The American Association of Managing General Agents is gearingup for its annual meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., next month, drawingits members to the gathering with the promise of networkingopportunities.

The meeting will feature its share of high-profile speakers,including business magazine publisher Steve Forbes, but the themeof the meeting is "Strength of Association," emphasizing networkingbenefits--the clear focus of registration materials beingdistributed by the group.

The meeting will take place May 16-20 at the Boca Raton Resortand Club.

"Given the current market conditions, there has never been amore important need to foster our existing relationships andfacilitate those with new trading partners," AAMGA President EuclidBlack wrote in a letter to members on the first page of this year'smeeting brochure.

"The hallmark of the wholesale insurance marketplace is thestrength and respect of mutual relationships. The annual meeting isthe perfect venue to foster existing relationships and making newcontacts in a professional and relaxed atmosphere," says an onlinereference of "Annual Meeting Productivity Tips."

The online guide, subtitled "How to Maximize Your Experience,"which is available on the Web site at http://www.aamga.org/annualmeeting/annualmeeting2009along with the complete meeting agenda and registration materials,lists six ways for the attendees who come from the managing generalagency segment of the group to get the most out of the event.

Among other things, it advises MGAs to:

o Prepare lists of potentialcontacts, who are associate (insurance company) members andbusiness service members (vendors), and issues to discuss withthem.

o Plan schedules early.

o Participate in group activities.

o Persist in gettingappointments to meet with company representatives they'reinterested in seeing.

Directing members to a list of attendees, which is posted on theAAMGA Web site and updated each week until the meeting takes place,the productivity guide suggests members take the initiative andreach out to people they'd like to meet with who aren't yet on thelist.

Through April 17, close to 800 members had signed up for theconference, according to the online attendee list. Last year, over1,200 attended, according to AAMGA.

The Agent and Brokers Lounge, which is a central area set up formeetings between MGAs and company representatives, is scheduled tobe open every day of the meeting except Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m.

Members will also be able to connect at several receptions, toparticipate in educational sessions and to attend a vendor martfeaturing more than 50 companies serving the wholesale insurancecommunity.

Included among the vendors exhibiting at the "Vendor & TradeShow," which will be open on Monday, May 18, from 10:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m., will be premium finance companies, computer softwarevendors, third-party administrators, attorneys, actuarialconsultants, and firms offering premium audit, underwriting, losscontrol and inspection services, remote staffing services, and evena firm offering short-term international travel insurance.

In addition to parties hosted by associate (insurance company)members on Monday and Tuesday evenings, an opening reception forall attendees will kick off the conference on Sunday at 7:00p.m.

A new member reception will precede that event, serving uprefreshments and a briefing from AAMGA executives, who will outlinesome of the benefits of the association to the newest members,advising them on ways to get the most from their memberships.

Another "hallmark" of the AAMGA, its AAMGA University, willoffer two educational sessions on Sunday, May 17, to runconcurrently from 8:00 a.m. to noon--both promising to give MGAscompetitive advantages.

The first, "Captive Insurance Strategies," promises to teachMGAs, program administrators and other agents the benefits ofcaptives for their firms, employees and sales partners. The second,"Effective Selling: Strategies to Grow Your Business," promises tohelp attendees move beyond simply creating a sales culture--movingthem toward putting new business growth where it needs to be andhelping them to increase premium retention.

Reaching out beyond the insurance community, AAMGA will presenttwo guest speakers: Glenn Reynolds, during an opening breakfast onMonday morning, and Steve Forbes, the Tuesday morning keynoter, whowill speak during the AAMGA business meeting.

Mr. Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee, isbetter known for a political blog known as Instapundit. Accordingto his own account, he is also a contributing editor forPopular Mechanics and author of the book, "An Army ofDavids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to BeatBig Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths." In a very differentvein, he writes lawyerly articles, like "Environmental Regulationof Nanotechnology: Some Preliminary Observations," he notes on hisblog site.

Mr. Forbes, chair and chief executive of Forbes Inc. andeditor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, is also known as apast Republican candidate for U.S. president, having run for thepost in 1996 and 2000, and for his frequent appearances on CNN,MSNBC and FoxNews. AAMGA expects Mr. Forbes to share his views onthe Obama administration and the status of the economy.

Conference Highlights

AAMGA Meeting At A Glance

While perhaps not immediately recognizable in their motorcyclehelmets, some members of the American Association of ManagingGeneral Agents will ride around the Sunshine state on Saturday, May16--a day before the annual meeting kicks off.

After the 170-mile roundtrip motorcycle ride, which is open toevery qualified and licensed motorcycle rider working for an AAMGAmember, the motorcycle gang and rest of the members signed up forthis year's meeting will settle in for some less noisy events.

They include:

o Two AAMGA University classes on Sunday morning--one on captivestrategies and one on sales tips.

o A cooking class on Sunday afternoon, featuringchocolate-making techniques.

o A new member reception and an opening reception on Sunday, May17.

o An opening breakfast on Monday, May 18 with keynote speaker,Glen Reynolds, a political blogger.

o A trade and vendor show also on Monday, featuring exhibitsfrom more than 50 business service partners.

o A spouse luncheon featuring comedienne, Diana Jordan.

o An "Under-40 Organization" cocktail reception on Tuesdayevening, open to all members.

o Golf and tennis tournaments, as well as offsite tours onWednesday.

o A gala dinner with entertainment from Comedian John Cleese ofMonty Python fame on Wednesday, concludes the event.

o An agents and brokers lounge will be open throughout theconference.

o Publisher Steve Forbes will be the keynote speaker during theTuesday morning business meeting.

Also during the business meeting, AAMGA leaders will presentUniversity awards, and President-elect Curtis Anderson, of RiskPlacement Services Inc., will become the new president, receivingthe ceremonial green jacket from Euclid Black, president ofBlack/White Associates.