Convention Program

Saturday 20 September

Registration Desk Open – Convention Centre

Young Professionals Welcome Reception

Welcome Reception at Darwin Sailing Club
(sponsored by CGU Insurance)

It’s a free day for delegates, a chance to settle in or take part in organised activities as guests of companies associated with the Convention. Expect the weather to be as warm and inviting as the reception you’re going to receive when you arrive in Darwin.

There’s plenty to see and do before we get down to the business of the Convention, so have a great day!

The registration desk at the Convention Centre is also open for exhibitors and delegates, so feel free to call in and sign on. The Convention Shuttle Service will collect you from the designated Convention Hotels 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. At 5.30pm we kick off with the first official activity, with those delegates attending their first NIBA Convention joining Young Professionals for a cocktail reception at the Darwin Sailing Club.

At 7.00pm everyone attending the Convention will descend on the Darwin Sailing Club for the traditional welcome that sets the scene for the three days to come. Today it’s going to be a real Top End welcome. Relax beside a beautiful beach, with cruising yachts from around the world anchored just offshore. It’s a little slice of Darwin, and you’ll marvel at how that laidback atmosphere will slow you down!

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Sunday 21 September

Breakfast in the Hotels
Coaches depart regularly for the Darwin Convention Centre

Registration Desk Open

Exhibition Open – Coffee & Fruit Service

9.45am - 12.00pm
CPD: 2 hours

Official Convention Opening - NIBA President Paul Goddard

Lex McKeown Trophy – Awarded at the discretion of the President to an individual who has provided outstanding service to NIBA and the broking profession.

NIBA General Insurer of the Year – The general insurance industry’s most hotly contested prize, because it’s brokers who do the judging on a strict range of criteria. Can QBE make it seven awards in a row, or will the hard work of so many competitors be recognised?

The Warren Tickle Memorial Award – Meet the Young Professionals selected to represent their regions for this prestigious award. Only one will walk away with the award, but as you’ll see, they’re all winners. Longtime sponsor Vero has added a special prize to make the award even more valuable.

Earning the Right to Lead - General Peter Cosgrove

Peter Cosgrove became a household name in Australia when he led the international military intervention in East Timor that ended a vicious civil war and brought independence to the young country. His uncompromising but very human approach thrust into the international spotlight a man whose entire career had been built around the precepts of service and leadership. Now retired – his last military position was Chief of the Defence Force – this decorated warrior and leader became familiar with the insurance industry in 2006 when he led a taskforce overseeing the Cyclone Larry recovery effort in Far North Queensland.

Listen and learn from a man who really understands the value of leadership when the bullets are flying and challenges are coming at you very quickly indeed!

Official Exhibition Opening & Lunch

2.00pm - 3.30pm
CPD: 1.5 hours

View from the Top End

David Smith – Zurich Financial Services Australia
Rob Scott – Wesfarmers
Duncan West – CGU
Steve Nevett – Aon
David Duffield – Marsh
Jeff Howells – AIMS

Moderator – Terry McMullan

We all knew change in the insurance industry was constant, but no one warned us that change was also going to pick up the pace and keep accelerating into a more and more challenging future. A panel of industry leaders will examine what’s happening here and overseas and contemplate what might become of insurance broking under the pressure of consolidation and increasing competition in all sectors of the business. What’s happening with rates, products, staffi ng, training, professionalism, people, competition from other distribution channels and an increasingly complex business environment? And what are the opportunities? Will brokers turn once again to personal lines? Will the internet allow them to compete more effectively? Will they band together in new niche-driven companies?

The future for broking is exciting, and those who understand what’s happening and what’s going to happen will have the advantage. This is a session you can’t afford to miss, presented by people who aren’t known for holding back if they have a point of view to put forward.

3.30pm - 5.30pm
CPD: 2 hours

Exhibition On Show

Mindil Sunset Experience
(sponsored by TIO)

At the close of the Exhibition, jump aboard the Convention Coaches from the Centre and head to another world! The Territory’s very own insurance company welcomes NIBA delegates and provides an experience that’s totally Top End in colour and variety. Watch the sun go down from Darwin’s legendary Mindil Markets, where East meets West and cultures blend harmoniously.

Wander among the stalls and sample tastes of the Orient or Australia – there’s an amazing amount of delicious choice.

NIBAR
(sponsored by Ebix Australia)

On your way back, call into the NIBAR, our very own main-street pub where delegates can catch up with old friends and relax in the cool evening air. But don’t stay up too late – tomorrow’s going to be busy!

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Monday 22 September

Registration Desk Open 

Exhibition Open
– Coffee & Fruit Service

10.00am - 10.45am
CPD: 45 minutes

When Everything Seems Hopeless
- The Importance of Leadership in Recovering from Disaster
Peter Baines

After a civil disaster strikes and the problems are not only seemingly insurmountable but horrific as well, you’ll probably find Peter Baines in the thick of it, calmly bringing order to the chaos.

He knows what to do when confronted with no infrastructure or resources, 400 fellow workers who are hopelessly disorganised and don’t speak English, 3000 bodies, governments who want results yesterday and a population of survivors immobilised by grief and horror.

That was what he faced after the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004.

Peter discusses from first-hand experience how to achieve the results you need when all about you seems hopeless, when you need to motivate others, when you have to focus on the details and the desired outcomes.

Expect a very powerful presentation from this plainspeaking Australian. You’ll see how the lessons he’s learned in managing the aftermath of so many civil disasters can be transferred to the workplace and even to your own life.

10.45am - 12.00pm
CPD: 1.25 hours

Brokers On Top – Your Association, Your Profession, Your Future
Closed Session – NIBA Members only

All NIBA Members and their staff should not miss this session. Hear about NIBA’s new directions, have your say, learn how you can play a role in the future of insurance broking.

Exhibition on Show and Lunch

1.30pm - 2.15pm
CPD: 45 minutes

The State of the Nation
Steven Milch

Insurance is a global business, and what happens in other parts of the world will – sometimes quite quickly – impact on industry businesses in Australia.

Steven Milch is the Chief Economist at St George Bank, and has gained a reputation for being able to explain the thinking behind complex fi nancial developments.

Steven’s role involves analysing global economic and financial market developments, and today he’ll explain what’s driving Australia’s economy and the factors that will keep it buoyant or slow it down, as well as the crucial financial drivers for the future.

Breakout Streams

Some outstanding experts in a range of specialist areas will lead delegates in unique breakout sessions that provide something for every type of insurance professional. You’ll finish your chosen sessions stimulated, intrigued and much better informed about people, the future opportunities, our professional environment – you name it, it’s here!

2.30pm - 4.30pm
CPD: 2 hours

Breakout Stream One: Customer Focus Workshop
(limited spaces available – 2 hour session)
Allan Manning

What Allan Manning doesn’t know about subjects like industrial special risks almost certainly hasn’t been written. In this two-hour session designed specially for Young Professionals, Allan will discuss such subjects as client information packs, negotiation and agreement of ISR coverage – including the consideration of sublimits and applicable endorsements – to be placed in accordance with the client’s risk profile.

Working with teams made up of audience members, Allan will run a loss scenario, including such areas as the breakdown of costs. He will also conduct a “debrief” to ascertain individuals’ understanding of how their interpretation of the client information affected the coverage they placed, and show key areas of consideration when preparing slips and wordings.

2.30pm - 3.15pm
CPD: 45 minutes

Breakout Stream Two:
Sustainability and the Broker
Alice Cahill

You really couldn’t find a better person to speak about the complex subject of sustainability than Alice Cahill. Zurich Australia’s Corporate Responsibility Manager previously worked for a corporate social responsibility consultancy. She is also a climate change ambassador for former US Vice President Al Gore – one of an elite group trained by Al Gore.

Find out what sustainability is, what it means for you and your work, and why you need to gain a better understanding of how to apply its principles in your everyday work and life.

Breakout Stream Three:
How Do You Manage the Entire Talent Pool?
Bridget Beattie

We’re all experts on generations X and Y, but do we really understand how to harness the diversity if personal skills, experience, attitudes and beliefs that now occupy the time of our colleagues and/or employees? Bridget Beattie does.

A human resources consultant with some practical and useful answers to complex people questions, she’ll lead you through such subjects as the need to develop strategies to attract and retain different types of people, and show you how a diverse workforce can be a big plus in an increasingly diverse world. 

Breakout Stream Four:
What is Professional Service?
Madeleine Mattera

There’s a lot of talk about professional service, but what exactly do your clients understand it to mean?

It’s not all about selling the product, says Madeleine Mattera, who will show you how to avoid the common mistakes we make when servicing clients. She’ll explain how professional ethics and service interact, and help us to understand how to deal with a client who wants us to carry out work we may not be qualified or even legally able to do.

Don’t accept the old ways of relating to clients – let Madeleine Mattera show you how to prosper by carefully strategising your relationships with clients.
 

3.30pm - 4.15pm
CPD: 45 minutes

Breakout Streams Two, Three and Four Repeated

Exhibition on Show & Prize Draws

Brokers in the Bush
(sponsored by Zurich Financial Services Australia)
Darwin Convention Centre

Experience the natural beauty and unique contrasts of the Top End – enjoy the sights and sounds of the rainforests, the vibrant red desert sands and the wetlands of Kakadu, with a special guest appearance by country music legend, Lee Kernaghan.

NIBAR
(sponsored by Ebix Australia)

See you at the NIBAR, where delegates can mingle and relax in a laid-back Darwin atmosphere.

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 Registration Desk Open  

 Coffee & Fruit Service  

10.00am - 11.00am
CPD: 1 hour

An Australian in Asia
Mike Goodwin

It’s been said that Asia dictates Australia’s present prosperity and its entire future. While Australians still identify strongly with Europe and the United States, we turn more and more to our close neighbours. Our two main trading partners are in Asia, and Darwin is on Asia’s back door. So what better place to consider the importance of Asia to our country, and how Asia regards Australia and Australians? What are our options in such areas as economics, trade, culture and security? Mike Goodwin is as dinky-di Australian as they come.

But from his base in Singapore, he’s learning a whole new perspective on business, cultures and attitudes – the Asia perspective. Exploring and developing opportunities for QBE in one of the most diverse and exciting regions in the world, Mike has a great deal to say about Asia’s future, its challenges, its views on Australia and what Australian companies large and small have to consider before they make the big move.

Coffee Service 

Keeping on Top – It’s All About Me!
Bill Zammit

They might talk slow in Darwin, but if Bill Zammit is any example, they think fast. A dynamic presenter who believes the best way to deal with stress is to laugh about it, he’ll have you on the edge of your seat as he leads you through the logic that has made him a successful speaker at business conventions all over the world – that happy people are productive people.

Bill has been operating safaris in the Top End for more than 20 years, and he believes he has the ultimate answer to managing stress in the workplace. So take your seat for an engaging, hilarious, confronting, high-energy session with a very serious message.

If you take Bill’s lessons back to work with you, you’ll discover some real dividends in improved performance and a richer work-life balance.

The Boy from the Bush
Lee Kernaghan

What does a country singer have to say to an audience made up primarily of professional people from a largely urban base? Sit back and discover why Lee Kernaghan, OAM, is the current Australian of the Year, why he’s revered in the bush and has “broken through” to achieve popularity in the cities.

He’s been performing since he was fi ve and is second only to Slim Dusty in the number of Golden Guitars he has won. But it’s his concern for the people of the Australian bush that has earned humanitarian accolades. His “Pass the Hat Around” tours have raised more than $1 million for communities in need, and his “Spirit of the Bush” tours raise spirits as well as money for farming families doing it tough.

Lee Kernaghan is a smart, focused and caring man whose stories will inspire you.

Convention Lunch

Enjoy a light lunch before the Convention Coaches return you to your hotel. This afternoon is free to use as you wish. Take in the sights, enjoy a round of golf or a swim, catch up with friends and colleagues or simply laze away the afternoon in preparation for what’s going to be a big, big night!

A Night Under the Stars – Sky City
(sponsored by QBE Insurance)

One last night of glorious sunset, fantastic food and drink, friendship, laughter and dancing. Our final night celebration takes place in lush tropical gardens beside a glittering white beach. It’s dinner under the stars as only Darwin can do it – cool, classy and loads of fun.

With music that will make you want to dance the night away, it’s a great way to bring the curtain down on your amazing experience in Australia’s lush and lovely Top End.

NIBAR
(sponsored by Ebix Australia)

It’s an old NIBA Convention tradition that the last night is a BIG night – and who are we to stand in the way of tradition. Drink, chat, laugh and maybe even dance in the Convention’s own bar as we bring down the curtain on an event they’re going to be talking about in Darwin for a long time.

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