Attending BIBA 2024

BIBA 2024 was an opportunity for brokers to meet lots of Insurers, MGA’s, lawyers, tech companies, training companies, data companies and many more. It can feel very busy for everyone involved, although access to senior leaders makes the event an important one in the Insurance calendar. Whilst formal meetings are a critical part of the success for attendees, the ad hoc meetings, and chance encounters, can be just as beneficial. The opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, or build new relationships, was a real highlight for me. There are a number of main and fringe sessions that take place, and they give the attendees an opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers. This year’s theme was “What’s Next?” for the industry so there were a number of panel sessions on “What’s Next for..." insurers, brokers, regulation and AI. The CII Broking Community Board hosted a fringe session again this year.

Day Two of the conference is Young Broker Day with specific sessions aimed at the future leaders of the industry.  I hope they have taken away a plethora of skills and businesses that interact within Insurance and the range of career opportunities that exist. For those of us involved in underwriting there is plenty to explore, however there is a lot of expertise needed in data, pricing, analytics, processes, exposure managements, claims support and... the list goes on.

Over the three days I was in Manchester, I was reminded of the importance of our profession.  We provide important financial protection for businesses or people when tough things happen. Providing support for those hard times and ensuring we help businesses, or people, get back on their feet should never be underestimated.

There are lots of different businesses that attend the conference, and I found it inspiring to see what they offer. My mind often goes into overdrive with ideas that spin from seeing what is available. For me this year, I have been focussed on strategy and I found myself doodling slides and ideas as a result of the people and businesses that I met.

As the event came to an end, I sent this photo to my children (young adults) and it’s fair to say that it is not that often that they think Insurance is a really exciting industry to be part of! However, these little puppies in the wellness area certainly made them smile and provided a nice break from all the insurance talk.