Get yourself connected

Jessica Pothering explains how to make the most out of this year's Biba conference, at a time when every minute out of the office must be well spent

First Published in Insurance Age May 2009

In these times, leaving the business behind for several days to attend a conference can be difficult to justify. Even for those who are dedicated attendees of the British Insurance Brokers' Association's (Biba) annual conference, it may be harder this year to weigh the potential benefits against the costs of taking staff out of the office, travel, accommodation and daily expenses. 

However, while most have been keeping their heads down, focusing on customers and guiding their businesses through the recession, Biba has been putting together an agenda that hopes to draw a big picture of the broking sector and provide an occasion to examine new market trends, engage in topical discussions and debate, and network. This year's theme, 'Delivering Value', intends to focus on exactly what brokers need to do to hold on to their market relevance and develop their businesses, particularly in this economy.

Be prepared

At such a large-scale event, one could easily assume there is an inherent value in just being present. Most of the major market players plan to attend, particularly as the venue is set in central Manchester, making the event more accessible to industry figures around the UK than last year's conference in Glasgow.

But merely turning up to the site with business cards in hand could prove overwhelming. The conference centre boasts over 12,500 square metres of exhibition space, which will be filled with over 130 exhibitors and 1,050 brokers if last year's success is to be repeated. Additionally, seminar sessions, keynote speeches and a hot topic debate are included on the conference agenda, alongside the exhibiting and networking opportunities ... and those are just the daytime activities. (There probably isn't much need to elaborate here on the now-infamous late-night frivolities of the 30-year-old conference.)

Mark Huxley of Lamb Creative Marketing sums it up best, saying that, across the board, "a lot goes on at Biba that can easily distract your attention."

"Relying on accidental meetings could result in missed opportunities. One should not just turn up expecting things will happen," he warns.

Those wanting to receive maximum value from the three-day programme will need a planned and structured approach. "Beforehand, brokers should have a clear understanding of why they are going and what their purpose is in being there. Outline specific goals," Mr Huxley advises.

Identifying goals involves taking a look at the individual business in the context of the broader market and pinpointing its strengths, weaknesses and challenge areas. There will be representatives from all corners of the insurance industry - "plenty of potential contacts who can help fill those gaps," explains Clare Ryder, managing director of insurance consultancy, Salient Solutions.

The key to making the most of the conference will be to treat business hours as normal business hours and any meetings taking place during that time as serious business meetings. Logistically, this should take place on Thursday and Friday during the day, with Thursday morning being a good time to set aside a couple of hours to walk around the exhibition hall and locate companies of interest. She advises that casual networking and socialising should be reserved for Wednesday and Friday evenings, which are the most informal parts of the event.

"Some attend Biba only to rotate around the stands, engage in informal chatting, and have a good time in the evening. There is a real risk that people will just see this as a break from the office, especially because there is no cost to members, and this can detract from the business focus of the event," Ms Ryder says.

Background research

However, taking a more focused approach and doing a bit of pre-conference preparation can go a long way to maximising conversations with insurers and suppliers, which can have a real influence on business. This should include taking a look at who is scheduled to attend and what products are being advertised. Rather than simply identifying names, delegates should call the companies on their short-list, find out who will be on the exhibiting stands, exchange thoughts, and set up formal meetings.

Mr Huxley elaborates: "If you are a broker wanting to launch into a new market, make sure you meet all of the people operating in that space who are going to be there. Print off the delegate and exhibitor lists and identify those people. Make contact in advance. If you want to speak to a specific exhibitor about small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) business, make sure they plan to have an SME market specialist on their stand."

Also, the conference schedule includes a number of break-out sessions, workshops, and speaking events that promise to offer insight on current issues and potentially generate new business ideas. Attendees should schedule in time to attend these sessions as well, to 'add meat to the bones'.

Overcoming fears

On a separate note, structure can do more than add value to one's business objectives, however. Large conference centres filled with unfamiliar faces can be intimidating to both newcomers and the less-outgoing. In these cases, it could make things far more comfortable to have a plan in place before checking in at the registration desk.

But branching out and forcing people to step out of their comfort zones could open the door to new opportunities as well. Heather White, CEO of The Magic of Networking, offers some useful tips on how to minimise the discomfort of that experience.

"First, identify what makes you uncomfortable and then prepare yourself for doing those things. The only way to network is to stick your hand out. If you go to the conference not knowing anyone and not having done any pre-planning, go to the sessions and speaker events and make an effort to ask questions. This will increase your profile and provide a basis for conversing with other people," she suggests.

Ms White also recommends the "divide and conquer" approach to maximise how much of the conference your business can participate in; one shouldn't just stick with colleagues as splitting up assignments will allow for wider coverage, and possibly offer professional growth experiences as well.

"When two people are in a meeting together, there will always be a dominant personality who will do the lion's share of the networking. Therefore, the other won't be maximising their time there," she explains.

Particularly for businesses that do not plan to stay in Manchester for the entire three days, devising a strategy in advance and delegating tasks will be key to getting the most value from the occasion.

Work hard, play hard

Ultimately, attendees' daytime activities at the conference should always be easily traced back to their identified objectives, be that gaining more industry knowledge, exchanging ideas on best practice, meeting new suppliers or forming new alliances. Informal networking and socialising should be reserved for the many events taking place in the evening - prospects to play hard will be as plentiful as those to work hard.

The annual Biba conference provides a tremendous opportunity to meet industry figures that one might not easily come in contact with otherwise and learn about new market trends and exchange ideas. But success of the event will be what the individual makes of it and will boil down to finding a good balance between formal business networking and casual mingling, and being disciplined about it, particularly given the potential costs of being away from the office at such a crucial time.

"We know that it is a difficult time with the economy in the state that it is. We have put quite a lot of time and energy into the conference's planning, developing the theme of delivering value and making the event as accessible to as many players in the sector as possible," explains Eric Galbraith, chief executive officer of Biba.

"Our hope is that all attendees will come away with a refreshed view and a number of new ideas of the sector, as well as a sense of optimism towards how they can develop and improve their businesses even further."

Getting the most out of Biba

- In advance, outline specific goals for what you wish your business to accomplish at the conference;

- Review which brokers, insurers and suppliers plan to attend and create a shortlist of individuals with whom you would like to meet;

- Plan on treating Thursday and Friday as normal business days and establish appointments prior to the event if possible; don't rely on ad hoc meetings and informal conversations to meet business objectives;

- Split up tasks between colleagues and employees so you can cover as much ground as possible;

- Schedule in time to attend speaker sessions and workshops to ensure that you get a well-rounded experience.