IAA Conference wrap up

Each year Insurance Advisernet (IAA) Authorised Representatives from all over Australia & New Zealand come together for our annual conference. For us this was our 2nd year as delegates after previously attending about 4 IAA conferences representing one of Australia's largest Insurance Companies. Having been to a number of Insurance conferences the IAA event is always one we looked forward to. The word 'family' gets bandied about quite freely but reality is family is the best way to sum up the IAA group. Even if you haven't seen someone for a year (generally since last conference) you start talking like it was just yesterday. The level of support for each other is evident in all discussions and just the general ambiance of the conference.

This year the conference was effectively on our home ground; The Hunter Valley.

Yep, Hunter Valley! Okay so Day one we eased into it with a 34 degree day. What better way to spend a 34 degree day then winery hopping! We joined nearly 100 other IAA reps, Insurers and families for a day tasting the flavours of The Hunter. From Briar Ridge, to Petersons, lunch at Tempus Two, a stop off at The Hunter Valley Cheese Company and Tyrells this was a day to remember. (Although for some reasons we've forgotten alot of it) The wine was fantastic and by the end - unfortunately - they all kind of blended into one.
So much so that when we went out for dinner we couldn't stomach any wine! Thank heavens their was quality amber liquid to fill the void. Our first evening we were invited to a delicious meal at a North Italian restaurant called Il Cacciatore with Lumley Insurance & Lumley Finance. The food was sensational and the company matched it. Catching up in a social environment with our Insurer partners was a nice change to the usual in office negotiating on behalf of our clients. It also gave us a chance to catch up with other IAA reps we hadn't seen in a year. We swapped some war stories and shared some ideas and successes.



The conference proper kicked off with Mark Bouris of Yellow Brick Road and The Apprentice fame giving us some stories of his rise and how he dealt with differentiating his businesses. The emphasis on 'people' rang true. Even in this Internet driven world business people still wants to deal with a real person they trust to protect their business. For us who use this as one of our key drivers it was reinforcement of our service model and how we are partnering with our clients. The war stories from the office of the Late Kerry Packer were a real eye opener.

A session followed on using I.T which in all honesty totally reversed the thinking of Mark Bouris. Whilst some very valid points were made for our service model finding a blend between on line accessibility and working closely with people is the key. So in essence the 2 sessions gave us good points and reinforcement on both.

The Trade Show is always a lot of fun. Numerous Insurers turned up to promote their company and advise of their latest offering. QBE are further stepping into the on line world and used QR codes and an on line quiz. Mixing it with wine tasting from Tyrells just made the stand even more accessible. We applaud Ross and the team at QBE who are very carefully stepping into this on line world and seeking direct comment from their broker partners. Great to catch up with some old friends at VERO and Zurich plus a number of others.

Tuesdays night was a casual evening on the lawn with a real fusion band playing. Kind of DJ driven but with horns. Bit Linkin Park meets Enourmous Horns which was a confusing mix one that still got the dance floor going. A night of dancing till 1AM followed. I swear last drink was 10:30 yet somehow the DJ kept us on the floor alllllll night!!! Yup, we paid for it the next day.

Peter Thurin from Blackbelt in Excellence inspired us on day 2 to say YES more often. It was really a challenge to your mindset on turning your business and life from the norm to extraordinary. The power of having a go and saying yes can make a big difference. Some of our reps got up on stage and broke boards to prove that we can do anything if we retrain our minds and believe. Very powerful session. 

Whilst Peter was powerful from a 'get up and go' angle not an eye was left dry after the story of Jason McCartney. Jason was a high level AFL player who starred for The Adelaide Crows and then North Melbourne. His story of survival, recovery and then the power of mind and spirit to overcome all the odds and play at the highest level of Football once again was a highlight. The message throughout was clear that he needed a strong team around him to motivate and assist in reaching his goals. This is the same with us in everyday life. We don't need to overcome a Terrorist attack to have the same belief system instilled in us.

After a few more entertaining and informative sessions comedian Peter Hellier wrapped up the day with a quick hit of laughs. We will never look at Cornflakes the same way again.

To finish we headed to the barrel room at Hope Estate for a Halloween inspired night. The IAA and IANZ reps of the year were announced and we kicked on for a big final evening. Look these events are great fun make no bones about it but the information and reinforcement that we receive is priceless. With a real push on growth and professionalism from our head office look for more marketing of key services to you over the next 12 months. In these tough economic times if business is suffering then this flows onto your professional service industries so it's up to us to remain relevant and show value in what we do within your business. With the support of the IAA Family we have ample resources to supply you with the products and services you need to continue concentrating on making your business successful. We hope this remain evident.

During the 3 days IAA showed further support for its various charity groups. More than $20,000 was donated to a number of charities. One of the big winners was the NSW Rural Fire Service who picked up over $5,000 in off the cuff donations. This was a decision made by the MC as we were in the midst of the horror Blue Mountain fires. A further sign of IAA's commitment to be a group that puts the community ahead of it's own thoughts.

So as Nikki and I sipped on the last of The Hunter's finest, we extend our thanks to the organisers at Insurance Advisernet Australia and New Zealand and all sponsors and providers who made the event a success. Cheers to the IAA family and the future of our group and our own business.