Fort Lauderdale, FLA. — As I walked around the halls of the 2016 Benefits Selling Expo, I was struck by a few things. One was the energy running through the building. If you go to enough conferences, you start to recognize the shell-shocked faces of trade show veterans.
But instead, I saw animated conversations, lots of networking and plenty of groups exchanging cards and cell phone numbers. And you know what else I saw? Broker after broker talking on phones – to clients. Now, far be it for me to advocate skipping out on breakout sessions, but you know what? Good for them. It's one thing to talk a good game and quite another to live it. And these people were living it. At the end of the day, it's vitally important that we continue to learn and evolve as an industry, which is a lot of what this show is all about. But it was inspiring to see that when it comes down to it, the client is always first.
And you know what else has impressed me about attendees so far? (Well, besides the fact that so many passed Jim Carroll's texting test during the opening keynote, that is.) I was impressed with how those in this industry are starting to react to change.
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In session after session, I heard speakers giving advice on integrating technology, helping clients to comply with the ACA and surging voluntary sales.
And as Jim Carroll provided rapid-fire statistics about the pace of change and how it's turning the health care world upside down, I looked out into the audience and saw some looks of shock and maybe even a little fear. But I also saw brokers jotting down notes as fast as they could and taking pictures of every slide that was posted.
Carroll talked a lot about how technology is shaking the foundations of everything we know. How, in many ways, the worlds of "Star Trek" and "The Jetsons" are no longer science fiction but are, in fact, our new reality.
Let's face it, that's scary. Change on this kind of scale and at this speed is pretty terrifying. But it's not just consumers who are becoming more engaged and motivated. Our industry is, too. Believe me, I saw and heard plenty of evidence today.
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Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.
