BLOG: Tune in or miss out!

Well, it has been a very busy few months, says DAVID PUNTER, national council member of the IAEA.

I don’t know about everyone else, but the conference circuit is a great time to catch up with colleagues, competitors and friends alike. The preparation that goes into these events is just exhausting these days and the level of discussions that take place when you are there must be like speed-dating non-stop over a few days (not that I have ever been speed dating!).

I have to ask the question though; are things about to change? There are now more and more dinners and awards taking place (which is a good thing, right?), but what will succeed the conference and the expo status in years to come?

With the advent of technology we all want to attend virtually, so where is it going next?

The job is getting easier now that the sun is out, and it has been good travelling the length and breadth of the country meeting people and discussing needs, and it is clear that our market is changing now.

Has anyone been keeping an eye on the insurertech boot camp http://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/insurance-london.html?

If not take a look at this insurer-backed initiative to drive disruptive innovation in the market place.  The crazy thing is that these guys are doing things now and heaven only knows what is in their development plans.

Jump ahead to companies like http://www.tractable.io/ and you really get a flavour for where we are accelerating to. Forget what bigcorp are telling you is relevant today, think big and think bold and embrace the change which will be with us in the next 12 months.

The days are gone where insurers relied on green screen systems, and many millions of pounds have been spent making them more agile to sell and manage their claims.  With the introduction of apps written by small players on big platforms (such as Apple), with common interfacing language, then everyone can become a developer.

My advice is to tune in or miss out!