Survey


An industry (mostly) hard at work in Baden-Baden A


s a reinsurance conference, Baden-Baden has the reputation of being a working event


where negotiations are advanced, deals sealed and the small print checked. While it might seem like the Monte Carlo Rendez-Vous Round 2 to the uninformed, the industry sheds any frivolity and its worst excesses by the time Baden-Baden comes around. Basically, it gets down to business. An online survey carried out by Intelligent Insurer in


the run-up to the Baden-Baden conference backed this thesis. Some 42 percent of respondents said they attend Baden-Baden to reaffirm relationships with existing clients in a relaxed environment and 31 percent said they attend specifically to negotiate and strike deals with clients. A number of respondents suggested that the


proximity of so many clients, brokers and peers in the small German spa town, complemented


by the picturesque environment, makes it easy to get through many complex negotiations quickly. “What we achieve in less than a week in


Baden-Baden would take a month from the office when you factor in people’s diaries, geography and availability,” one respondent said. “It allows us that intense concentration on getting negotiations done quickly and efficiently, and saves us a huge amount of time later in the year.” Some attendees do come for other reasons,


however, and it would be strange given the amount of senior decision-makers in one place for there to be no mention of seeking new business. Around 17 percent of respondents said they


attend to meet new people and potential clients. “It is a venue where many business contacts can be met and seen,” said one respondent. Another added: “We are a software supplier and it’s a great


184x127_01-15_publi_mapfrere.ai 1 30/01/15 11:21


19.10.15 MONDAY


It is a holiday from the grind of the office on expenses To meet new people and seek new clients


To negotiate with clients in relation to the year-end renewals


To reaffirm relationships with existing clients in a relaxed environment


way to meet some of the users of our system and get feedback. It also helps us speak to new carriers and broking houses based overseas that we would never normally get the chance to meet.” That said, this was also only 7 percent more


than the 10 percent who said they view the event as a break away from the daily office grind. “Baden-Baden has some fantastic


restaurants and the casino bar is like entering another


world where all your worries disappear,” said one respondent. n


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