Have you missed the interpersonal connections which are so integral to the insurance industry over the past two years? Are you keen to get more involved in the industry community, or to reaffirm the connections you once had prior to the pandemic? In this episode of the Insurance Brokers’ Podcast, we are thrilled to be speaking with Emma Chapman, Head of Conference at BIBA, who is leading the team responsible for organising this year’s in-person event! In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, she explains what attendees can look forward to at this year’s conference, what we should expect to get out of it, and the opportunities available for new brokers and young people looking to enter the industry. The BIBA Conference will be held on 11th – 12th May 2022 in Manchester.   Quote of the Episode “Our theme this year is our insurance community. We really wanted to capture that feeling of reconnecting and coming together; the industry reuniting after all this time. BIBA is the place for that. We're proud to lead in that area and be the biggest event for the broking community in the UK.” The past few years have undoubtedly been a transitional period for the insurance industry. Now that the country is finally beginning to recover and re-emerge from COVID regulations, this is an optimum time for the broking community to reconvene and reunite. As Emma explains throughout the episode, this year’s BIBA Conference offers an array of great networking opportunities for attendees to form new connections with other delegates, and perhaps also to bolster ties with brokers which may have been somewhat impaired by the necessity of virtual work over the course of the pandemic.   Key Takeaways Big numbers are expected to attend the BIBA conference this year! In the episode, Emma notes that in 2019, 5000 brokers were in attendance, and a similar amount are expected to attend this year. This highlights the great opportunity that this event represents to reinvigorate the brokering community which has been greatly impacted by the restrictions of the pandemic. As Emma notes, insurance is a ‘personable business’, and as such, the ability to network in person, which hasn’t been possible for so long, will be incredibly valuable this year. The industry is only as strong as the community which constitutes it. The ability to build connections between firms through in-person interaction is the best way to sustain the strength of this community, as it will always work better with unity and personable interaction. Therefore, Emma suggests that delegates should take this year’s conference as a significant opportunity to build new connections with other brokers, or reaffirm pre-existing ones. If you are keen to attend this year’s conference, please be sure to download the BIBA app. It will be available to download in a few weeks’ time, and will serve as your primary guide to the conference, both in navigating the floorplan and maintaining your schedule. Additionally, a key part of this year’s conference will be the Young Broker Day. The restrictions of the past two years have been particularly difficult, Emma suggests, for young people who may have only just entered the insurance industry prior to lockdown, or indeed those who joined while the working world was primarily virtual. This is particularly difficult in an industry which is so heavily reliant on interpersonal communication. As such, Young Broker Day offers a range of networking opportunities for new industry entrants to form connections and broaden their understanding of the insurance world. Young Broker Day has also been opened out for the first time to local students, providing a fantastic opportunity for those considering a career in insurance, or even those who may not believe insurance is a viable career for them, to learn about the prospects it offers and network with prominent industry figures. Boston Tullis’ own Sarah Myerscough will