RIMS Just Around the Corner

It's Monday, April 21, just a week until RIMS begins in earnest. We're still getting last-minute calls trying to arrange meetings and interviews. It's sometimes surprising to me that with such a big investment, too many firms seem to wait until the last minute to confirm appointments and promote their investment and presence at RIMS. I hear the same from some of the risk managers who attend.

With RIMS in San Diego this year, the attendance looks to be great. A few weeks ago, I received a pre-registration list of attendees. When I cut out all the brokers, insurance executives, lawyers and consultants, I figure that at least 2,000 real risk managers or the equivalent risk executive at a company will be at the annual convention. That seems a pretty good pre-registration turnout to me considering that last year's event in New Orleans and the previous year's meeting in Honolulu seemed to lack enough risk management conference goers.

Philadelphia, our hometown here, three years ago was a major exception--attendance was huge and there were plenty of risk managers. RIMS ought to consider bringing the big show back to the City of Brotherly Love. The weather is fantastic this time of year, and the cherry blossoms on Independence Mall are blooming this week.

Here are a few tips based on my four years of attending RIMS:

1. Monday night seems to be the really crowded night for entertaining with one reception schedule on top of another. I wonder why more insurers don't seem to schedule Wednesday night events, even though RIMS has its Cirque performance set for that night.

2. The brokers will be there in droves this year--maybe because of the soft market and maybe because they think client hunting will be productive. I saw a list of Aon brokers, for example, that numbered nearly 300. Broker interest may be more a question of self-preservation: there are so many risk managers at this year's show, it looks like brokers will need to keep their clients happy and away from the competition.

3. Stop by the Risk & Insurance booth number 1915. We're just a few steps away from the main RIMS booth. You'll be able to get your photo on the cover once again this year.

4. And now a really big, blatant promotion: Check out on Monday afternoon the session "Reputational Risk: Working with the Media."

I'll be on the panel along with Sam Friedman from National Underwriter, Bill Coffin from Risk Management magazine and Gavin Souter from Business Insurance. It's a great opportunity to embarrass us in front our key audience. Feel free to bring it on.

Enjoy San Diego and see you all there!

Jack Roberts