Peak Performance Delivers Information Avalanche

The Peak Performance Insurance Ski Conference, Jan. 22-25, in Copper Mountain, Colo., delivered more than the slopes. The conference, hosted by Insurance Journal, Fries & Fries Consulting, programbusiness.com, and National Marketing Services, addressed the evolving marketplace, the alternative marketplace, including captives, how to obtain new markets and companies, and unveiled several new programs.

About 65 agency owners, insurance company executives, and industry vendors gathered for a mixture of informative seminars and outdoor activities.

A post-conference survey of attendees indicated that networking opportunities within such a small group was extremely valuable. One company representative reported that he was presented 10 programs at the 2003 conference and was able to write six of them. One participant remarked, “The networking that takes place at this conference is outstanding. I gained a lot from the access to various industry leaders.”

The conference opened with a panel discussion moderated by Larry Neilson, president of National Marketing Services. The panel members included: Arthur Seifert, president and CEO, The Lighthouse Companies; Jino Masone, executive vice president, Zurich Strategic Partners; Pete Purvis, vice president, AIG Programs; and Geof McKernan, president and CEO, Norman Spencer McKernan.
The panel discussed the changing marketplace and the softening of pricing for certain classes of business, as well as the need for agents to review alternative markets provided by traditional companies.

“The panel discussion on the first day was top-notch,” said one attendee. “I gained invaluable insight from the input of company personnel, retail agents and wholesalers.”

Jeff Neilson, president, programbusiness.com, followed the panel discussion with “News from the Trading Floor,” which outlined how retail agencies can benefit from this resource and the number of agencies that have placed business through the Trading Floor.

Next, Larry Neilson introduced a new product available from National Marketing Services called “Commercial Insurance Scored Lists and Database Marketing.” This feature will provide the ability to locate prospects in a particular class, but more significantly, will enable the agent to discern the most viable candidates.

The second day of the conference opened with Arthur Seifert’s “Strategic Planning” presentation, followed by the Insurance Journal’s Associate Publisher, Dena Kaplan, who explained the new online information sources her company provides.

“I really enjoyed Art Seifert’s presentation on planning. I plan to incorporate his ideas into my agency’s future planning efforts,” said an attendee.

Bill Whitehead, vice president, AIG Lexington, presented on “Captive Responsibilities: Being an Informed and Responsible Buyer.” Scott Davis, vice president of program business, American Safety Insurance, closed the session with advice on how to present a program to carriers.

The final day of the conference was opened by Jeff Packard, director of programs, Grey Wolf Insurance, a division of Norman Spencer McKernan. Packard provided a detailed explanation of the issues affecting insurance pricing.

Mike Hernandez, director of marketing, Applied Systems, gave an overview of automation and how it allows employees to work in “real-time.” Next, Mark Gardella, vice president of business development, Zurich North America Strategic Partnerships, gave a presentation titled “Rethinking How We Do Business: Change is Coming.”

Batting “clean-up” for the conference, Jack Fries of Fries and Fries Consulting explained the steps necessary to secure a company appointment and presented the attendees with a CD that outlines the step-by-step approach necessary to present the agency in the best light to prospective companies.

“This was a great opportunity to learn from those that are successfully marketing and selling program business,” one attendee said.

The enthusiasm expressed by participants prompted the question of whether or not Peak Performance partners Jack Fries and Larry Neilson plan to expand the size of the conference in upcoming years. “Since the intimacy of our small size,” they answered, “is critical to the overall success of this conference, we are attempting to hold future conferences at a maximum of 75 to 100 attendees.”

Next year’s conference will once again be held at the Copper Mountain Resort.