ICBF2016: Overview

1st Annual Insurance-Canada.ca Broker Forum

ICBF2016: “Brokers on the Digital Expressway”

Held Tuesday, March 1, 2016 — Metro Toronto Convention Centre

ICEF2016: “Brokers on the Digital Expressway”

Brokers are competing strenuously. They understand all too well the need to out-market and outsell the competition, to offer competitive products and to excel at customer service. While brokers are continuously enhancing their positions, the competition is more aggressive than ever with insurers embracing multi-channel strategies and doubling down on Big Data and sophisticated analytics tools for marketing and service delivery.

The 2016 Insurance-Canada.ca Broker Forum will provide you with information about leading best practices in each of the major functional areas, to help you better assess that you are on the right course for success as you travel the digital highway.

Learn from and discuss with the expert faculty, which consists of leaders from your broker peers, innovators from your insurer partners, subject matter experts in these disciplines, and representatives from key providers of technology to this community.

Presentations by thought leaders, including ...

Emerging Technologies: The Implications for Brokers in a Connected World

Mark Breading

— Mark Breading, Partner and Chief Research Officer, Strategy Meets Action

Wearables. The Internet of Things. Driverless Vehicles. Strong AI. Bitcoin. Gamification. These emerging technologies and others are advancing by leaps and bounds, presenting new possibilities for how businesses operate, how society functions, and how individuals go about their daily lives. It's fascinating and exciting to follow the developments – but what does it really mean for the insurance industry in the next few years? Will specific technologies change the risk landscape? Require new insurance products? Provide opportunities for operational efficiencies? Generate new business models?

What are the implications for brokers? Should brokers be investigating and strategizing today or take a wait and see attitude? Join Mark Breading from Strategy Meets Action as he shares SMA research on 12 emerging technologies, and insights from working with insurers on strategies.

Broker Experience: Real-Time, Once-And-Done

Jad McGregor

As the consumer, for both commercial and personal insurance, becomes more accustomed to making purchases from anywhere at anytime, has developed more expectations. At the same time, many brokers and MGAs are offering more real-time functions, often beginning with quoting.

Three people will discuss their experience – issues, challenges, approaches:

  • John Belyea, COO, Moore-McLean, who have implemented personal lines RaceDay, and Commercial Lines Bullfrog;
  • Jad McGregor, President, ABEX Affiliated Brokers Exchange – with Real-Time Rating and Paperless Policy Issuance for brokers;
  • Jamie Reid, President & CEO, A.P. Reid & ZipSure.ca – with ZipSure, a completely online service for tenants.

The group will also offer their thoughts on the significant changes they anticipate over the near-term.

Will Analytics Save the Broker Channel?

Greg Purdy

— Greg Purdy, Managing Partner, Pathway Partners, Ltd.; getClarity, Inc.
— Richard Boire, Partner, Boire Filler Group
— Jerry Gaertner, SVP - Compliance, Security & Standards, Managed Analytic Services Inc.
— Janine White, Vice-President - Marketplaces, Kanetix

In many industries, maybe insurance as much or more than most, analytics is being baked into many areas of the business. But for many brokers, the technical skills required and the data needed to be develop a real competitive edge are not readily available, or affordable. With this challenge, the question becomes one of how analytics can be utilized in order to make a significant difference. Or can it be? Learn from these different perspectives and decide what your position would be on the debating question. And take away some new ideas that could help you as you move your business forward.

This discussion will take the format of a formal debate, with two participants taking each of the two contrary points of view.

Blurring Lines: Who Does What in the Insurance Broker Distribution Ecosystem

— Wendy Watson, President, ORBiT
— Jeff Roy, President & CEO, Excalibur insurance Group
— Ed Meiering, Vice President - Business Development, Aviva Canada
— Bill Morris, Senior Partner, Navicom

Brokers and their insurance partners have been venturing onto the digital highway for some time. But customers have become the driving force behind the acceleration onto the digital expressway, as brokers face an increasing challenge from direct writers and the ever-increasing threats from outside disruptors.

Change requires determination; dramatic change requires innovation, risk-taking, drive, and passion. Technology is a key enabler, but innovation requires new ways of servicing, marketing, selling, collaborating.

The leaders among us continue to challenge the old ways, but more quickly, abruptly, and significantly.

The question to be debated is about the blurring lines of communication between insurer and broker; the blurring lines of communications with the insurance customer; and the blurring lines of responsibility among insurer, wholesaler, MGA and broker.

What does all this mean? Everything in real time, but what shape will it come in?

The Digital Tipping Point: Why We Need To Adopt The Tools For Tomorrow, Today

Sherif Gemayel

— Sherif Gemayel, President, Sharp Insurance

In our broadly evolving digital landscape, now is perhaps the most crucial time to change the way we service our clients. According to Market Insight Group and Applied Systems "Independent agents and brokers are falling behind in providing their clients with the kind of customer experience many insurance shoppers now expect." What does this mean exactly? And what do we need to do to bridge the gap between current broker services and client expectations? Sherif Gemayel, of Sharp Insurance, will discuss the necessity for brokerages in Canada to adopt a multifaceted service plan that encapsulates the types of digital tools clients now expect to see from their service providers.

Exposure: The Shoemaker's Children?

Marty Agather

— Marty Agather, Vice President - Client Experience, TrustedChoice.com

The convergence of technological and consumer change creates opportunity for existing and new competitors to revolutionize the way insurance is sold and serviced. Well known, deep pocketed players like Google, and radical upstarts like Lemonade intend to take significant market share. Given the potential exposure from these challenges, how can insurance companies and brokerages position themselves to grow and thrive?

Join Marty and a panel of experts as they explore this timely topic. You will take away key concepts and actions that will get you started or continue your success in this new era.

Topics and Speakers

Successful progress along the digital expressway requires strong leadership, good people, current market knowledge and effective technology tools. Over the course of the day, the ICBF faculty will examine topics including:

See the confirmed presentation topics or browse the speakers and hosts who will bring their experience and knowledge to the discussion. More presentations and speakers are being added regularly.

In addition to the formal presentations, you will benefit from:

  • Networking opportunities with the faculty and your peers;
  • Vendor exhibits.

RIBO: Accreditation for RIBO continuing education is being finalized.


Who Should Attend

The Insurance-Canada.ca Broker Forum is designed for:

  • Broker Principals and Partners who have top- and bottom-line accountability for strategic and operational plans and programs;
  • Broker Leaders who have responsibility for winning customers: marketing, customer engagement and experience;
  • Broker Managers who are looking to improve operations using technology;
  • Insurance Company Strategists who need information to plan and prioritize strategic business options with their broker partners;
  • Insurance Managers with responsibility for planning and coordinating with broker partners the optimal use of data, technology and processes to mutual advantage;
  • Insurer Marketing Leaders who work with their Broker partners to win customers by leveraging their combined assets.


Schedule & Location

8:30am - 4:30pm, Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Registration and Continental Breakfast open at 7:30

Metro Toronto Convention Centre - Room 104, North Building
255 Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario   (M5V 2W6)

ICTAs & Plenary Session

All ICBF delegates are invited to the ICTA Awards and a short plenary program beginning at 4pm, Monday, Feb. 29, featuring:

  • Keynote Presentation: “Digital Transformation – Becoming a Digital Insurer” by Gartner's Kimberly Harris-Ferrante;
  • CxO panel;
  • Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Awards ceremony;
  • Insurer/Broker networking reception;
  • Monday access to the ICTC Exhibit Hall.

The ICTA program is also a separate registration option for those unable to attend during the daytime.