Trade Associations Line Up In-Person Conferences For The Rest Of 2022

As a growing number of states and counties relax the social-distancing and masking policies they implemented at the start of the pandemic, many industry associations and groups have begun to host in-person meetings and conferences.

Meeting in person provides better opportunities for attendees to network, meet influencers and industry experts face-to-face, and stay connected with friends and colleagues, association executives say.

In recent weeks, major cities such as Boston, New York and Chicago announced an end, or an impending end, to mask and other mandates.

But pulling off a safe and successful in-person event right now is not without its challenges. It requires a lot of planning, strict adherence to safety protocols, as well as constant communication with attendees, vendors, and meeting facilitators.

InsuranceNewsNet recently asked a few association executives what they think about in-person meetings, why these meetings hold so much appeal, and their plans for keeping participants safe during the meetings.

In-Person Meetings Planned

According to Elizabeth Cookson, vice president, Conference Development & Marketing for American Council of Life Insurers, after nearly two years of virtual meetings, ACLI is “excited to host in-person conferences this year, including ReFocus 2022, which is co-hosted by the Society of Actuaries and begins on March 6.

“There’s no question that in-person conferences provide value to all stakeholders,” she added. “The networking, personal interactions and engagement with speakers, business partners and industry peers cannot be replicated to the same extent virtually. That said, she added, “the past two years have shown that if needed, we can pivot to deliver valuable virtual content for all meeting stakeholders.”

For the health and safety of all stakeholders, the associations will adhere to current Centers for Disease Control and local guidelines regarding masking, social distancing and vaccination requirements, Cookson added.

In addition, conference attendees will be advised to stay home if they are feeling unwell or stay in their hotel room should they experience any symptoms while attending one of our conferences. These guidelines may change from time to time as conditions changes and attendees will be notified in advance of any changes to a conference’s guidelines.

These sentiments were echoed by Million Dollar Roundtable President Randy Scritchfield, who said, “while we are so pleased with how our membership embraced the virtual Annual Meeting in 2020 and 2021, there is truly nothing that can replace the excitement of coming together in one location to share insights, exchange best practices and bolster connections with fellow MDRT members. We are thrilled to be able to hold our Annual Meeting in person again this year, and will be following all local regulations and guidance to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our members and the local community."

LIMRA’s Tamu McCreary also believes that in-person meetings offer many advantages. The shifts in social distancing requirements and recommendations for wearing masks are very welcoming and will provide a sense of normalcy to the organization’s upcoming conferences, she said.

“While virtual events helped connect people during the pandemic, we believe nothing can replace the value of face-to-face networking and connections. It is difficult to duplicate that value virtually,” she added. McCreary is corporate vice president, conferences and committee strategy for LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global.

McCreary added that based on member feedback, the organization had already planned to host all of its 2022 conferences in-person.

“The shifts in health policy recommendations will enable us to provide a more congenial atmosphere where people can learn about the evolving industry trends, learn from thought leaders and industry experts, and engage with their peers,” she added.

Likewise, the Insured Retirement Institute will host attendees for its 2022 annual meeting May 18-20 in Washington, D.C., while the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies is meeting in person Nov. 14-16 in Dallas, Texas.

Ensuring Safety

Despite the excitement, the pandemic is not over, McCreary pointed out. “For everyone’s safety, we will remain flexible and may make changes based on CDC guidance and industry best practices. Our top priority is the health and welfare of our attendees.”

Toward that end, LIMRA, like the other associations, is taking several measures designed to ensure the safety of each participant. In addition to making sure that every attendee is vaccinated or tests negative within 48 hours of arrival, McCreary said that LIMRA is taking the following steps:

• Touchless Badge Registration to limit interaction between attendees and staff
• Social distancing in all of the room set-ups
• Encouraging the use of masks throughout
• Hotel staff will be masked
• Open Air networking opportunities (lunch, receptions, etc.)
• Placement of hand sanitizers throughout the conference

While LIMRA’s plan is to have in-person events throughout this year, it is however, exploring options to provide some of the conference content virtually for those professionals who may not be able to attend in person, McCreary added.

“Our goal is to ensure all of our members can benefit from the content we are offering at our events,” she said.

Ayo Mseka has more than 30 years of experience reporting on the financial-services industry. She formerly served as Editor-In-Chief of NAIFA’s Advisor Today magazine. Contact her at [email protected].

Ayo Mseka has more than 30 years of experience reporting on the financial services industry. She formerly served as editor-in-chief of NAIFA’s Advisor Today magazine. Contact her at [email protected].