Raising the Standards

Here are highlights from the 2006 NAIFA Convention and Career Conference.

By Maggie Leyes

The City by the Bay made a beautiful backdrop for NAIFA’s 117th Convention and Career Conference. Almost 1,900 NAIFA members converged on the airy Moscone Convention Center in downtown San Francisco during the last week of August to network, learn, share ideas and conduct association business.

As is customary, the attendees were given a warm welcome on Saturday evening. The Opening Welcome Reception was at once lively and bittersweet, as the party celebrated New Orleans—the original venue of this year’s convention. But once attendees had Cajun food and drink in hand and beads around their necks, NAIFA’s Mardis Gras (and convention!) was under way.

Maxwell takes the stage
The convention officially opened Sunday, Aug. 27, with traditional fanfare. NAIFA’s Government Relations team took the main stage to bring attendees up to date on the hard work and victories they have won on Capitol Hill, as well as the challenges still facing the industry. On Sunday afternoon, the convention’s keynote speaker, best-selling author Dr. John C. Maxwell, led attendees down a path of discovery as to the true meaning of success . That evening, more than 700 people gathered to celebrate the 11th annual realLIFEstories Client Service Award banquet, as five agents and their clients related personal stories of how insurance has made the difference in their lives.

On Monday, Aug. 28, David F. Woods, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, NAIFA CEO and LIFE president, spoke to attendees about the state of NAIFA membership and the need to increase the ranks of agents and advisors who support the association and its mission.

LIAM gets under way
The spotlight then moved to Life Insurance Awareness Month’s spokesperson, ice-skating legend Scott Hamilton. It was fitting that just a week before the official start of LIAM in September, Hamilton invigorated the attendees with his words: “What you do, what you offer families, the services you provide are extraordinary. You save families, and you save lives.”

Hamilton told the audience of losing his mother—the center of his universe, as he called her—at a critical time in his life. He and his family had to deal not only with her death, but with the loss of her income as well. To ensure a solid future for himself, he bought insurance as a young single man, which now also protects his wife and son. That was a wise move at a young age, given his recent bout with cancer. His goal during LIAM, he said, was to share his story with the 68 million Americans who are uninsured—and the millions more who are underinsured—so they can understand the importance of adequately protecting their families and financial futures with life insurance.

Benson is honored
Tuesday, Aug. 29, brought a day of learning for attendees. In the morning, the main stage was filled with top agents and advisors dispensing advice on how to reach more clients with a wider range of products and services: Lynn Devitt, LTCP, opened the general session with long-term care insurance sales tips (see "Magical Ways to Sell LTCI"), while three MDRT star producers brought it to a successful conclusion with the MDRT Hour. Also, a panel of three multiline agents spoke poignantly about their respective practices that were on the front lines of tragedy in New Orleans, in southern Florida and at the World Trade Center. The afternoon was filled with educational workshops that touched on a wide range of topics, from using life insurance in legacy planning to helping clients understand the need for disability income insurance.

The evening featured one of the most anticipated events of the convention, the announcement of the winner of the John Newton Russell Memorial Award, which this year went to industry veteran, James Benson, CLU.

Davidson assumes the presidency
On Wednesday, Aug. 30, in keeping with tradition, NAIFA conducted its association business. It held elections and brought a new president to power: John A. Davidson, LUTCF, FSS. Delegates elected Cliff F. Wilson, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, as NAIFA secretary and five fellow members to fill out NAIFA’s Board of Trustees.

Read all the convention coverage in Advisor Today—now available in digital format.

 

 

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