Working Winds Blow Through Chicago

NAPSLO 2000 is all about business

“NAPSLO is always intense. Everybody there is trying to make sure that they get as much done in the short period of time as they possibly can.”

Anyone who has had the opportunity to attend the annual convention of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO), knows what an outstanding networking opportunity it can be—and this year is no different. “The Winds of Change” is the theme for NAPSLO 2000, set for Sept. 13-17 at the Chicago Hilton & Towers Hotel.

“Probably the greatest benefit [of attending] is the opportunity for more than 2,000 members to get together and exchange information,” said John Latham, convention chairman and incoming president. “The interaction between agents and their markets and vendors ends up being the highlight every year…but we’re pretty proud of the programs we offer too.”

In order to give brokers a chance to meet with their companies, NAPSLO created the Brokers’ Lounge roughly seven years ago—and it has been a success ever since. This year, the Brokers’ Lounge is open on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

“All you have to do is walk through that lounge and you see brokers meeting with companies and old friends meeting with old friends,” said Dave Hartoch, CEO of Swett & Crawford Group and NAPSLO president in 1994. “There are a lot of business transactions and programs that are completed—or certainly initiated—at those meetings.”

As president of Colony Insurance Company, Latham gave an example of how productive, and lucrative, these meetings can be. “We will conduct probably 35-plus meetings with various wholesale agents of ours, and I suspect most other companies like ourselves will do the same thing,” he said. “So there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of meetings being conducted throughout the course of this convention where agents and markets get together.”

Hartoch was quick to agree with Latham. “For a company like Colony, John is in Richmond and probably has 60 or 70 agents representing him and he can see most of them at NAPSLO,” he explained. “And this convention is especially effective for a small broker that’s located in the Midwest or in a part of the country where maybe he or she doesn’t get to the big city that much, because where else can you meet with all of your companies in one fell swoop?”

From the companies’ perspective, they will probably use the meetings to tell their agents what kind of year they had, what kind of year they’re having and what they need to do to make the year the best it can be. From the brokers’ perspective, they may have some ideas of programs they want to start up, and they will use the meetings to explore those ideas until they find a company that’s willing to entertain them.

All work, no play

“There is really no play time,” said Dave Rucker, senior vice president of Interstate Insurance Group. “Maybe some dinners where you can relax a little bit, but other than that, we’re working at break-neck speed with back-to-back meetings.”

He should know; he has been attending NAPSLO conventions since the late ’80s. From a cost-effective standpoint, Rucker feels this convention is great.

“It’s probably one of the few meetings throughout the year where you get such a concentrated group of customers and vendors together,” he said. “Us being a vendor …we see…as many of our customers that attend that we can get on a schedule.”

In addition to customers, Rucker said that they also see a lot of prospects—not to mention the opportunities for carriers to make reinsurance contacts. “For the London brokers, the annual NAPSLO convention is great, because they can come over and in one spot, get all of these guys together,” he explained.

Last month, Interstate completed the acquisition of the Specialty Division’s binding authority business of Royal & SunAlliance USA. The operation merged with Interstate’s existing excess and surplus segment, and Rucker assumed responsibility for the integrated unit that had more than $150 million in combined 1999 gross written premiums.

“For the Interstate Group, this year’s NAPSLO convention is very timely,” Rucker said. “For us to be able to show off our home office [in Chicago], talk about our 50th anniversary and talk about the acquisition all at one time is great timing for us.”

While other associations are known for hosting their annual events in resort-like settings where a family vacation could be tied in, NAPSLO is known for its intense agenda. “If you’re working the convention at NAPSLO, when it’s done you need a vacation,” Swett’s Hartoch said—and Rucker agreed.

“NAPSLO is not a place you’d want to take a spouse, unless she/he was going to do something other than insurance. It’s way too intense and too much insurance talk,” Rucker said. “Pick up and move, pick up and move…it’s funny when it’s over.”

In fact, Hartoch said that when he was on the association’s board, he was too busy and didn’t have time to meet with a lot of companies. Those convention days were “easy” for him. “But when you’re working, you just go from one meeting to another, and the meetings are greatly beneficial,” he said.

Topping off the meetings

Programs get underway on Friday and the main program will be the third installment of the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation Lecture Series. Former Senator Bob Dole, the 1996 Re-
publican Presidential nominee and current national chairman of the National World War II Memorial Campaign, will make the presentation.

“Of course, this is going to be a highlight,” Latham said. “I think the timing is excellent, a seasoned veteran like him from the political circles to tell us a little bit about politics, but I’m also interested, and hoping, he will address his leadership on the World War II Veterans Campaign.”

Friday’s programs will continue with “The Changing Technology—Promise vs. Reality” panel discussion following Dole’s presentation. Coordinated with NAPSLO’s Technology Committee, this presentation will further define what the surplus lines industry must do to survive, and thrive, in this age of rapidly changing technology.

“[Technology] has been a topic at nearly every NAPSLO meeting for the last two or three years,” Latham said. “And I think we’ll continue, even past this meeting, to see this as a top subject [for the association].”

Saturday’s programs will examine the rapidly changing landscape brought about through industry consolidations and reorganizations. “Mergers and acquisitions have been a very hot development in our industry—and throughout the insurance industry,” Latham said. “We have two panels organized to address that topic. One from an agent’s perspective…and another that will look at it from a company’s perspective.”

Topics Agencies Excess Surplus