Interview: What to expect at the THIA Conference 2024
Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA) Conference Committee Co-Chairs David Ewing, International Program Marketing Manager at Jackson Health System International, and Warren Brown, Client Relationship Manager at World Travel Protection, talk to us about this year’s conference
Congratulations on last year’s fantastic THIA conference; what are you hoping for from the event this year in terms of visitor numbers and learning objectives?
Warren Brown: Thank you. Our Nashville conference last year coincided with THIA’s 25th anniversary and was a great success. It was our second post-pandemic conference and we sold out well in advance with double the delegates we had in 2022 when it was held in Cancun. But most importantly, the delegate feedback after the conference was very positive, which continues our tradition of providing valuable content and experiences for attendees.
Our May 22–24, 2024 conference will be the first time we are holding our annual event in Canada. Our hope is to introduce THIA to a new audience that might not otherwise be able to attend our conferences outside the country, and historic Québec City offers a beautiful and unique backdrop for our event.
This year’s conference will showcase sessions focusing on key topics such as the US healthcare system and in-flight emergency care, and features panels with medical directors and provincial insurance regulators. Our speakers of note include Ron Tite, Bernard Lord, Dr Kamran Khan and Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons, so there will be a wonderful variety of perspectives and topics. For more information on our speakers, I encourage readers to check out our conference web page.
Markets are dynamic at the moment, and with more focus on travel protection products and more buyers signalling their intention to purchase travel cover than ever before, what is the industry doing to maximise this potential?
WB: It is quite clear that there is a strong appetite for travel, and consumers have a better appreciation of the need for travel insurance than they did pre-pandemic. Outbound travel is expected to perform reasonably well this winter. Trips to sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean are projected to see the largest uptick in activity, while travel to the US, especially by air, is also expected to perform well.
The pandemic led to widespread adoption of digital services, including for travel insurance, but we also see our members ramping up their sales call-centre staff counts to support consumers who prefer working with a broker or agent, either to purchase a policy or to ask benefit questions.
Our hope is to introduce THIA to a new audience that might not otherwise be able to attend our conferences outside the country
As ever, one of the biggest challenges facing travel and health insurance companies is fast-rising medical costs; but for our industry, the difference between rises in costs for emergent and non-emergent care is key. What insights can attendees learn about how to mitigate and manage cost increases at this year’s event?
David Ewing: Two of our speakers, Marshall Allen and Jason Davis, will address the state of US Healthcare. Many ITIJ readers will be familiar with Jason, who is predicting that payers should expect increased costs because of an ageing population and ROI [return on investment] expectations. Marshall spoke at our 2011 conference in Las Vegas and his book Never Pay the First Bill has as its principle that payers should never pay the first bill until they have checked it to make sure that it’s accurate and to make sure that it’s fairly priced.
Sharing best practice among peers is undoubtedly an effective learning tool; how is THIA encouraging its members to share their experiences and insights so that others may improve their practices and protocols?
DE: In addition to having some members represented among our speakers, we are leveraging technologies available to poll attendees in real time, and, of course, post-presentation Q&As are always opportunities for delegates to both ask questions and share their own experiences. In addition, our conferences are always highly social. We intentionally schedule ample networking opportunities that allow attendees to share insights informally, one-on-one.
You’ve got a fantastic line-up of speakers all ready to go for THIA’s 2024 event; is there anyone in particular you’re looking forward to hearing speak?
WB: The Conference Committee does a wonderful job finding topics and speakers that will resonate with our audience. This year’s line-up is exceptional. One of the main reasons we are holding our conference in Canada is to encourage provincial insurance regulators to attend and address our members. In previous years, we have been advised by our regulators that they would be pleased to engage with us, but travelling to the US or to Mexico, where we have held our previous conferences, would be a non-starter. We are very pleased that regulators from Canada’s three largest provinces will be addressing our members in a fireside chat format hosted by the Vice Chair of THIA’s Regulatory Affairs Committee. In addition to the industry discussions, we are also looking forward to the inspirational and engaging discussions from our keynote speakers.
Networking is always the fun part of travel and health insurance events – we seem to be a very sociable industry! What can attendees expect to enjoy from a networking point of view this year? What does ‘networking’ mean to you and THIA?
DE: THIA conferences are often lauded for finding the right balance between education and networking. The conference committee has a number of events planned, including an opening night cocktail reception, a reception and dinner at the Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury,and a night out in Québec City for those staying over on the Friday night.
Founded in 1608, Québec City is unlike any other city in North America with its dramatic clifftop location overlooking the breathtaking St Lawrence River, its fortification walls, narrow winding streets, and wealth of historic buildings spanning four centuries. Today, Québec City is the heart of French culture in North America and we want our attendees to be able to take all of that in.
For more information about the 2024 THIA Conference, please visit thiaonline.com or https://globalexcel.com/thia2024/