ACORD LOMA 2013: Share and Share Alike

Vegas, baby, Vegas.

Excuse me, I mean ACORD LOMA, baby, ACORD LOMA.

Yes, we are gathering again in Las Vegas on this holiest of Sundays—Cinco de Mayo—to prepare for three days of information, collaboration, and education as the 10th year of this merger of conferences between ACORD and LOMA begins on Monday.

This has been a good marriage for both organizations. Their differences and their similarities are strong enough that visitors to the forum are certain to find something that interests them, whether it is in a general or breakout session or among the hundreds of vendors plying their wares.

The conference business bends and turns often with the vagaries of the economy, but one thing continues that simply can not be replaced: the one-on-one meetings between people with similar goals and challenges.

In an industry that has way too much proprietary information, it is important for the greater good that we share a bit of what we do to ensure that each of us spends more time on the so-called important stuff—like growing our business—and less on still important but common issues such as data standards.

Of course standards is what ACORD is all about. They have become a world leader in the establishment of standards for all lines of business and all nationalities and sharing is the single most important aspect of what they do.

My goal over the next few days is to meet as many people as possible and find out what concerns they have for their business and for the industry as a whole. That seems like a simple goal, but it also means sharing some of myself and some of yourself. Let me know how it's working for you.