Merger-and-acquisition activity, cloud computing, transportation and cyber risks are just four of the noteworthy topics scheduled to be covered at the Target Market Program Administrators Association's (TMPAA) midyear meeting this week.

Keynoter Tom Peters, the business-management guru who authored bestselling book “In Search of Excellence,” and industry speaker John Doyle, CEO of Global Commercial Business, Chartis, are sure to draw crowds for their presentations at the TMPAA midyear meeting taking place at The Westin Copley Place in Boston.

With eight additional educational workshops on the three-day schedule—in addition to networking events—NU editors selected what they think are the most intriguing hot topics and can't-miss sessions:

• Evaluating The Financial Strength Of Program Markets, Market Conditions, And What To Expect In 2011/2012

May 10, 10:30 a.m.

We all want to know how close the industry is to a market turn, and speaker David Paul of ALIRT Insurance Research has insights—and numbers—to share with TMPAA members.

Paul gave NU a preview of his presentation, comparing key financial data from the years leading up to the last market turn and the current market. He'll also give his assessment of the financial strength of TMPAA member carriers based on a proprietary ALIRT scoring method. (See related article, page 14.)

• Financial Statement Facelift—Improving Your Financial Statements For Presentation To Carriers, Reinsurers, Lenders, Or Equity Partners.

May 11, 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

“Balance Sheet Botox” and “Income Statement Scrub” are among the catchy phrases that drew our eyes toward the summary of this session scheduled to be presented by Kelly Drouillard, president and CEO of Quivira Capital LLC, a Kansas City, Mo.-based consulting firm.

She promises to explain how “classification and cleanup” of a balance sheet can strengthen the financial perception of your company.

“Owners typically have their own understanding of the financial performance of their business, which is not always apparent to outside parties. Many times there are basic and simple changes you can make to your financial statements and projections that will improve evaluation from an outside third party,” according to the session summary.

• Cloud Technology—What You Need To Know And Understand For Your Program Business Operation.

May 11, 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

In the clouds about cloud technology? Wondering if you should even care about it when new IT concepts just seem to add to your expenses?

Barry Ogletree, senior IT manager, Overby-Seawell Co., aims to help you over the hurdles during a workshop designed for business owners and managers. He'll explain what cloud technology is, how it will help your bottom line, who is using it, and whether its use is within the reach of small and midsize companies.

The complete agenda, and carrier and vendor information summaries are available at www.targetmkts.com/index.cfm?page=_meeting.

Special Reports /

Program Administrators To Gather At TMPAA Midyear

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