These regional expos tend to draw less people but UAC regards them as an important form of outreach.
“We must keep trying new ideas and new regions,” said UAC’s chair Heath Amber (pictured immediately above). “Broker and AR networks are represented across the country and there's a huge number out there so UAC must keep trying to give them access and our members access.”
Bax recalled an example of interested brokers looking for “interactions” and “meaningful conversations” with agencies.
“In Wagga, we had some brokers that completed the 10-hour return trip to attend our expo,” she said.
That expo was in April but she saw the very same group of brokers at the recent UAC Norwest Sydney Underwriting Expo in Parramatta in August.
“It impressed me to see the same group of brokers turn up twice in the space of a couple of months but just shows how keen they were,” said Bax.
The expos are an opportunity for brokers and ARs to see dozens of agencies exhibiting who are all offering different products and services.
“I think it’s a desire and, like Heath said, they don’t feel obliged to, but they want to be there,” said Bax. “Particularly in the regional areas where they don’t get people coming out to them and spending time talking about risks.”
She said brokers “crave that training and interaction” and “those hard conversations face to face.”
Industry stakeholders say the insurance market has also changed in recent years and brokers can’t get coverage through traditional channels like they used to.
“Brokers and ARs are hungry for markets,” said Amber. “They will invest the time to get to the UAC events to take advantage of being able to engage with 50 exhibitors, whether its Wagga Wagga or Wollongong.”
He said the “many market providers” at the expos offer brokers “different product and services.”
UAC regards what agencies offer brokers as quite different to traditional insurer offerings.
“Agencies may only have one office and they’re attending expos and the proposition is unique,” said Amber. “Insurers recognize this and see agencies as their distribution pathway”.
He said the expo format has been around for years.
“Each expo gets slightly better and more engaging,” said Amber. “For brokers, it is less of an option and more of a need”.
Amber is looking forward to the Wollongong event.
“How this transpires for Wollongong, drawing brokers from the southern regions, time will tell,” he said.
There’s more information on the Wollongong Expo here. Brokers attend for free.
Are you attending the UAC Expo in Wollongong? Please tell us an expo highlight below.
