March 5, 2009

Finally, our first full day of Dynamics.   Rise and shine to a wonderful client breakfast in Mangroves Restaurant.    We schedule activities that our clients have told us they enjoy.  Early risers are the golfers. Gotta get those early tee times in order to return to for early afternoon workshops.   Next to rise are the kayakers,  who enjoy a refreshing paddle through the inlets and mangroves led by experienced naturalists who describe the plants, birds, fish,  and animals on the route.  Finally,  the clients of leisure,  the spa peoples  rouse for their facials, manicures, and pedicures.

Lucky me, one of the spa peeps cancelled her facial,  and since I have to go on stage,  my boss insisted that I take the appointment to get my mug camera ready  Oh……..but this is a whole ‘nother story.  .  Let’s just say I am exfoliated,  hydrated,  oxygenated, aromatherapied, and radiant looking.

Our opening session is Jerry Lynch, CEO of New England Asset Management.   He described a money manager as someone who manages other people’s money until it is gone.  Pretty accurate lately.   Jerry spoke here two years ago,  at which time he mapped out and described in great detail exactly how and why our economy would implode.  Talk about a bullseye.   Today he described what will unfold.  

Are we in a recession?  Yes

Will it last a long time?  Yes

Will it change people’s attitudes about debt and spending?  Yes

At the end of the day, the only wild card is “Will all the efforts Central Banks around the world serve to stabilize the financial system and give us a firm footing from which to rebuild?”  Jerry believes the answer is yes,  but he does not know for sure and he does not know when.   My advice?  Hold on to your jobs for dear life and build a cash cushion.

Jerry’s uplifting lecture was followed by six excellent workshops.  I attended a session hosted by a broker and a group work together and who have developed a very successful formula for partnering.  Basically,  they give before they take.  And most of what they give is information,  education,  solutions, and good advice.   And they learn how to give what is perceived as valuable because they listen first, then speak.    It’s an iteration of one of Coveys’ Seven Habits “Seek first to understand,  then to be understood.”   Pretty basic. Pretty effective.

The sponsor hospitality hour was wonderful.   So many of our guests were mingling with the exhibitors,  making new contacts,  renewing old contacts,  and learning more about the latest in services for the insurance industry.  

And after that, a wonderful dinner by the pool sponsored by Fineos.    The weather was beautiful and our guests were delightful.

Gotta bed to bed now and rest for that ridiculous 6AM ‘fun run’ Mariski hosts every year.   Just tell me,  how does dragging my sorry butt out of bed at 6AM to dodge alligators and school buses in the dark get characterized as fun?  That my friends,  is marketing.

It's Show Time

Tuesday March 3, 2009
Dateline: Bonita Springs, Florida
Pre-conference

It’s show time. Our first guests arrive today. At breakfast I see Marty Keane from Doherty Cella and Keane, they are an important sponsor of the conference. At lunch there is Doug Steele and Mike LaChance from SurePoint, with Doug’s wife. Also the Genex team, another important sponsor, represented by Melissa Davey and Kevin Ufier. This afternoon the delegation from Lincoln Financial, a valued client of JHA, arrived in time for the client dinner.

On the work front, today was test and rehearse day. We tested all the lights and audio, measured to be sure the booths will fit where we expect them to fit, sampled the music that will play at general sessions, and walked through and rehearsed the Wednesday general session.

This afternoon was spent soaking up warm sunshine on the patio with our friends from Unum, Union Central, Country Life, and ACLI. Did I say that? Really it was a working session – you know – prepping for presentations, anticipating Q&A, etc.

And this evening was our annual client appreciation dinner. Near miss on this one. We had scheduled it to be outdoors but it was a little on the chilly side so we had to move it inside at the last minute. Then the restaurant opened up the screened-in porch and put those tall lantern-like space heaters in place. It was perfect. What had been a cool breeze became a warm breeze and it was perfect. What I enjoyed most about this dinner was the intimacy and camaraderie we are able to share with our clients. For example, we talked a lot about where the client wants to be positioned when the economy restarts, and what to do now in order to be in position. It may make me a geek, but I love those strategic game theory type discussions.

Monday March 2, 2009

Date line: Bonita Springs Florida
Preconference day Two
March 2, 2009


Can you say bright sunshine, blue sky, and birds singing? That’s what woke me up this morning. I also noticed how much tastier Florida orange juice is when its’ fresh squeezed.

We got down to business at a 9AM pre-conference meeting with the entire hotel staff. The heads of beverage, security, cuisine, electrical, transportation, guest services, concierge, recreation, etc. were all present to review the flow of the conference down to the tiniest detail. Having been a guest of the Dynamics conference about 10 times in my career, I had developed an appreciation for the lengths JHA goes to care for their clients and guests, and this pre-conference meeting confirmed all that I had come to believe about how much JHA cares that Dynamics is the best conference ever in the opinion of attendees.

We spent the afternoon reviewing and re-reviewing details, preparing welcome packages for clients and conference bags for all attendees, checking the weather forecasts for later this week, and flight conditions from the major airports. I’ll tell you, all these behind the scenes people are total professionals. They don’t miss a trick. One guy even asked whether the fresh mozzarella on the lunchtime buffet was going to be ‘buffalo’ mozzarella. Seriously. I guess that’s OK now that they are off the endangered species list. Looking forward to the ‘Argentinian Condor mozzarella’ after we get that species repopulated.

Did you know the Boston Red Sox are at this hotel today? I was wondering why there were so many athletic looking people walking around the hotel this afternoon. I didn’t recognize them as Red Sox players behind their Oakleys. But then I saw a bunch of them playing catch out in the Royal Palm Courtyard (where our Thursday evening event will be held). The ‘roid sniffing dog got distracted by my roast beef sandwich so the security guard relieved me of it. You know, baseballs thrown 200 feet on a line and the crisp ‘pop’ of the baseball mitt are a lot more impressive from ten feet away than they are on TV. Then I spied a couple of the players in the gym, sprinted upstairs to change into my workout clothes, and casually offered to spot for them on the bench press (just proper gym etiquette, you know). They said ‘no thanks’. They didn’t think I could hack it. Come on, I can dial 911 as quick as anybody.

Tomorrow our first guests arrive. We are so looking forward to welcoming them!

Sunday March 1, 2009

These are extraordinary times. It’s harder than ever to win budget money to attend educational conferences like Dynamics, which was not an easy task even in good times. We know you would be here at the Dynamics Seminar if you could be because you were here in 2007 or 2008. To demonstrate our appreciation for your past participation and to let you know we are thinking of you during the difficult times, we are sending daily updates to help you stay connected to what is happening at the Dynamics Seminar this year. We sincerely hope our industry and our economy will have regained their footing before Dynamics 2010, and that you will be able to take part in another amazing conference next year.

Dateline: Bonita Springs Florida
Pre-conference
March 1, 2009

Caught the 6AM flight from Portland this morning. Portland under winter storm warning. Connecting airports up and down the east coast already experience weather related flight delays. Come on Bonita! Arrived at 1:30pm, only 30 mins late. Bonus – was not selected for random strip search at the gate in Reagan Airport. Note to self – don’t wear dreadlocks and double digit body piercings while travelling.

Touchdown at the lovely Hyatt Resort and Coconut Point. The staff loves the guests of Dynamics. I’m about to schedule my golf lesson when Julie B. injects reality. “Um, Leo, we need you to help unpack the A/V equipment and when that is finished, run this job down to Kinko’s, quality check it, and I want this all done by the time my spa appointment is over.” I thought Julie reported to me, but not this week. This week is opposite week.

This is one big lesson I am learning about Dynamics. I used to be the guest at the wedding, but now I am the gopher for the wedding planner. It’s OK. I can already feel the excitement building. The people of JHA love Dynamics. And a major reason we love Dynamics is because of the many wonderful professionals we have an opportunity to learn from, teach, entertain, and build camaraderie with.

Tune in tomorrow. And to my friends in New England and the MidAtlantic, I hope your children enjoy their snow day off from school.