of-mind challenges facing today’s advisors, including the impact of technology, boomer retirement issues, succession planning and reaching women as clients. The program is geared toward providing attendees with actionable deliverables for building business and sharing best-practices sales and marketing strategies.
“Advisor Network Summit is one of the true peer-to-peer events for retirement advisors. Attendees can learn blueprints for success from some of the industry’s leading producers,” says Daniel Williams, editor ofRetirement Advisor magazine and one of the event’s program organizers.
Hegna will kick off the event Wednesday with an opening keynote session titled, “Don’t Worry, Retire Happy: 7 Steps to a Secure Retirement.” Jordan, the legendary former MetLife executive and author of “Living a Life of Significance,” will open the middle day. The last day of the event features a morning keynote from Mellberg (The Value of Marketing: Don’t be penny-wise and dollar-foolish) and the ever-popular Van Mueller as the closing keynote (Retirement Success, No Matter What Happens).
Beyond the keynotes, highlights include a business succession planning roundtable focused on ideas for replenishing the dwindling ranks of producers. “With an aging advisor base, succession planning is one of the biggest challenges facing the insurance industry. Advisor Network Summit addresses that hot-button topic with a high-level panel discussion featuring three of the industry’s most influential advisors,” Williams said.
R.J. Kelly, ChFC, CLU, founder and chief visionary office, Wealth Legacy Family of Companies; Jason Jenkins, MBA, co-founder and partner, Jenkins Wealth Management Group; and Herb White, CFP, MBA, president, Life Certain Wealth Strategies, are on the panel.
“Another issue facing the industry is the ability to effectively talk retirement with women,” Williams said. “Recent studies revealed that women already hold the majority of assets in the United States and that number is growing. It’s imperative that advisors connect with women and gain their trust. On hand is a power panel of women to discuss this topic and provide insight on how to gain women as clients.”
NAIFA President Juli McNeely, CFP, CLU, LUTCF; Women in Insurance and Financial Services President Susan Combs; and Jillian C. Nel, CFP, CDFA, of Legacy Asset Management Inc. are on the panel.
A Retirement Advisor “Advisor of the Year” finalist roundtable and a panel discussion debating whole life vs. IUL are also on tap, as are an annuity-focused session with Sheryl J. Moore, president and CEO of Moore Market Intelligence and a regulatory update with former North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman. Three separate “Advisor Success Stories” are also part of the three-day event lineup.
Registration is still open for the event. For more information, visit the Advisor Network Summit website.
Take the poll: What industry organization’s conference(s) provide the most bang for your buck?
• LIMRA 2015 Social Media Conference for Financial Services: Social Media to Social Business
Aug. 19-21, 2015: Hyatt Regency San Francisco, San Francisco
About the event: The theme of the 6th annual LIMRA LOMA Social Media Conference for Financial Services (#LLSMC) isSocial Media to Social Business. The event will bring together executives and their teams in Marketing, e-Marketing, Sales, Distribution, Compliance, IT, and Operations.
We’ve come a long way since the beginning of this conference in 2010. It’s not enough to understand that we need to be using social media tools. We need to drill down into best practices and strategies, and expand our thinking to create the out-of-the-box ideas that will make those tools work for us, in all areas of business.
#LLSMC brings together social media leaders from the financial services industry with other experts from inside and outside our industry to put you at the center of that conversation. This year, the conference moves to the West Coast – San Francisco – a hub of thought leadership in social media and technology.
At #LLSMC 2015, you will…
- Hear dynamic speakers from inside and outside of financial services
- Meet and exchange ideas with the professionals who are directing and doing social media in some of the biggest financial services companies in the U.S. and around the world
- Look into the future with emerging technologies
- Hear about what works and what doesn’t from current and past winners of the #SilverBowlAwards
- Learn strategies and best practices for using social tools to recruit
- Understand what customers look for, and expect on social media
- Learn why Compliance can be the most important part of your social media team
- Take away ideas for engaging your audience in new ways and with new tools
In addition, you can…
- Hack! Join in our version of a hackathon, engaging in a highly interactive pre-conference session to work toward creating solutions for common industry problems
- Be followed! Become an expert at live-tweeting and learn how to tap into the thought leadership found in the conference backchannel with hands-on training
- Go viral! Create an image for our #1meme2rule contest, make and share an #LLSMC Spotify Playlist, Tweet-Up to join colleagues for an evening exploring San Francisco, and be a part of the conversation beyond the conference
For more information, visit http://www.limra.com/socialconf/
• 2015 National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices, Ltd. (NAPSLO) Annual Convention
Sept. 9-11, 2015: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego & Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, San Diego
About the event: The Annual Convention offers unparalleled networking opportunities for NAPSLO members. Widely recognized as the premier event for the surplus lines industry, the Annual Convention is attended by 3,970 surplus lines professionals from the United States and Great Britain.
NAPSLO members leverage three days of networking opportunities in the NAPSLO Brokers’ Lounge and The Club (formerly the Brokers’ Club) during Annual Convention.
Actor Gary Sinise, a dedicated advocate of America’s servicemen and women, will deliver the keynote address on Sept. 11. His support to our nation’s active duty defenders, veterans and first responders has become a tireless crusade of service and to all those who protect our freedom and serve our country. In 2011, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation. Its mission is to serve and honor our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders and their families by creating and supporting unique programs that entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. Giving back to those who sacrifice for our nation and encouraging others to do the same has become Gary Sinise’s personal quest and what he hopes will endure as a legacy of service to others.
For more information about the event, please click here.
Take the poll: What industry organization’s conference(s) provide the most bang for your buck?
• VISION: Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) Annual Meeting 2015
Sept. 27-29, 2015: Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston, S.C.
About the event: VISION: IRI Annual Meeting 2015, the leading conference for the retirement income industry, will take place Sept. 27-29 in Charleston, S.C. With a focus on the future of retirement, the program will explore how industry executives can provide lasting leadership and long-term vision in the marketplace by encouraging innovative product development, expanding advisor support, and improving consumer perceptions about retirement income strategies.
Keynote speakers include:
• Mark Halperin, Co-Host, With All Due Respect; Managing Editor, Bloomberg Politics; Co-author of Game Change and Double Down: Game Change 2012
• Jonathan Perelman, Vice President, Buzzfeed Motion Pictures; Former Global Lead for Industry Relations, Google
Additional speakers will be announced as the event nears. For more information or to register, please clickhere.
About the Insured Retirement Institute: The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is the leading association for the retirement income industry. IRI proudly leads a national consumer coalition of more than 30 organizations, and is the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies. IRI members are the major insurers, asset managers, broker-dealers/distributors, and 150,000 financial professionals. As a not-for-profit organization, IRI provides an objective forum for communication and education, and advocates for the sustainable retirement solutions Americans need to help achieve a secure and dignified retirement. Learn more at www.irionline.org.
• 2015 Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association (LIDMA) Fall Meeting & Showcase
Sept. 27-29, 2015: Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, Tenn.
About the event: LIDMA is the insurance industry’s most focused gathering of direct response producers, underwriters and vendors who are on the cutting edge of distributing life insurance directly to consumers or through branded strategic partnerships.
“There is no hotter topic in life insurance than direct-to-consumer sales and the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville is the place to be September 27 through the 29th,” said LIDMA president Byron Udell. “Underwriters, producers and vendors who are interested in this expanding channel are invited to attend and I guarantee that you will come away with a clearer understanding of the dynamics, intricacies and regulatory issues of selling life insurance on a direct response basis.”
Attendance at the LIDMA Loews Nashville Fall Meeting & Showcase is available only to LIDMA members. “We’ve made it especially attractive for life insurers, banks and financial institutions who are eyeing this space to attend, offering discounted annual membership fees for new members with first-time attendees,” Udell said. Information on the various membership categories and pricing is available at www.lidma.org.
LIDMA says more and more life insurance buyers are becoming self-directed and using direct response channels as their preferred method of purchasing life insurance. Recent trends in the direct-to-consumer sector have recently seen accelerated interest from big box stores, electronic retailers, search engine companies, banks, credit unions and other non-traditional companies that command vast audiences. LIDMA is the primary organization dedicated to supporting business and professionals who are active in this new and rapidly expanding channel.
“This LIDMA Conference will provide clear direction and ready-to-use information for producers and companies to maximize their direct response sales or initiate successful direct response efforts,” Udell said.
The agenda for this year’s event includes industry panel discussions, detailed “State of the Channel” address, updates on the evolution of the LIDMA E-Process and Process Improvement success stories. Presentations from numerous industry experts and networking sessions are also featured during the three-day event.
“LIDMA leads the charge in cultivating new technologies, processes and sales methods that benefit LIDMA members and the life insurance industry as a whole,” said Udell. “All of the latest technology and process advancements in our industry are on display at our Fall Meeting & Showcase.”
For more information on LIDMA membership, visit www.lidma.org.
Early registration discounts are available through August 15 as well as reduced rates at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. For room reservations, attendees should contact the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel at (615) 320-1700 and ask for the LIDMA Fall Meeting rate of $229 per night.
Attendees should plan to arrive on Sunday, September 27 and depart on Wednesday, September 29.
About LIDMA: LIDMA is the primary association dedicated to supporting businesses and professionals active in direct sales of life insurance products to consumers – the fastest growing sales segment in the life insurance industry. The not-for-profit organization is committed to helping members boost their revenues and reduce costs.For more information, visit www.lidma.org.
Take the poll: What industry organization’s conference(s) provide the most bang for your buck?
• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) 2015 Annual Conference
Oct. 3-5, 2015: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
About the event: NAIFA is looking to let the good times roll when it brings its annual meeting to The Big Easy in early October. The conference schedule is jam-packed with education workshops, networking events and advocacy updates, plus main stage speakers including Bo Eason, Bob Davies, Tom Hegna, Matthew T. Hoesly, CFP, MSFS, Daniel O’Connell, MBA, and Glenn Llopis.
Susan Combs, Bill Cates and Van Mueller are also among the scheduled speakers at the event, covering topics including selling to women, generating referrals, why you want to be an insurance agent, indexed products, the art of prospecting and more.
The event’s expo hall will feature the latest products and services from exhibitors plus “Expert Ideas Workshops,” a series of quick 20-minute presentations focused on sales, prospecting and practice management ideas.
About NAIFA: Founded in 1890 as the National Association of Life Underwriters, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest associations representing the interests of insurance professionals and financial advisors from every Congressional district in the United States. NAIFA is the only organization that serves and represents insurance and financial advisors regardless of the products they sell or the focus of their practice. NAIFA’s members include insurance agents, financial advisors, multiline agents, and health insurance and employee benefits specialists. NAIFA serves both captive and independent advisors and includes members who are new to the business, are industry leaders and seasoned professionals, and everyone in between. NAIFA’s mission is to advocate for a positive legislative and regulatory environment, enhance business and professional skills, and promote the ethical conduct of its members.
• American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) Annual Conference 2015: Winds of ChangeOct. 11-13, 2015: Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago
About the event: ACLI’s premier meeting brings together senior executives from life insurance and financial services companies to examine today’s business and political issues. The program features general sessions with well-known speakers and about 20 breakout sessions addressing legal, investment/financial, reinsurance, compliance, retirement security, advocacy, and legislative and regulatory issues. Also in attendance will be senior representatives from associated industries and financial services associations. Companies offering products or services to the industry will be represented at the Exhibitor Marketplace.
Among the program’s highlights:
- A Different Kind of Career: Undercover in the CIA: Imagine living a lie for 31 years. Professor James Olson takes you inside the real world of being a CIA spy.
- Cybersecurity Issues in Social Media
- President’s Perspective: Dirk Kempthorne, President & CEO, ACLI
- Chairman’s Perspective: Roger Crandall, Chairman, President & CEO, MassMutual
For more information or to register, visit: https://www.acli.com/ANN2015/
• National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA) Annuity Distribution Summit
Oct. 14-16, 2015: The Biltmore Resort, Coral Gables, Fla.
About the event: NAFA cordially invites you to attend its seventh annual symposium in Coral Gables, Fla., at the Biltmore Resort. The Distribution Summit is the largest gathering of IMO, Bank and Broker Dealer principals and executives in the industry, with a focus on the unique issues facing distribution within these channels. Whether an IMO, Bank, Broker Dealer, insurance carrier or an exhibitor, you will have the opportunity to learn, share and create new relationships. Join us for this unique event which gives you the opportunity to network and discuss issues that are important to you and the future of your business.
Among the program’s highlights:
• Keynote Address by Todd Buchholz, former White House Director of Economic Policy
• DOL Fiduciary Rule update
• Bo Johnson Spirit Award presentation
For more information or to register, visit: http://www.nafameetings.com
Take the poll: What industry organization’s conference(s) provide the most bang for your buck?
• Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) 21st Annual Fall Life Settlement & Compliance Conference
Oct. 18-20, 2015: Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach, Fla.
About the event:The Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) on July 29 announced the faculty and agenda for its 21st Annual Fall Life Settlement & Compliance Conference. This year’s event, “Waves of Change: Oceans of Opportunity,” will focus on the new trends, key players and evolving business opportunities in the life settlement industry. The event is designed for various industry participants – including life settlement brokers, providers, financing entities and other investing professionals – as well as anyone interested in becoming a part of the business.
“The life settlement industry is enjoying a steady rise in market activity as more American seniors and their financial advisors become aware of the existence of the life settlement option as an alternative to lapsing or surrendering a life insurance policy,” said Darwin Bayston, president and chief executive officer of LISA. “LISA’s 2015 Fall Conference provides a relaxed beachfront atmosphere for professionals to connect, discuss and learn about new developments in our industry.”
For more information or to register, please go to www.lisa.org.
The conference will open Oct. 18 with registration and an evening cocktail reception, then the sessions begin on Oct 19 with a welcome address from Bayston and Cyndi Poveda, chair of LISA and chief executive officer of Life Equity LLC.
The conference agenda includes a special feature general session – “The Driving Force: An Investor’s Perspective of the Life Settlement Industry” – in which Poveda will conduct a one-on-one interview with Jeff Serra, the founder and chief executive officer of Vida Capital, Inc. Serra, who has quickly built Vida Capital from its start-up in 2009 to being a leader in the life settlement industry, will provide insights from the perspective of an institutional investor in the marketplace.
Jeffrey McGregor, a 34-year veteran of the insurance and financial services industries, will also deliver a feature presentation at the conference in which he will share insights about how to define brand strategy in the life settlement industry.
Other conference session topics include:
- Do We Need That? Examining Life Settlement Closing Requirements
- The Questions Around Fractionalized Investments in Life Settlements
- Idiosyncrasies of Life Insurance Policy Products
- Creating a Social Media Strategy
- Medical Underwriting and Mortality Issues – Still the Key Component of Policy Valuations
About LISA: The Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing participants in the life settlement Industry, with a current membership of more than 90 companies doing business in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The mission of LISA is to promote the development, integrity and reputation of the life settlement industry, to advance the highest standards of practice and professional development for the industry, and to educate consumers and advisors about a life settlement as an alternative to lapse or surrender of a life insurance policy. For more information, visit www.lisa.org.
• 2015 LIMRA Annual Conference: Pivot Point: Striking a Path for Success
Oct. 25-27, 2015: Sheraton Hotel Boston, Boston
About the event: Former U.S. Secretary of State and retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell will deliver the keynote address at the LIMRA 2015 Annual Conference in Boston.
“With our industry facing some difficult challenges, we’re delighted to have one of the top strategists of modern times address LIMRA’s prominent annual gathering,” said Robert A. Kerzner, president and CEO, LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global. “In this period of volatility, financial services executives and professionals are looking for strategic guidance. They can learn a lot from someone who managed risk and opportunity in key military and diplomatic situations for much of his career.”
Powell was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1989–1993, and secretary of state, 2001–2005, the first African American to hold those posts. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell grew up in New York City and served in four presidential administrations.
The LIMRA 2015 Annual Conference’s theme, “Pivot Point: Striking a Path for Success,” focuses on the challenges and changes affecting the financial services industry. The conference brings together leading experts and company executives to examine today’s most important issues, and to revisit, and possibly rethink, the ideas that have informed the industry’s strategies and tactics to date. Conference-goers will learn about developments in products, demographics, technology, medicine and other vital areas.
“It’s difficult to accept the enormity of today’s challenges, but the sooner the industry can, the more quickly opportunities can be embraced,” said Kerzner.
The LIMRA Annual Conference draws more than 500 industry executives from insurance and financial services companies from all over the world, and this year’s will be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Those who register before Oct. 1 will receive a discount. For more information and to register online, please visit:LIMRA 2015 Annual Conference.
• National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) 34 Annual Meeting
Nov. 19-21, 2015: JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, Orlando
About the event: As a professional in the life insurance brokerage industry, staying on top of industry trends, being knowledgeable about the latest technology, and continuing your own professional education is of vital importance to maintaining a successful business. Your colleagues at NAILBA share these passions and are committed to providing you with the necessary opportunities and educational experiences to help you reach your goals.
Why should you attend NAILBA 34? It is one of the best places to explore new tools and share ideas with others. We have worked hard to provide innovative programming to make your time away from the office worth the investment.
This year, NAILBA 34 is proud to offer:
• A brand new and exciting Innovation Workshop on Wednesday afternoon designed to help you form a digital marketing strategy.
• Workshop topics geared to help you run and grow your business include the RAF Underwriting Forecast, a Content Marketing Roundtable, LTCi New Business Pricing, and a first-time Multi-Cultural Marketing session.
• Exceptional networking opportunities including dedicated time Thursday afternoon to meet with company representatives to solidify existing relationships and establish new ones.
• Over 80 carriers and vendors for you to connect with in our Exhibit Hall.
• Exciting Friday Closing General Session keynote speaker and Navy SEAL, Robert O’Neill
• A glamourous Thursday night celebration – bring your black-tie apparel for Thursday evening’s Mooers Award Dinner (black-tie is optional and the event is included with registration!).
• The NAILBA Charitable Foundation’s fun and energetic Live Auction Friday evening during the Closing Reception.
• An outstanding mobile event app with schedule and program information, opportunities to connect with colleagues and tools to navigate the meeting.
NAILBA’s Annual Meeting continues to be THE place where the brokerage industry meets! Your attendance at NAILBA 34 is one of the most important professional appointments on your calendar this year.
For more information or to register, please click here.
About NAILBA:The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) is a nonprofit trade association with over 300 member agencies in the U.S. Since 1981, NAILBA has represented independent wholesale life brokerage agencies, leading the way in protecting your interests.
Take the poll: What industry organization’s conference(s) provide the most bang for your buck?
