The Ontario Broker - December 2019 - 8

CONVENTION ROUNDUP
TAHNEE MALAZDREWICZ, MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR, IBAO

ANDREA CASTILLO
Broker
Ontario West Insurance Brokers

F

or the past 99 years, the IBAO Convention's
been an exciting time for brokers across
Ontario. It's an occasion for people to come
together to learn and celebrate the past year of
achievement across the broker channel.
As we look ahead to our 100th year, we spoke with
five brokers about their Convention experience
and what they'd like to see in 2020.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU ATTENDED
CONVENTION AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED
OVER THE YEARS?

AC: This year was my first Convention. My first
impression was...wow this is huge! With magenta
everywhere, the hospitality, the organization and
all the people to connect with, there was so much
information to take in and it was so much fun.
And that was just the one day I attended! By the
end of the day I felt like...hey, I belong to a group
of truly great people.
BK: This was my first time and it was a great
first experience. The event was well organized.
It was nice to see so many brokers and industry
people. Daytime events and Hospitality Night
were easy to navigate and I'm looking forward
to next year.

DECEMBER 2019

8

BRIANNA KILBRIDE
Account Executive
Lackner McLennan Insurance

CM: I've attended Convention 13 years in a row. In
those early days we discussed direct writers gaining
market share with their ease of doing business.
That conversation has changed to the broker
value proposition and a broker's role within the
community. Our knowledge of insurance products
is unparalleled by our competition. What hasn't
changed: brokers have the very best clients, and
many of our company partners wish their broker
commission expense lines were lower.
EM: I've attended Convention four times and each
year it's gotten better. The wide variety of speakers
and topics never disappoints-Convention's
always geared to the rapid changes in our industry.
DW: I first attended Convention in the early 1960s and
received a guest invitation in 1970 as President of the
Toronto Insurance Women's Association. Conventions
have undergone a multitude of changes over the
years and the digital age has been a great help in
keeping IBAO in pace with our ever-changing world.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT THIS YEAR?

AC: Witnessing the Commercial Lines Manager of
our brokerage become appointed Board Member
for the IBAO. I feel very fortunate to work with so
many inspiring women.

WWW.IBAO.ORG
http://WWW.IBAO.ORG
The Ontario Broker - December 2019

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