Attention meeting managers at insurance and financial services companies: Imagine trying out different technologies for meeting planning and on-site attendee engagement all in one place, hearing about the benefits and features of each while networking with peers who are using or looking for the same tools as you are. Imagine that there’s also a technology emcee of sorts, an expert who gives an overview of all the tools, which include mobile apps, software for use with strategic meetings management, online surveys, social media, and much more.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not!

Register for the Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference, to be held November 13–15 in San Antonio, and you’ll be able to spend time at FICP’s all-new technology showcase, as described above. The showcase will feature six leading technology suppliers who will give demos and have their products available for testing during all of the educational session time slots on Monday, November 14.

“This is a showcase of innovation, highlighting where the meetings industry can go from here in the technology space,” says Lydia Goessel, manager of education and learning services for FICP. “FICP Technology Adviser Stephen Nold will provide a short presentation at the start of each session to ‘tee up’ the showcase, and the technology featured will include mobile apps, social media, surveys, AV and production, QR codes and near-field communications, and event management solutions.”

Register Now and Save
Register in September and save $100. There are also deals for multiple attendees from one company.

Find the details at the FICP Web site, where you also can download useful templates related to the conference. First is a proposal template that you can submit to senior management to get approval for attending the conference. (You can also download “talking points” that cover all the benefits of your attendance.) You’ll also find an annual conference worksheet for your own use: It’s a great tool for getting you to review the agenda ahead of time and plan your meeting experience so that you maximize your takeaways and your opportunities to meet with peers and suppliers.

Remember to spend some time planning your visit to The Network, the tabletop trade show that opens the conference on Sunday afternoon at 4:30. You will get the hospitality partner list ahead of time: Take a look and make a plan! Those two hours always go faster than you think they will.

Main Stage Highlights
As at every FICP Annual Conference, there is a great lineup of keynote speakers—plus an amazing final-night entertainer—all of whom could energize your own programs. Previewing these performances is just one more benefit of attending the annual:

• Lisa Ling, journalist, who goes beyond “sound-bite news” to share dramatic stories that will challenge attendees to shift their perspective and open their minds to the world around them.
• Aron Ralston, mountain climber and inspiration for the film 127 Hours, offers insights from his ordeal in a Utah canyon, where he escaped death by severing his own arm.
• Mark Gungor, CEO, Laugh Your Way America, shares his comic take on building successful relationships.
• Michael Cavanaugh, Grammy- and Tony-award winning musician who played the role of Billy Joel for 1,200 shows on Broadway. Cavanaugh is not only a riveting singer and pianist, he’s also an expert at getting attendees on their feet and engaged, creating an incredible unifying experience for all types of audiences.

Find the Time
Insurance and financial services meeting managers have their plates full these days. Some lost staff members and gained meetings: That’s a recipe for a total time crunch.

But attendance at the FICP Annual Conference has the potential to save you time in the long run, by giving you the opportunity to meet with so many hospitality partners at one time in one place, and by providing education sessions with takeaways that can make you more valuable to your company and way more efficient (just sign up for the session by Audrey Thomas on “Getting Organized with MS Office” and you’ll have gotten your money’s worth).

Check out the advance program to find all the education that’s relevant for you, then register before the end of September to get the best deal.

See you in San Antonio!