Editor's Note: The 68th annualWorkers' Compensation Educational Conference (WCEC)will be held Aug. 18-21 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.Presented by the Workers' Compensation Institute, the WCEC is thelargest gathering of its kind in the nation andoffers discipline-specific programs and break-out sessionsfrom hundreds of national speakers, as well as CEU opportunities.During the conference on Aug. 19, NU Executive Managing EditorShawn Moynihan will present the PC360/NU Awards for Excellence inWorkers' Comp Risk Management.

One of the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference'slongest-running programs on national issues is titled “NationalTrends in Workers' Compensation,” a two-day program of assembledexperts from all over the country discussing issues of significantimportance to the industry. “National Trends” takes place on Aug.19 and 20.

The first presentation, on Monday, is a cutting-edgediscussion on “Emerging Exposures” in which the participantsdiscuss “newer” kinds of accidents and exposures that are beginningto creep into the workplace. Just when we think we have a handle onthe risks in Workers' Comp, new exposures bring new challenges. Howdo you price these out? How do you take a proactive approach tothese exposures? To address those questions and more, the Workers'Compensation Institute has assembled a group of thinkers who canoffer insights from an insurance company standpoint, a TPAstandpoint and a large national employer standpoint. The panel ismoderated by Jim Ryan from Sedgwick and the panelists are MonicaLichenstein from Aramark and John Santulli from PMA.

While many talking about metrics in 2013, not everyoneunderstands what it all means. We know that metrics and dataanalysis are critical, but many of us don't possess the backgroundto fully understand it or to ask the proper questions. The WCIseeks to bridge this gap by presenting a session called “SavingsIsn't Everything: What is Your Data Really Telling You AboutQuality?” Most importantly, this group of data experts will providetips on crunching numbers for non-data professionals. This panelfatures Moderator Jennifer Hermann, the director of data analyticsfrom MedRisk, Jerry Poole from Acrometis, Jeffrey White fromAccident Fund Holdings and Great White Software and George Furlongfrom Sedgwick.

Aug. 20 features one of the conference's star programs, anaudience favorite for several years running. Bob Hartwig from theInsurance Information Institute and Jeff Eddinger from NCCI, led bymoderator Joan Collier, will provide a “by the numbers” talk aboutthe state and health of our industry. Much has happened in theworld of Workers' Comp in the past year, and Eddinger and Hartwigwill serve as the ideal tag-team duo to bring panel attendees up tospeed.

The final “National Trends” presentation on Tuesday is adiscussion of real-world tragic events titled “The Emergence ofExtreme Violence in the Workplace.” In order to discuss thissensitive and important issue, Jennifer Tomlin from Zurich willmoderate a panel comprised of Susan Gordon and Chris Calloway (bothfrom Zurich, talking about violence in the workplace from anunderwriting and a claims standpoint) and Scott Clark, risk managerfor the Miami-Dade County School Board, who will talk about hisplan on how to deal with violence in the school system.

For registration information on the 68th annualWorkers' Compensation Educational Conference, click here.