88.4% of MGA Membership Attending AAMGA Annual Meeting

• AAMGA University Class: Getting Results that Matter
• Opening Reception: Denims & Diamonds

• Opening Breakfast with Paul Begalla and Tucker Carlson debating
  the 2012 US Presidential Election
• Trade and Vendor Show
• Spouse Coffee with First Lady Linda Forest
• London Brokers Luncheon
• Company Parties

• Business Meeting with Terry Bradshaw
• AAMGA University Recognitions
• Associate Members Town Hall Working Lunch Meeting
• Spouse Luncheon with Debbie Reynolds
• UFO Cocktail Party

• Golf & Tennis Tournaments
• Offsite Tours
• Onsite Cooking Class
• Gala Dinner and Entertainment by the Temptations

#AAMGA2012: Getting Connected - at the AAMGA Annual Meeting
Members and vendors attending the AAMGA Annual Meeting in San Antonio on May 6 - 9, 2012 will have the ability to remain connected and share their experiences in real time through the use of social media. The AAMGA Marketing Committee has created a special "hash-tag" identified on Twitter to allow members to connect - and stay connected during the meeting, and to share their experiences with those back home.

Use the hash tag "#AAMGA2012" when tweeting on site at the Annual Meeting, and to follow those who are at the Annual Meeting. Want to stay connected to the AAMGA throughout the year? Follow us on Twitter at AAMGATweets, or by clicking on any of the icons below for our communities on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

RMS 11 Webinar
Over 685 AAMGA members from US and UK, and many of their retail producers, attended a compelling and exclusive look at the background and use of the RMS 11 risk model. Offered in conjunction with RMS and its Senior Analyst Clare Salustro, CCRA, the hour-long free webinar provided attendees with the ability to understand the process and purpose of the new model, and its impact on conventional underwriting. A Question and Answer period followed.

For those who were unable to attend the webinar, or would like to share it with colleagues and customers, click on this link to listen to the contents.

Efforts are underway to provide AAMGA members with a deeper view and understanding into the development of the models, the manner in which the data collected is analyzed, and how the model is impacting the underwriting of risks. The session will be offered at University West, August 16 - 17, 2012 in Scottsdale, AZ. Watch for more details coming soon.  

Executive Committee Meetings with London Members & Lloyd's
AAMGA President Wayne Forest was joined by Immediate Past President Mark Rothert, Incoming President R.C. Chaffin and Executive Director Bernie Heinze, for the annual meeting with AAMGA members at Lloyd's and the London Market from February 7 - 10, 2012. A total of 41 meetings with 115 member representatives were held across the 3 � days to learn more from our members overseas about their current and future plans and programs. Meetings were also held with the senior management of the Corporation of Lloyd's, including CEO Richard Ward; Director of Market Operations, Sue Langley; Lead of Delegated Authorities, Peter Montanaro; Program Manager of Market Development, Adam Stafford; Head of International Regulatory Affairs, Rosemary Beaver; Manager of International Regulatory Affairs, Giles Taylor; Manager Stephen Yates; and others.

The meetings were all extremely productive and valuable in continuing to the dialogue between AAMAG and its members.  The Executive Committee reported the major there were some major themes that came out of the discussions:  

• The AAMGA is held in the highest regard by all Corporation at Lloyd's senior executives and London members. The AAMGA today occupies a venerable position together with the respect and trust for the efforts continuing to be achieved in the transaction and future of wholesale insurance business.  The Association's London members and Corporation at Lloyds see the continuity of the AAMGA over the years as its single greatest attribute, and the second as being able to navigate the ongoing dynamic forces in the uncertain regulatory (UK and US) and general business issues currently taking place.
• There is a growing perception within the market that the art of underwriting is being overshadowed by an increasing reliance on the risk models.  RMS 11 is receiving greater acceptance as either a model whose parameters must be followed, or is used as a resource along with other models to assist in rating and underwriting. This led to putting the webinar together for AAMGA members on RMS 11 and its implications (see further article above).
• Members are concerned with the stability, continuity and success of the distribution network given the gap in years of maturation between the generational leadership and the continuing mergers and acquisitions.  There is an opportunity for AAMGA to implement programs and other activities to strengthen the understanding of the wholesale MGA platform, the capabilities of management teams beneath the senior executive, and the professionals who comprise the market.

Report on the 2012 Automation Conference
The AAMGA's Annual Automation Conference "brought I/T all together" once again this year as over 300 CIO's, and insurance automation and technology professionals networked and exchanged ideas. Educational and market specific sessions, along with panel discussions on the issues facing MGA's, retailers and markets, highlighted the event held March 3 - 6, 2012 in Atlanta, GA.

A growing number of participants from Lloyd's and the London Market were also in attendance, as the Excess and Surplus Lines Joint Working Group took center stage to report on the efforts in which they have been engaged during the past year. Breakout groups and vendor showcases were also held to provide the attendees with current information and solutions to implement back at the office. Some of the comments from this year's attendees included: 

• "It's the best way to get a finger on the pulse of the industry to see where your own agency fits in the spectrum, and to see what projects/initiatives will need to be on our to-do list"
• "I really enjoyed the real time quoting case study and went home with a lot of new ideas"
• "Great place to meet peers and network" 

The 2013 AAMGA Automation Conference will be held March 2-5, at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

AAMGA Headquarters Has Moved 

The AAMGA has moved to new and improved Headquarters. Supported with advanced automation and state of the art technology, the staff moved into their new offices on March 19, 2012. The building is 1/2 mile from the prior office, and across from Valley Forge Memorial Park, and approximately 23 miles northwest of downtown Philadelphia.

If you are in the area, please stop in for a visit. The new address is:

610 Freedom Business Center
Suite 110
King of Prussia, PA 19406

The new Main Number is:  610-992-0022
The new Fax Number is:  610-992-0021

The new Direct Contact Numbers are:
610-992-0001  Bernie Heinze - Executive Director
610-992-0002  Martha Heinze - Director of Operations
610-992-0003  Mark Stackhouse - Graphic Design & Webmaster
610-992-0004  Ryan Friel - University Administrator
610-992-0005  Jeff Henry - Education Director
610-992-0006  Caitlin Skelton - Director of Meetings & Special Projects
610-992-0009  Marty Bair - Chief Financial Officer
610-992-0010  Sarah Selverian - Controller 

University White Papers
The AAMGA Education Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the AAMGA Education Foundation's 2012 Call for White Papers.  

• Justin Litaker from Appalachian State University, who wrote a paper entitled, "Cyber and Reputational Risk Insurance: Past, Present and Future"
• Kyle Guestin from Utica College, who wrote a paper entitled, "Risk Transfer Techniques for the American Wheat Farmer" 

Both students will receive a $1,000 scholarship and attend the AAMGA Annual Meeting in San Antonio this year along with their faculty advisors. Abstracts of both papers will be published in the May 2012 issue of the AAMGA's "Wholesale Insurance News" magazine.

The annual initiative allows students from all universities and colleges across the country to submit research papers on issues pertinent to the industry. All papers are evaluated by a team of 11 AAMGA members and scored along a variety of criteria.

More submissions were received this year from students across the United States than in any prior year. 

Annual Board of Directors Election Results
MGA voting members of the AMAGA have voted for new regional directors to take their seats on the Association's Board of Directors.

The winners are: David Thomas of E.A. Kelley Co., in Providence, RI in the Eastern Region, and Edward Levy, CIW of Risk Placement Services, Inc., in Scottsdale, AZ in the Western Region.

The term of Associate Board member Gary Tiepelman of Scottsdale Insurance Company will conclude in May. Nautilus Insurance Company President Tom Kuzma will fill the role and serve alongside Associate Board member Tom Mulligan, President of Western World Insurance Group. The term of AAMGA Education Foundation Chancellor Joe Hutelmyer of AmWINS Transportation is also concluding. AAMGA Past President Curtis Anderson has been proposed to assume the role, and will be voted on by the Foundation's Board of Trustees at the AAMGA Annual Meeting.

Current Senior Vice President Frank Mastowski of the Jimcor Agencies, CMGA in Montvale, NJ was unopposed for the position of Incoming AAMGA President. At the transition ceremonies to be held at the Annual Meeting in May, current President Wayne Forest, Sr., CIW, of Forest Insurance Facilities in Metairie, LA will pass the gavel to Incoming President, R.C. Chaffin of SeaCoast Underwriters, CMGA in Coral Gables, FL. Immediate Past President Mark Rothert, of Ron Rothert Insurance Services in Portland, OR will take his place among the AAMGA's distinguished Council of Presidents.  

Present Directors (Roger Ware of Genesee General Agency in Alpharetta, GA and Mike Berry of Specialty Insurance Managers in Austin, TX), will move up to the Regional Vice President positions on the Board, and the present Vice Presidents (Matt Letson of Hanover Excess & Surplus, CMGA in Wilmington, NC and Gary Peterson, CIW of Chris-Leef General Agency in Shawnee Mission, KS), will become the Regional Senior Vice Presidents. The UFO Ad Hoc Board Member position will be filled by Ken Distel of the Distel Agency in Connecticut. Treasurer Bobby Owens and Executive Director Bernie Heinze will complete the Board's composition for 2012 - 2013, under the leadership of President R.C. Chaffin.

Report on University East
AAMGA members from across the country, along with students from Appalachian State University, Fresno Pacific University and Georgia State University, gathered at the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta, GA on March 8-9, 2012, to attend the Annual University East Sessions and networking opportunities. Led by a faculty of wholesale insurance experts, participants were able to select from among 12 different continuing education and professional development classes, including: 

• Executive Practices for Leading at the Next Level
• Identity Recovery and Data Compromise
• Equipment Breakdown and Green Construction
• Managing Foreign Risks
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Employment Liability
• Current Events in the E&S Marketplace
• Making Effective Presentations 

The University's upcoming class offerings for the remainder of 2012 are:

June 21-22:  Trucking 200 - Orlando, FL
August 16-17:  University West - Scottsdale, AZ
October 29-30:  Trucking 300 - Nashville, TN

Registrations for all classes can be found on the AAMGA website.

WIN Magazine

• Another Liability Catastrophe in the Making?
• Insurance Pricing Cycles
• Enabling Technology Solutions for the MGA
• Underwriting MPL and Excess/Umbrella Coverages
• An Interview with Wayne Forest, Sr.
• AAMGA White Paper Winners
• Update on NRRA Implementation
• How the NRRA Handles Foreign Risk E&S Premium

AAMGA Committee Day

• Automation & Technology 
• Education 
• Ethics 
• Governmental Affairs 
• H.R. Committee 
• Marketing 
• Membership 
• Operations 
• Under Forty Organization 

AAMGA Membership Committee Looking for Additional Members

AAMGA Motorcycle Ride Information

New resources to help Lloyd's MGA's

Marketing Committee Kicks Off Social Media Initiative