Agenda

Sponsor Happy Hour at Michael Walters Advertising Agency Office

Registration and Event Information Desk  

The Registration and Event Information Desk is the main hub for workshop information and badge pick-up. NAMIC staff are on hand to welcome you and answer any questions you have throughout the workshop.

Attendee Breakfast  

Join fellow attendees for fellowship and a hot breakfast before sessions kick off for the day. Grab a cup of coffee and get charged up for a full day of educational sessions.

NAMIC Welcome and Opening Session: 3 Steps to Refresh Your Employer Brand Marketing

It's time to rethink those boring job descriptions. Insurance organizations must pay as much attention to employment brand messaging as they do to marketing to agents and policyholders. Just as brand should not be owned solely by marketing, culture shouldn't live alone in human resources. The marketing and communications team plays a vital role in the underlying approach and messaging. This session will discuss how to rethink the strategy of attracting new talent to your organization.

Peter van Aartrijk
Principal
Aartrijk

Networking Break  

Take this time to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Hands-On Canva Workshop

This session will be a hands-on, facilitated demonstration of Canva, the free online graphic design tool. The workshop will kick off with the basics of how to set up brand elements, followed by examples of how to build various branded collateral. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops because they will leave the session with marketing collateral that can be put to use immediately.

Networking Break  

Take this time to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions to Agents and Marketing Professionals

This session will explore the evolving landscape of the industry, the strategic rationale behind mergers-and-acquisitions activities, and the impact it has on agents and carriers’ marketing professionals.

Attendee Lunch

A hot lunch buffet is available for attendees to sit and mingle over the lunch break. Attendees are welcome to come and go at their convenience.

Earning Customer Trust with Content

Business-to-business buyers want to partner with businesses they trust. Yet, nearly two-thirds of them are also looking for a rep-free sales experience, according to Gartner.

Answer: Content.

Networking Break  

Take this time to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Rapid-Fire Sessions and Interactive Working Sprints

This unique learning opportunity pairs interactive education with practical takeaways. The session will consist of three short blocks of subject-matter led content followed by a small group or individualized “working sprints” on a pre-determined prompt.

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Storytelling
15-minute presentation from Dani Kimble, founder and CEO of Azelie Marketing followed by a 15-minute hands on working sprint where attendees will break out into small groups to discuss a storytelling-related prompt before reporting their findings back out to the larger group.

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. AI/ChatGPT
15-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute interactive prompt working sprint where attendees will develop useful and personalized generative AI prompts to aid them in their day-to-day work.

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Internal Communications
20-minute fireside chat-style, peer led content led by Katie Gouldner, public relations and marketing communication specialist with Millers Mutual Insurance Company and Julia Jenson, director of communications with Western National Insurance Group, followed by a 10-minute working sprint where attendees will work to refine an internal communication in real time.

Optional Activity: 360 Chicago and Pizza Making Class

360 CHICAGO offers the best views of Chicago from the top of the former John Hancock Center. Attendees will head up 94 floors to view breathtaking panoramic views of Chicago from 1,000 feet above the famed Magnificent Mile. After heading back down to ground level, the group will get to handmake Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza from scratch. Teams will compete to create the best Chicago-style pizza based on an assortment of ingredients and decorate cannoli for dessert during this one-of-a-kind experience.

Visit the Optional Activities page for more information about how to add this activity to your registration.

Registration and Event Information Desk  

NAMIC staff are on hand to welcome you and answer any questions you have throughout the workshop.

Attendee Breakfast  

Network with fellow attendees over a hot breakfast before the final day of the workshop.

Roundtable Discussions

Join fellow communication + marketing professionals in roundtable discussions focused on emerging issues, leadership, and other marketing-focused topics.

Networking Break ​

Take this time to chat with fellow attendees, grab a bite to eat, and stretch your legs.

Closing Session: Agent Panel Discussion

The success of the company/agency relationship is an integral part of our industry, so it is important to be tuned into what agents want and need to create successful partnerships. This candid discussion will allow participants to hear directly from a diverse panel of agents about what they look for in carrier partners and how to improve relationships with direct and independent agents.