FPD Virtual Adjuster Conference 2020 Takeaways
On May 27th, 2020 Field Pros Direct went live with our first virtual conference. Each year we invite our network of Field Pros to meet in-person for a pre-CAT conference. Our conference focuses on providing adjusters with the training and information they need to go into CAT season ready to hit the ground running.
This year was one for the books. With COVID-19 and social distancing requirements, we were forced to find another way to connect with our adjusters – as cancelling the conference was not an option. So, this year we decided to try a virtual conference while opening it up to adjusters of all experience levels and rosters.
Creating a virtual conference experience
We went in knowing that a virtual conference will not be able to replace the connections made at an in-person event. Instead, we attempted to do our best to provide a personalize virtual conference experience by using webcams, giveaways and fielding questions live – just like you would at an in-person session. The biggest benefit for our presenters and attendees was being able to attend without leaving their home. Adjusters saved tons on travel and entertainment costs without worrying about wearing a mask and gloves.
Carrier Session Highlights
At Field Pros Direct, we are lucky to have partnered with some pretty amazing Carriers for this conference. As an added benefit, we offered an FPD Carrier Certification for all adjusters who stayed for the duration of the Carrier presentations. This FPD Certification will help adjusters boost their ratings on our smart-matching roster. Here’s a quick recap of the sessions:
Pharos: Erin Belk, Pharo’s Claim Manager joined us from Louisiana to discuss the policies and procedures adjusters should follow when investigating claims. Erin highlighted the importance of complete documentation on claims to ensure as much clarity as possible.
Harbor: TJ Daffron, Harbor’s Assistant Vice President joined us from Gainesville, FL. TJ did a great job visually depicting examples of how to determine coverage of certain claims. His presentation was packed with good information sprinkled with a great sense of humor.
FUN FACT: The dog that interrupted the beginning of the session was a German Shepherd Lab Mix
Managing the Public Adjuster: John Langowski, Chief Claims Officer of Swyfft joined us from Jacksonville, FL. John’s presentation had a slightly different angle than the others. He focused on providing best practices to manage a claims process when a public adjuster is involved.
Allied Trust: Ron Ligocki, Allied’s Field Claims Manager joined us from Tampa, FL to summarize Allied’s growth over the years in addition to their latest coverage areas. Ron went through a detailed best practice guide for all adjusters handling their claims.
Boulder/ICAT: Randy Horden, Boulder’s Claim Manager, joined us from Tuscaloosa, AL to discuss ICAT’s coverages in detail in addition to their standards for claims processing. Randy also spent time explaining Boulder’s overall philosophy so that adjusters can be in alignment with their purpose.
Each presenter got 98%+ satisfaction rating from the attendees for their sessions. They each did a fantastic job covering their standards for handling claims – leaving our attendees asking for more!
The New Look of Flood
In addition to Carrier sessions, we also welcomed Bob Butler, Director of NFS, to present the new standards that come with virtual flood adjusting. On April 2, 2020, in response to COVID-19 FEMA released a bulletin giving guidance on handling flood claims remotely. Virtual adjusting is something that has become particularly prevalent during the past couple of months. While some have been utilizing this tool for long before COVID-19, others are being introduced for the first time – flood being one of them.
During this session, Bob and Mary Anne Medina, Field Pros Direct’s VP of Business Development, went through the considerations and requirements for handling flood claims remotely. For those of you who couldn’t attend, you can find NFIP’s claim manual here. Overall the session was very informative for flood adjusters of all experience levels.
Continuing Education and Our Event Partners
Between CE credits, and CPCU certifications, we partnered with some great education providers to present different options adjusters have to stay active. Ryan Holdhusen joined us from HAAG Education. Ryan discussed the benefits that an adjuster can expect by participating in their training programs. We also welcomed Adenike Adeniji from The Institutes. During her session she reviewed the different courses available and gave insights to help an adjuster decide which course may be right for them. Both sessions gave adjusters just enough information to plan for their next step in their professional development.
Virtual Hurricane Happy Hour
To end the 3-days of learning with some fun, we hosted a virtual happy hour. With COVID-19, virtual happy hours have become somewhat of the norm, but can also be a little awkward (not ours!). Our icebreaker was an interactive Hurricane quiz to test everyone’s hurricane knowledge. We had two adjusters tie for first place, leaving to rest of us with lots of new hurricane facts. The FPD team had a great time with the 30+ adjusters (and chicken) who joined the Field Pros Direct team for virtual cocktails with a twist.
And that’s a wrap!
With over 80% of our 200+ attendees saying they would come back next year – we were honored to be able to deliver a Field Pros worthy virtual conference experience. Thank you to all of our partners, Carrier presenters, adjusters and the FPD team for making our first virtual conference a success!
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