T H U R S D A Y ,   M A Y  2 1 ,   2 0 0 9

 Industry News

ACT
Free Webinars Set for June and July

On June 3 and July 1, the Real Time/Download Campaign will sponsor a free webinar available to all members. The webinar, which will run both dates from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EST, is entitled “Real Time: The Next Major Advance in Agency Workflow.”
 
Lisa Parry Becker and Cyndy Smith, both highly knowledgeable agents about these new workflows and co-chairs of the Real Time/Download Campaign, will lead the webinar. They will explain, demonstrate and discuss the benefits of Real Time, and outline the next steps for your agency, whether you are just starting Real Time or interested in increasing its usage. The webinar will also address the increasing importance of Download in a Real Time world. Cal Durland of AUGIE and Jeff Yates of ACT will also participate. 
 
Please register for the June 3 session of the webinar here, and register for the July 1 session here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.


Virtual University
Technical Affairs Committee Meets with ISO

Each May, the Virtual University’s national technical affairs committee meets at ISO headquarters in Jersey City, N.J. to discuss commercial and personal lines coverage changes that could better serve the needs of consumers and businesses. Recently, the committee, along with Executive Committee Liaison David Daniel, discussed 67 agenda items submitted to ISO in early March. Of these 62 items, 29 were new and were dominated by commercial property and homeowners issues, followed closely by CGL and business auto issues. Also, 23 of the agenda items were continued from past meetings where ISO indicated a willingness to conduct additional research and consider them in future forms revisions and 10 of them were previously accepted by ISO and are pending filing around the country. Only five of the 67 items were not accepted by ISO.

In addition to the national technical affairs committee’s advocacy, agents’ and customers’ needs are also expressed to ISO, NCCI, ACORD and other groups via the Mid-America Technical Conference (MATC) which submits an agenda to these organizations in July/August and meets face to face in November in St. Louis. MATC’s membership currently stands at 17 Big “I” state associations. Just this past year, MATC’s executive board voted to extend membership to any Big “I” state that wished to join. Hopefully, state associations from coast to coast will ultimately become a part of this important advocacy role.

In addition to these two formal, more structured mechanisms, the Virtual University provides less formal forums for technical affairs advocacy via the annual Southern Agents Conference (SAC) in December and the Virtual University’s ongoing “Ask an Expert” service. Many of the agenda items for the national committee, MATC and SAC originate from questions posed by grassroots members via the VU.


Big “I” Flood Program
Big “I” Members Recognized at 2009 National Flood Conference

                       
Edward Connor, acting federal insurance administrator of the NFIP, presents representatives from the Denis A. Miller Agency (left) Maran Corporate Risk Associates (center) and McGinty-Gordon and Associates (right) with Agency of the Year Awards.

Denis A. Miller Agency of Long Beach, N.Y., Maran Corporate Risk Associates of Southampton, N.Y. and McGinty-Gordon & Associates of St. Simons Island, Ga. are winners of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Agency of the Year award. These agencies are being recognized for their contributions to promoting flood awareness and the importance of purchasing flood insurance. The NFIP Agency of the Year award is given to three insurance agencies that display innovative marketing strategies, increase their flood portfolios and actively promote flood insurance.

“Everything the agencies do to promote flood insurance is done not only to increase their business, but also with the clear goal of educating as many people as they can about the dangers of flooding and the benefits of flood insurance,” said Edward Connor, acting federal insurance administrator of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. “It is that dedication that brought them to our attention to acknowledge their achievements with this award.”

Connor and NFIP also recognized Micheline Patterson of Ken Murray Insurance, in Fairbanks, Alaska, by naming her the first ever FloodSmart Award winner. Patterson was acknowledged for her dedication to not only selling flood insurance, but also to using innovative marketing techniques to help her community be more flood aware and flood safe. 

Connor presented the awards at the 2009 National Flood Conference (NFC) held April 19-22 in Boston. Nearly 700 representatives of all industry types attended the NFC, which is a major annual gathering of NFIP partners designed to motivate and educate various audiences on the importance of floodplain management and the benefits of flood insurance.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters.


 Big “I” Markets
Agents Succeed With Bond Market

“It was so fast I couldn’t believe it,” said agent Maria Sakoulas from the Cosmopolitan Brokerage in Brooklyn, N.Y. after working with the recently announced Big “I” Markets bond market. “I had been trying to place a construction permit bond for several months. I kept getting declines or other wholesalers did not want to bother. So I was very happy to read about the new bond market in Two for Tuesday.”

Sakoulas knows good service when she sees it. She has been in her agency since 1984 and quotes a lot of permit bonds.

“Too many companies seem to be making such a big deal over this bond,” she said. “It was a little construction permit, so the construction company could close off part of the main road while it removed debris from a property. The underwriter at Goldleaf was excellent and I will be sending a lot more of my bond business to Big “I” Markets.”

Another New York agent in Long Island recently bound a Medicaid surety bond. “I could not place this risk with any of our usual bond markets,” she said. “I never really got an answer as to why, but when I read about the new market Big “I” Markets had, I tried it out. The service was great and they were very quick in responding to our e-mails, etc. This was for one of our accounts that has medical offices across the country, and this particular office is in Florida. It was my first time using Big “I” Markets and I’ll definitely go to it again.”

Agents have access to just about any kind of bond market they could need through Big “I” Markets, especially the hard-to-place risks. Click here for more information or visit www.bigimarkets.com.


 Events & Conferences
Mark Your Calendars for the Big "I" Fall Leadership Conference

Join your colleagues in New Orleans for the Big "I" Fall Leadership Conference. Industry and state leaders, Young Agents, ACT participants and state education staff will be visiting the ”Big Easy” Sept. 8-13. Activities include the Big "I" installation of officers, the Young Agents Leadership Institute and the Education Convocation. ACT will also host a special seminar for all attendees on the best practices of agency workflows to grow productivity and sales. Registration and hotel reservations will open the week of June 8. For a sneak peek at the schedule of events, click here.