Program

Special Events

Hotel/Travel

Sponsors

Program

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Sunday, March 31

Noon – 5:00 pm

Registration/Information Desk

12:30 pm– 1:30 pm

Registry Launch Taskforce Meeting

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Committee Meetings

• Membership Committee
• Law and Regulation Committee
• Communications Committee

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Committee Meetings

• Research Committee
  
• Medical Transport Committee
• Operations Committee

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Board of Directors Meeting

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Welcome and New Members Reception
Welcome to the 2019 UStiA Annual Conference! Come celebrate UStiA’s accomplishments as well as your own. Connect with old friends and welcome new members.

10:00 pm – Midnight

Hospitality Lounge
The night is young! Continue mingling with new friends and colleagues you haven’t seen since Scottsdale.

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Monday, April 1

7:00 am – Noon

Registration/Information Desk

7:15 am – 8:15 am

Breakfast

8:30 am – 8:45 am

Welcoming Remarks

8:45 am – 10:15 am

Opening Keynote
Global Trends and the Future of Almost Everything
Daniel Levine, The Avant-Guide Institute

• As a travel insurance leader, it isn't enough to just know the current trends—you also need to know what the future has in store, or you’re gone. Tomorrow’s world will look vastly different from today's, so strap on your jetpack and get ready for an exhilarating "advance preview" of the most spectacular and useful trends that are guaranteed to shake up our world. In a meaningful presentation packed with keen insights, you will get a sneak peek into the contemporary culture of tomorrow and the changes that are revolutionizing the way we all work, live, and play. Global trends expert Daniel Levine will treat you to a glimpse of everything that matters—from the future of ecology, technology, transportation, and medicine, to communications, business, and travel. Plus, he will put it into perspective and connect the dots so that you will know what it means for the success of your business. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay ahead of the game!
  

10:15 am – 10:30 am

Spotlight: Tourism Cares
Greg Takehara, Trip Mate, Inc.

• Greg Takehara, chairman of Tourism Cares, will introduce us to the organization’s mission and tell us about upcoming events for 2019.
  

10:30 am – 10:45 am

Break

10:45 am – 11:45 am

Business Meeting
UStiA’s Annual Member Business Meeting. Hear from the UStiA board of directors and volunteer leaders on the state of the association.

Travel Protection
David Bloom, Chubb Insurance
Christine Panet-Raymond, ASA, Wills Towers Watson

• The results of UStiA's 2016-2018 Travel Protection Market Study are hot off the presses! Conducted every two years, the U.S. travel insurance industry data gathered for this valuable piece of research is used as a benchmarking tool for survey participants and is consistently cited as one of the greatest benefits of membership. During a member-only session, attendees will hear from research firm Willis Towers Watson on the 2018-2020 Market Study findings and their implications.
  

11:45 am – 12:30 pm

Grab-and-Go Boxed Lunch

12:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Annual UStiA Golf Tournament
The Annual UStiA Golf Tournament will be played on site at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate course. Boxed lunch will be provided. Cost is $275 per person; separate registration required.

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate course

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Cocktails and Cabanas
If you don’t plan on playing golf, grab your lunch and take your networking to the resort's Adult Pool. There, you can enjoy signature drinks and light bites available in private poolside cabanas. Cabanas are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also stay and lounge by the pool or enjoy the lazy river. Cost is $25 per person; separate registration required.

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Presidential Cocktail Reception

10:30 pm – Midnight

Hospitality Lounge

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Tuesday, April 2

7:00 am – Noon

Registration/Information Desk

7:15 am – 8:15 am

Breakfast

8:15 am – 8:30 am

Welcoming Remarks

8:30 am – 9:15 am

AI and Blockchain: Get Smart and Get Linked!
Robin Westcott, J.D., American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS)

• This session will offer an overview of these new technologies and the potential practical uses in the insurance industry. Currently, these two technologies are beginning to change customer experience and expectations around the way we do business. Insurance companies are already beginning to tap the potential of these technologies. What are some of the changes we will see and how will they impact how we work?
  

9:15 am – 10:00 am

What Is Driving Change in the Retail Travel Space and Where Is It Leading?
Paul M. Ruden, Retired, American Society of Travel Agents, Legal & Industry Affairs

• This session will address some of the major driving forces of change in the travel space, focusing on their effects on risk assessments for the travel experience. Change-drivers to be covered include the IATA New Distribution Capability and the concept of personalized pricing, artificial intelligence, supplier consolidation, climate change, security, and sustainability. Are we moving toward a new promised land or an abyss?
  

10:00 am – 10:15 am

Break

10:15 am – 11:15 am

UStiA Panel—History and Evolution of UStiA and Travel Protection Products
Moderator: Shannon Lofdahl, Travelex Insurance
Panelists: Mike Ambrose, Travelex Insurance Services
                 Sean Brady, Arch Insurance Company
                 Brad Finkle, Trip Mate, Inc.
                 Jim Grace, InsureMyTrip
                 Kevin Leys, Meridian Management Group LLC
                 Susan Silfen, Crum & Forster

• Shannon Lofdahl will moderate this panel discussion covering the formation and mission of UStiA and the evolution of the travel insurance industry over the past 15 years.

11:15 am – 11:30 am

Break

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Regulatory Update
John Fielding, Steptoe & Johnson LLC
Commissioner Glen Mulready, Oklahoma Insurance Department
Jack Zemp, Allianz Global Assistance

• UStiA celebrated a significant milestone in December 2018, when the NAIC adopted a Travel Insurance Model Law, marking a significant step in creating a solid foundation for the industry to respond to consumer needs in a clear and compliant way. But the work is just beginning--UStiA now turns its attention to implementing the model in the states. UStiA members will gain a better understanding of the impact of these recent successes and of the challenges to come.
  

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm

Lunch and Networking
Buffet lunch with the opportunity to network with other members, clients, and colleagues or grab lunch and participate in one or both of our lunch and learn sessions.

12:45 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch and Learn—EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Paul M. Ruden, Retired, American Society of Travel Agents, Legal & Industry Affairs

• The European Union’s adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation has had impacts on privacy rules far beyond the citizens of the EU. These massive regulations are a product that likely could only have emerged from a multi-government process but must be understood because of their vast reach and potentially serious penalties. They are driving change in U.S. domestic and international markets. This session will explore some of the key forces that led to the adoption of GDPR and consider the effects the rules have had on privacy regulation in the United States.
  

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm

Lunch and Learn—Claims Fraud: Beyond the Coalface
Phil Peart, MJM Corporate Risk Services

• Investigating any fraud is the ultimate challenge for those at the coalface within the claims department; however, those up to the challenge are rewarded when they can truly identify, validate, and, when the need arises, decline suspect and fraudulent claims.
  
  But as fraudsters become increasingly sophisticated as they engage, create, change, and manipulate their claims data, there is a need to go way beyond the coalface to bring down those determined to cheat, lie, and steal from the insurance industry as a whole.
  
  We continue to identify inflated receipts, fraudulent documents, and fake internet imagery used by fraudsters to ply their trade in their attempts to defraud their insurers.
  
  This lunch and learn session will showcase examples of the various types of fraud—from simplistic to sophisticated and complex claims—and cover some of the methodologies used to investigate such cases.
  

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Culture: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Make It Work FOR You Instead of AGAINST You.
Will Craig, Handel Group®

• We all hear the word "culture" thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? And why should any of us leading a business care about it? Is there anything you can actually do about the culture of your team?
  
  Join Will Craig, Handel Group® executive vice president and senior executive coach, for an educational and active participation session on culture and how to modify it to produce the business outcomes most important to you. You will leave the session with specific actions to advance your business, regardless of its size.
  

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Farewell Cocktail Reception

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Closing Dinner and Ceremonies
Enjoy dinner while we bring the conference to a close, and find out where we’ll be heading in 2020!

9:00 pm – Midnight

Dancing and Cocktails

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Wednesday, April 3

6:30 am – 10:00 am

Safe Travels Breakfast
Grab-n-go breakfast. Safe travels!