Join in this pre-conference event.  Help assemble 1,000 activity packs for children at St. Jude Research Hospital.  Register to attend this event. Lunch will be provided to all volunteers.

 Join us as the conference begins to meet and greet peers while you share ideas and common experiences. Enjoy a beverage as you renew old friendships and make new acquaintances.

 Paul Begala has seen it all—government united, government divided, gridlock and clear sailing. He now draws on his extensive experience to give audiences an understanding of the impact of today’s political landscape on such issues as the economy, budget deficit, health care, immigration, the future of Social Security and Medicare, U.S. foreign policy, the on-going war in Afghanistan, the unrest in the Middle East and other critical issues facing the country here at home and around the world.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities facing broker distribution over the next 3-5 years? Gain new perspectives on:

•  The impact of technology on the future broker model 
•  The impact of new entrants and disruptors 
•  What brokers need from carriers to ensure the success of their business and that of their clients 

 Although life insurance products have been around since ancient Rome, there is innovation happening. Learn how industry leaders are putting their ideas into practice to drive better engagement and overall client experience.

All registered attendees and guests are welcome.

Sponsored by FINEOS

Every year at our event, industry leaders share their thoughts about today's most important topics. This is your opportunity to hear what's on the minds of these executives as they focus on solving the puzzle for strategic growth.

(Pre-registration for this session is required. See registration for more details.)

 The “A View from the Top” general session is guaranteed to be thought-provoking. Join fellow executives in a moderated roundtable discussion with the panelists to further explore key issues, share perspectives, and hear fresh ideas on the issues impacting all of us.

 The make-up of the workforce is changing. The gig economy and the non-traditional jobs continue to grow. The younger workforce is quicker to leave an employer leading to higher turnover. The labor force continues to get older. What are the inherent risks associated with the changing workforce? Panel of reinsurance underwriters will address:

• How to appropriately manage the risks associated with the changing workforce
• Actions carriers need to take to manage the dynamics of the future workforce

 Enrollment is a changing landscape as Ben Admin systems change and the technology evolves.  This panel will discuss the current state of Ben Admins and the challenges and opportunities for the future.

• Learn about the types of integrations customers can experience
• Hear about the capabilities carriers can offer for more efficient benefit administration\
• What are the characteristics of the ideal EDI implementation?
• What is the future of EOI integration?

Increasing number of employers are offering various types of paid leave programs. Funding for paid family leave is not that simple and setting up the infrastructure to do it is even more complex and provides administrative challenges for the state, employers and the carriers. In addition, the regulatory environment is rapidly changing. Is your organization ready for these changes and able to support the growing paid family leave programs?

Attend this session to:

• Learn what the changes mean for employers and carriers
• Better understand how to prepare for the changes

The buyer's journey in the insurance distribution matrix has changed forever:

• Understand the importance of discovering and exploiting your Brand distinction
• Gain insights into how to drive engagement throughout the Sales Funnel
• Learn 7 strategies to generate more leads and start proving your ROI using marketing technology

What’s on the mind of small businesses? In this session, you will:

• Gain a better understanding of the challenges small businesses face today
• Understand their needs and perspective around group benefits
• Learn about their priorities, preferences and needs

Traditional Voluntary Benefits products are such a small piece of the overall benefits package that carriers must get creative on how we message and position these products with brokers, employers, and employees. Leave this session with a better understanding of:

• How some carriers are thinking outside the box and getting creative in communicating their message
• Learn how the correct positioning of Voluntary Benefits products can make or break an enrollment
• Engage with agency experts on ways to be more creative

• Review the latest consumers trends and what is driving the decision making process
• Learn about the psychological and behavioral traits that help drive insights into the future consumer
• Hear how to leverage techniques to development your own futurist model

Multi-product health insurers are designing, positioning and integrating products. Learn how they:

• Design and position products that fit within health
• Integrate health information to support claim integration

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert who speaks professionally about the value of disability insurance. Because of her personal experience of having a disability, she has also become a recognized expert on accessible and universal design housing. She provides poignantly personal insights and proven strategies for solving today’s disability puzzle.   

Hear Dr. Rossetti’s insights to:

• Learn firsthand from a person with a disability- her reality, challenges, experiences, inadequate insurance benefits, surprises in generosity, and expenses relating to her disability.

• Better understand how a comprehensive disability insurance policy is critical in enhancing the quality of life by filling gaps in coverage that are desperately needed by families who incur disabilities.  

• Become more proactive in supporting the needs of claimants.

We encourage all registered attendees to come to dinner and continue networking.

Sponsored by Best Doctors

New industry players, new technology and new carriers all point to new investments in the insurance industry. It’s never been more important to separate promise from reality. These industry leaders will bring you valuable information that insurance carriers need to know what’s going on in the market and how best to be positioned to take advantage of these trends.

As many traditional group carriers move into the worksite market, are we doing ourselves any favors? Carriers will represent different viewpoints on the future of voluntary/worksite product. They will address the change in the business over the past few years including new entrants, enrollment challenges, takeover vs. virgin business, etc. and the impact that has had.

A panel of data scientists will provide a view on external data sources, common challenges and uses. The panel will discuss the pairing of both internal data sets and external information sources to derive insights that inform strategy, tactics and communications.

Stimulate your creative-problem solving skills through this fun, interactive workshop. Collaborate with other attendees and explore ways to address new insurance products entering the market.

• Learn a brain storming technique that you can use within your organization
• Create a sample approach to respond to potential market disruptors

In the world of Information Technology, there is often talk of “the next big thing.” Today, many of these conversations are broadening, as cognitive computing is touted as revolutionary for many industries and, indeed, society in general. For insurance, the timing for a game changer couldn’t be better. The industry has been facing a broad range of disruptive forces, from economic to technological. Empowered consumers living in an increasingly digital world are demanding more from their insurance providers, yet the deeply conservative industry is slow in recognizing customers’ needs and customizing their products and services to individual situations and emotional frameworks.

IBM Watson is a technology platform that uses natural language processing and machine learning to reveal insights from large amounts of unstructured data. Come see how Augmented Intelligence can enhance the customer experience.

Regency East