Monthly Archives: April 2024

Previewing The 2024 San Diego RIMS Conference

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I used to travel a lot. When first flying into India the person in the seat next to me, on learning that this was my first time to visit, said, “nothing prepares you for India.” How right he was!

The same applies to Riskworld, the RIMS conference in San Diego that starts soon, the week after next, May 5-8. 

San Diego, the host of the 2024 RIMS Conference

Firstly the size. This thing is huge, with 20+ hotels in play and an exhibit hall and education sessions that can only be hosted in some of the larger exhibition/conference centers in the country. 

Secondly, scope. While the major players within risk management are there, and, yes, Vermont is a major player, there are huge numbers of risk managers, health and safety folks and many other making up a crowd that is likely around 5 figures in size. 

And captive insurance is on the menu in San Diego! For example, four people with strong Vermont connections (Anne Marie Towle, Melissa Hollingsworth, Kristen Peed, and Will Lehman) are presenting their  ‘Captive Board Games’ session on May 6th.

My goals for RIMS?

  • Chatting with folks who are just learning about captive insurance and discuss why it might be a smart risk management move for their organization.
  • Meet as many Vermont captive owners as possible and have them sign the Vermont poster in the booth – it’s an annual tradition!
  • Support the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation and Department of Economic Development as they talk with current and future captive owners, risk managers and service providers about starting and growing a Vermont-based captive.
  • Conduct interviews for the ‘Just One Question’ feature, the occasional mini report I publish on our blog whereby I ask (usually) a singular question to a prominent captive professional about what’s going on in the industry and what they anticipate next.

I will be joined at RIMS by my VCIA colleague Angie Armour, so, if you are traveling to San Diego please make sure to visit us on the Vermont stand – the only place in the entire exhibit hall giving away genuine Vermont maple syrup!

Lifting Up our Volunteers During National Volunteer Month

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Last week, we posted about it on LinkedIn, and this week I want to expound on the importance of our supporters. It’s been said before, but it really just cannot be said enough – organizations like the VCIA could not exist without volunteers. In fact, we thrive on them!

There are many ways to get involved and impact how VCIA functions. From serving on the Board, to participating in one of our committees, to speaking at conferences and other events, literally hundreds of committed and dedicated people provide the fuel, the lubricating oil and the spark that the VCIA motor needs.

Legislative volunteer!

April is Volunteer month, and it makes it an appropriate time to reflect upon the fact that the VCIA was founded by volunteers, is guided by volunteers, and would come to a crashing halt were it not for this group that gives of their time and talent so freely. In return, they get a line for their LinkedIn profile, but more importantly, a tremendous level of satisfaction in a job well done while successfully collaborating with friends and competitors alike. The great value of the captive community becomes vividly apparent when you account for how many talented individuals choose to volunteer in our association and others.

VCIA Board volunteers!

The VCIA exists both for you and because of you. In the end, we’re deeply fortunate to be the great “melting pot” where the experience of various captive professionals–and industries–pour in to make us a dynamic and forward-thinking organization.

So, thank you! Please join me in thanking all our stellar volunteers in whatever capacity they choose to work within.  As we proceed into our strategic planning, the value of our volunteers and committees will be top of mind!

P.S. For those of you not currently volunteering, do please look for our recruitment notifications later this year or just reach out to me. Let’s keep the conversation going at kmead@vcia.com

Catching up with VCIEL: On Giving College Presentations, Developing Resources, and Reflecting on One Year In

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Officially, The Vermont Captive Insurance Emerging Leaders (VCIEL) is a shade over one year old. In fact, tomorrow, April 12th, marks the day last year when we had our launch party and celebrated our start with the Vermont captive community. In a way, it felt like our supporters were bidding us good luck as we enthusiastically set sail to discover new land—which is, in this poor metaphor of mine, the next generation of captive professionals to preserve and advance this vibrant industry.

Students at the Vermont Roadshow

One year in, I report back with good news—and challenges ahead. The good news begins with the incredible people who form the VCIEL. The VCIA is deeply grateful for the dedication and hard work these members have put in. The team is focused, collaborative, and genuinely committed to raising awareness about the captive industry. The general VCIEL group meets every other month, and on top of that, three subcommittees—Networking, Education, Marketing & Resources—meet on a frequent basis to map out the plans and goals of the group.

At Champlain College

The Education Committee, for example, has built relationships with local colleges and converted those connections into in-class presentations. A VCIEL group gave Captive101 presentations at Norwich University and Champlain College, and other members delivered a “How to Network” lecture to the UVM Entrepreneur Club.

At UVM

All VCIEL interactions with “new prospects” have been accompanied by important information that students and others can use to explore (and find career opportunities in) the captive industry. That’s where the Marketing & Resources committee has been so effective, producing a Vermont Captive Career Directory, a Vermont Captive Internship Roster, and a forthcoming Guide for First Time VCIA Conference Attendees.

The challenge remains exposure—how, even as Vermont reigns as the world’s top captive domicile, public awareness, especially among youth, is still low. But VCIEL is moving the needle on this, and we are taking the “long game” approach where we believe building solid relationships with campuses will yield fruitful returns. We’ve already had positive feedback that reaffirms this strategy. Norwich University wants us back next year for another presentation; UVM wants us back at their Career Fair. A Champlain College professor loved the Vermont Captive Roadshow event for her students: “We had a wonderful event with the VCIA roadshow and student luncheon!”

Just by reading this update you are supporting the VCIEL cause. We thank you and we need your assistance in promoting our initiatives and raising awareness about the industry. The VCIA Conference Student Sponsorship presented by VCIEL is a perfect way to get skin in the game. We just received our first student sponsorship, and we want this to snowball into many organizations sponsoring students! Please review all student sponsorship details here and connect with VCIA’s Angie Armour. P.S. VCIEL will actively recruit bright students for you if you don’t have one lined up, and we know a fair share of students excited about their captive prospects!

One year in, VCIEL is making solid progress. But it’s also a game of patience and resolve. I am beginning to understand this with my two year old. He crawled and crawled until finally a few months after his first birthday, he began walking. Now he runs like the Tasmanian devil, and I’m confident VCIEL is ready to hit full stride too.

Behind the Scenes of the Newly Released #VCIA2024 Official Logo!

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On behalf of The VCIA Board and staff members, I proudly share with you our 39th Annual Conference logo. You can get a taste for #VCIA2024 just by looking at it, and as remarked in this LinkedIn post, the logo captures the essence of our conference.

  • #VCIA2024 will be fun! We haven’t earned our top notch conference reputation on outstanding educational content alone. Simply put, The VCIA Conference is a great time, thanks to the friendly captive atmosphere, pleasant setting, and the plethora of quality pubs and restaurants to enjoy in downtown Burlington.
  • #VCIA2024 is completely welcoming! Like the rich colors that the logo bring out, our conference invites ALL members of the captive world – and those who wish to enter it. That means other state regulators and associations, international delegates, non members, students, and everyone under the sun has a place at our conference.
  • #VCIA2024 is visionary and forward-thinking. A good conference, regardless of industry type, is a reliable bellwether, serving as a platform to gauge how the industry is doing in real-time, and also forecasting where it is heading. #VCIA2024 will be no exception. Thanks in large part to so many industry thought leaders and key players who will be attending and presenting! Indeed, our logo is fresh and new, indicative of the creative juices that so many of you harness in the captive industry.

Interesting Behind-the-Scenes Facts about Forming the 2024 Conference Logo

  • Similar to our entire conference process, developing and finalizing the logo each year is a painstaking process, taking months and going from brainstorming, to drafting/editing, and then publicizing.
  • In the generative process of producing the logo, we scour the Internet and our local shops for logos that are simply pleasing to the eye. Then we identify different visual characteristics (Fonts bold or thin? Colors cool or warm? What about icons to supplement the logo? Etc.) we want to inform the logo. Based on our wish list, two or three mock ups are done until we determine the finalist.
  • Still a dear friend to VCIA, we thank Dave Rapuano, our former in-house graphic designer, who was contracted to produce another stunning conference logo.
  • Did you know? There used to be themed conferences? For instance, “Lights, Cameras, Captives!” These were fun, but we’ve done away for them and retain our evergreen conference tagline, “Where the Captive World Comes to Meet” because it reflects the global audience it attracts and showcases our captive conference as the largest in America.
  • The way the red Coca-Cola logo is engrained in public consciousness, so we hope our conference logo will be a familiar sight to everyone across the captive spectrum! Expect to see it in the captive media and on all of our conference communications.
  • What pops to mind when you see our new conference logo? Shoot me an email at kmead@vcia.com, and then we can continue the conversation at the conference! Remember, registration opens May 15th!