First Annual InsurFEST Touts Leadership
IBA West is debuting InsurFEST next month in San Diego, Calif., a conference that focuses on leadership.
The conference also affords IBA West members the opportunity to vote on a name change.
The group, which represents several thousand brokers and agents and is comprised of 31 affiliated local associations, will consider a recommendation by the association’s board of directors to change the name of the corporation.
The board of directors at its July meeting unanimously agreed to recommend that the association name be changed from the current IBA West, short for Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West, to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California (IIABC).
IBA West is merely changing its name, and maintaining its already existing affiliation with the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA).
The three-day conference will feature a series of presentations and events focused on insurance education, sales and leadership training, as well as industry networking.
With the first conference named “Bridges To Leadership,” InsurFEST is offering participants 30 hours of sales and leadership workshops, as well as offering up to 14 continuing education credits. InsurFEST replaces the Young Brokers & Agents Conference and offers an expanded conference curriculum that includes leadership training in agency management, sales and service, according to its organizers.
The keynote speaker at InsurFEST is Tom Rowe, president and CEO of State Compensation Insurance Fund. Rowe is expected to share his thoughts on leadership and his role in State Fund’s transformation process.
California State Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, will speak at the awards luncheon and closing session. Vargas will share his perspective on the state’s economic and political outlook in the weeks before the November election. Vargas served in the Assembly from 2000 to 2006 on the Assembly Insurance Committee, where he was part of a bi-partisan coalition to implement workers’ compensation reform.
Vargas has been active on insurance issues including public safety, education and prevention of elder abuse.
Participants will then hear “How We Stand,” insights from IBA West President Steve Shea, who will overview opportunities and challenges that face young insurance professionals.
Nick Popaditch, 2012 candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, will deliver closing remarks. Popaditch lost a bid in 2010 to Democrat Bob Filneris for the 51st congressional district. Popaditch is now competing against incumbent Democrat Susan Davis for the 53rd district that was recently redrawn. He garnered 42 percent of the vote during the June primary. He served 12 years in the United States Marine Corps, during which he was the recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Popaditch co-authored the memoir “Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery,” which detailed his combat experiences, recovery, and difficulties with disability and the Veterans Administration.
The conference is Oct. 12 to 14 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina Hotel in San Diego. For more information visit www.ibawest.com or call or 800-772-8998.