BROKERS’ MONTHLY 13

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BIBA CONFERENCE 2009
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BIBA CONFERENCE 2009
Conference Comment
BS writes: Am I just getting old
the opinions of brokers and their Wax, who impressed greatly with her
and grumpy, or was the 2009 BIBA
representatives as to the format for amusing and informative talk on
conference really just a bit
future regulation, but wasn’t this a “Rapport and leadership”.
disappointing? The venue was terrific
message we have heard from that So let’s accentuate the positive a
– Manchester Central is the very best
organisations many times before? moment. Manchester Central can
of the modern-day huge venues –
Isn’t this ground that was covered accommodate an exhibition of the
and the attendance was vast –
four or five years ago? size of BIBA’s well, and what’s more
something like 2,500 in all, with
As usual, there was a dearth of can do a surprisingly good job of
over 1,300 brokers registered to
audience participation – until, that is, catering for the hundreds attending.
attend, which is some kind of record.
the Axa CEO Philippe Maso got up The exhibition takes an ever more
The exhibition was worth the
to tell us just what an outstanding prominent position. Indeed I made a
attendance money in itself, and
job the FSA is doing. If you don’t note that BIBA chairman Derek
exhibitors were, almost without
like their kind of supervision, don’t
Thornton, in his opening remarks,
exception, delighted with the slightly
go trying the continental version,
referred to the event as the “BIBA
tweaked programme, which gave
was his advice.
Trade Exhibition and Conference”,
even more time for brokers and
The seminar programme always
which seems to say much about how
insurers to get around the various
produces the dilemma of where to
the Association views its main event.
stands. No problem there, then.
go. Nine times out of ten, I find that,
The exhibitors judged by BIBA
My disappointment at my 31st
on leaving my chosen seminar, I
to have had the best stands in their
annual conference of BIBA had more
bump into a friend who has chosen
various categories were: Groupama,
to do with the conference
differently and been bowled over by
Travelers, W.R. Berkeley Europe, and
proceedings themselves. The
the quality, while I have been less
DAS. The latter have been dispensing
“delivering value” debate, chaired by
than amused. That happened again
beer to all and sundry from their
the capable Rene Carayol, largely
this year. For instance, “The growth
exhibition stands for many years, and
boiled down to an appraisal of the
of internet selling, how can brokers
this year went one stage further,
activities of the FSA, covering
compete?” sounded a winner, but
constructing their own pub, “The
ground that was mostly pretty
turned out to tell brokers little about
Broker’s Return” (with bar and
familiar.
“how they can compete”.
super-efficient barman), which
The FSA came under fire, for
The plenary sessions included a
always seemed to have a good crowd
sure, but the responses from the
powerful presentation by Erin
in.
Authority’s Jeremy Hills, while
Brockovich, whose story was familiar
So, another BIBA extravaganza
confirming his intention not to be
to many from the film of the same
ticked off. Next year, it’s back to
overawed by pointed questioning,
name. Many found her contribution
London and the Excel Centre. Oh
did little to counteract the feeling
inspiring; I have to confess to having
dear!
that we had been here before. Good
found my attention wavering
Which leaves just the burning
to know that the FSA is keen to get
towards the end. Not so with Ruby
“Quote of the conference” question.
I thought that Walter Merricks
displayed just the right note of
restrained belligerence for an
Ombudsman, with his “The FSA is a
great organisation to bash”. Also
worth noting was Eric Galbraith’s
suggestion that, if the economy had
got much worse, the conference
theme, instead of “Delivering value”,
would become “Delivering pizza”.
But the final accolade goes to
John Miller, winner of the Francis
Perkins Award, who, accepting the
award, gave an apposite nod in the
direction of parliamentary
misdemeanours with his “I have
brought along some expenses claims
with me, and my colleagues will
confirm that I have occasionally
flipped in the office”. IBM
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