104: ITC DIA Europe’s Upcoming Event with Merlin Beyts

Are you keen for your business to remain aligned with the latest innovations across the industry? Would you like to learn more about how new digital processes and platforms can energise and streamline your productive output? In this episode of the Insurance Broker Podcast, we are very pleased to be speaking with Merlin Beyts, Head of Content at ITC DIA Europe! In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, he explains what attendees can expect at the business’ exciting upcoming event at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, from 27th to 29th June! Uniting leading experts from across the industry, and giving a voice to professionals from adjacent industries, the event intends to further propel the future of insurance, facilitating discussion between insurers, brokers and Insurtech innovators.   Quote of the Episode “What I've noticed working in events… is you sometimes can fall into the trap of having the same conversations about the same things, and you really do need those innovators to sometimes say something that's perhaps controversial, say something that perhaps people don't necessarily want to hear. It's always great to have those innovative opinions so that we can really drive things forward.” The ITC DIA Europe event intends to provide a springboard for innovation, by hosting speakers who will push boundaries and encourage introspection for attending businesses, to evaluate how they can embrace new technology and form partnerships with which to stride confidently into the future. With so much change constantly rattling the industry, precipitated by the necessitated transformations during the COVID pandemic, it is through embracing change and constant innovation that insurers and brokers alike can continue to thrive throughout the unforeseeable.   Key Takeaways The ITC DIA Event intends to promote widespread innovation across the industry, by uniting Insurtech creators alongside traditional brokers and insurers under one roof. There are many businesses out there who can help the traditional insurance industry to drive innovation, and the event aims to facilitate discussions and promote collaboration between the old and the new. This is reflected in the structural hybridity of the conference, combining a traditional approach whereby everyone can move around and meet different exhibitors, alongside a ‘festival feel’ whereby people can sit down, relax, and have meaningful conversations and create powerful connections. Through this approach, the event aims to enable both Insurtech innovators and insurers and brokers to achieve their business goals, attaining the confidence to incorporate new digital practices. Merlin notes that some brokers have expressed a reluctance towards adopting new digital tools, perhaps for fear that it may eventually lead to certain areas of traditional broking becoming obsolete in the face of startlingly adaptable artificial intelligence. Yet, he argues that truly successful businesses will be those that embrace change. The ultimate focus of the event is the future of our industry. Where will insurance be in a few years’ time, and what changes does your business need to make to remain in the running? To book your ticket, visit the registration page on ICT DIA’s website, linked below!   Best Moments/Key Quotes “One of the big things that we are incredibly keen to make sure is on the agenda is just how many enablers there are out there who can help the insurance industry really drive innovation.  That's the whole goal of everything that we do, whether it's an event, whether it's a webinar, is to is to push the industry forward.”   “If you're an insurance provider looking to looking to accelerate your innovation, looking to automate your underwriting processes, improve your claims experience, we've got all of those people that can help you do that. Similarly, if you are looking to engage with those people from a tech provider side, or even from an MGA standpoint looking to partner up wit