Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz we are covering 3 reasons why you should register for InsurCon2022, NFT insurance and whether corporate culture can survive remote work. 

3 Reasons to Register for InsurCon2022

If you haven't registered for InsurCon2022 yet, now's the time! Here are three reasons why you should register for this year's must-see event: 1. New Convention Format for 2022 - Our new format is inspired by TED Talks and will feature a variety of engaging speakers! Our speakers will focus on topics like agency technology, cybersecurity, COVID economic impacts and more! Your registration will give you access to all events (bowling on May 9th is a separate registration), lunch, dinner, two drink tickets and access to BOTH Exhibitor Showcases. 

2. Evening Entertainment - We're elevating our Evening Entertainment for 2022! This year, our evening will start with Networking & Cocktails in the Convention Foyer for complimentary drinks and time to network with industry friends. Then, dinner will be served and so will great entertainment! Matt Banaszynski, IIAW CEO, will sit down with Garth Wicinsky to talk about his vision for the future as he takes over the helm as SECURA CEO. Then, Mike Ansay will lead a walk down memory lane alongside industry legend, Dave Gross, as we honor Dave on his retirement as SECURA CEO. Last but certainly not least, evening entertainment will be provided by Bill Walton, NBA and College Basketball Hall of Famer. As entertaining as he is insightful, Bill is widely considered one of the best speakers from the world of sports. 

3. Exhibitor Showcases - Back by popular demand, InsurCon2022 will feature Blackout Bingo! This year, we'll have two showcase opportunities to fill in your bingo card, which means more time to network! First, during our Exhibitor Networking Luncheon, you can grab lunch from one of the available food carts and sip on a drink from the bar (lunch & two drink tickets included with your registration) while you mark off your Blackout Bingo cards and network with exhibitors. We'll have a second Exhibitor Showcase opportunity later in the day that will conclude with awarding the winners of Blackout Bingo and all the Super Door Prize winners!

Bonus! Join us for our InsurCon2022 kickoff event of Networking & Bowling at the Kalahari's Volcano Lanes! Registration for this event includes pizza, beer & bowling for the evening. Not interested in bowling? Not a problem! We have a registration option for you as well, which includes pizza & beer. The bowling alley has plenty of room for networking with industry friends, axe throwing, golf simulator games and so much more!

Secure your spot and don't miss out on the fun of InsurCon2022! Register today at iiaw.com/insurcon.

NFT Insurance: Understanding the Challenges and Solutions

Do you know what an NFT is? You should, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) hit the mainstream in 2021 and owners are looking for ways to protect their investments. To quickly summarize how NFT's work, Independent Agent wrote, "Prior to NFTs, a copy of the digital file was identical to the original. Because NFTs are built on blockchain technology, they care connected to a decentralized historical record that allows for the provenance of a digital file to be established. Ownership of an NFT is established and authenticated by immutable blocks of data on the blockchain. As a result, the original is non-fungible, or not interchangeable with any copies that might be made. By allowing for authentication and ownership of digital assets, NFTs also allow digital assets to be valued and sold, which creates the need for NFT insurance."  There have been challenges to insuring NFTs because there's confusion as to whether they can be covered as fine art. However, for the most part cyber insurance policies would address the marketplace's liability, rather than covering losses that might be experienced by individuals with marketplace accounts, according to Independent Agent. You can read more about the challenges and solutions for insuring NFTs here. 

Leadership Conundrum: Can Corporate Culture Survive Remote Work Models? 

The insurance industry is expected to maintain a hybrid work model as the pandemic begins to dwindle. But, that's left a lot of companies questioning how they can continue their corporate work culture. While companies saw an increase in productivity as employees spend less time commuting, eating longer lunches and stopping to grab a coffee, there has been a negative impact on innovation for everything that requires teamwork and brainstorming. So, how do companies keep a strong corporate culture when they're faced with a hybrid workplace? Charles Cooper, chief executive of Reinsurance, AXA XL, says that spending time to get to know employees remotely is a great way to do that. You can read more about maintaining corporate culture while offering remote or hybrid workplace settings here.   

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