First North American conference a go

With mass consolidation converting the insurance industry into a global industry — and the increased cross-border transactions, partnerships and mergers between U.S. and Canadian insurer — it is fitting that North American insurers will meet this Fall for the first North American Insurance Conference. Co-chaired by Kingsway Financial Services Inc. president Bill Star and Serge LaPalme, president of UAB/IAO, the conference will be held November 6 to 8 at Don Ce Sar Beach Resort & Spa in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

The conference will emphasize the changing climate in which the insurance industry is operating and the innovations expected in the industry during the next few years. Covered topics include economic conditions, mergers, acquisitions, marketing, and reinsurance among others.

Star expects delegate turnout to total 100, which will include high level representatives from both the Canadian and U.S. insurance and legal communities. He says more and more carriers are conducting business on both sides of the border and the conference will provide an opportunity for representatives from both countries to finally meet face to face. “There are a lot of cross-border transactions these days and I think people in the industry should get to know each other. We’ll be examining where our industry is headed while providing a social atmosphere to network,” Star explains. The focus here, he adds, is to meet existing and potentially new business partners, not to conduct backroom business. “Since we have people from Employers Re and Guy Carpenter, they obviously will be talking to clients but that is not the serious focus of the event.”

ERC and Guy Carpenter are joined by an expansive list of sponsors including Canadian Underwriter magazine, First Marathon Securities Ltd., First Union Capital Markets Corp., KPMG, UAB/IAO, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. and Cassels Brock & Blackwell.

LaPalme suggests the conference will serve an educational purpose for Canadian insurers. “The U.S. is Canada’s greatest trading partner and there is an awful lot that is happening on that side of the border that we are not familiar with. A one day cross-border data information exchange could benefit the Canadian constituency as well as the American one,” he says. Star and LaPalme envision the conference being expanded in future years to include other components of the insurance industry, but LaPalme contends the conference is intentionally smaller in scale for the first year. “Our target is 100 registered delegates so that it is small enough, and large enough, that people can make contacts and exchange information.

“From my vantage, this conference is intended to be a learning experience,” he adds.

For more information about the North American Insurance Conference, contact Bill Star at 905-206-2650.