Is Sam A Party Pooper?

I've taken a hammering over my Oct. 10 blog entry–repurposed as my Oct. 20 NU editorial column, "The Party's Over"–in which I not only slammed AIG for taking top producers on junkets right after getting a federal bailout loan, but challenged the use of such incentive compensation itself. I suggested this at least created the potential for a conflict of interest by tempting agents and brokers to place business with a particular carrier because they might win a fancy trip, rather than putting the best interest of the client first. However, one question I repeatedly posed has yet to prompt a response: If trips to posh resorts do not convince producers to move more business to the sponsoring insurer, why do carriers pay millions to host them?