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Workplace Benefits Renaissance 2008
Agenda Overview

Agenda Floor Plan Hotel Attendee Registration Exhibitor Start Page List Of Exhibitors Sponsors Speakers

February 25, 26, & 27
Wyndham Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida
700 Attendees, 90+ Exhibitors, 40+ Speakers
Licensed agents register two for the price of one.


2008 " Spring Training Challenge" Conference

 

"Get in the Game"

  Saturday & Sunday, February 23rd, 24th 2008
    No scheduled activities - arrive early and enjoy the sunshine of Florida in February

  Monday, February 25th, 2008

Time Event Speaker/Sponsor
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm "MVP" Registration Desk Open
Location - Outside Palms Ballroom

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Veranda Poolside Opening Wine And Cheese Reception - Get acquainted and meet with the biggest hitters in the workplace benefits industry. Sponsored By: UNUM
Location -
West Pool Pavillion

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm "All-Stars" Exhibitor Set-up (optional)  
Room Drops Elite Underwriting Services, Inc.

Room Drops Illinois Mutual

Room Drops Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions


  Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

Time Event Speaker/Sponsor
7:00 am - 5:00 pm "MVP" Registration Desk Open

Sponsored By: Allstate Workplace Division (AWD)

Location - Outside Palms Ballroom

  Workplace Benefits Renaissance 2008 "Program Guide"

Sponsored By: HM Insurance Group (HM)

Location - Palms Ballroom

  Workplace Benefits Renaissance 2008 "KeyCard Books & Lineup Card

Sponsored By: AmeriFlex

  Workplace Benefits Renaissance 2008 "Down The Line" Gear Bags

Sponsored By: Hammerman & Gainer Inc. (H&G)

  Workplace Benefits Renaissance 2008 "Locker Room Internet Kiosk"

Sponsored By: ING Employee Benefits

  General Sessions Sponsor - Purchasing Power, full-service provider of voluntary employee computer purchase programs

7:00 am – 9:00 am "All-Stars" Exhibitor Set-up

Location - Palms Ballroom

 
9:00 am – 10:30 am "Grapefruit League" Breakfast With All-Star Exhibitors in the All-Star's Exhibit Hall

Sponsored By: Insurance Broadcastin
Location -
Palms Ballroom

10:30 am – 10:45 am
"Ceremonial 1st Pitch" Manager's Lineup Card  & Dugout Notes

Location - Floral Ballroom

 
Walt "Pine Tar" Podgurski  - Read Bio

 &

Jeff "Good Eye" Grabiak

10:45 am – 11:30 am
Keynote Presentation - Why Voluntary Benefits Are Important

Location - Floral Ballroom

Ronald G. "Stretch" Stone, President, The Comprehensive Companies - Read Bio
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Keynote Presentation - Understanding Diversity & How To Succeed In The Growing Hispanic Market

Industry leader and Hispanic Market expert, J.D. Moya, will give priceless tips and education on how to stay on top and ride the next big wave in Insurance.

Location - Floral Ballroom

J.D. "Bonus Baby" Moya, - Founder, Pegasus Insurance Group - Read Bio
12:15pm – 1:30 pm "Bases Loaded" Lunch With All-Star Exhibitors in the All-Stars' Exhibit Hall

Sponsored By: Colonial Life
Location -
Palms Ballroom

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm   "Triple Play"
Break-out Sessions
Critical Illness Track - Critical Illness Insurance (CII) Basics - CII 101

This session will establish a solid foundation for understanding Critical Illness Insurance which is the first step toward success in sales. First , a general overview of CII is provided - definition , historical perspective , product design , and a market overview. Second , CII from a a producers perspective - why sell this product and how you can be successful selling it. Then , a discussion of the various markets and prospects for the product.

Location - Magnolia  
Mary "Golden Glove" Grahovac, Regional Vice President , Independent Agent Distribution, Protective Life Insurance Company
Read Bio

Bob "Line Drive" Ley, Vice President - A&H Sales Independent Distribution, American General Life Companies , LLC

Short-Term Disability: Your Paycheck’s Middle Reliever

Chuck Eberle will discuss:
• STD - What it does and it’s purpose
• Why it is needed
• Typical carrier plan offerings
• Typical plan features
• Voluntary STD carrier needs
• Broker and agent needs
Chad Bozell will discuss
• Conseco Worksites approach to STD and the market
• Conseco Worksite Wage Guard features and highlights
• Questions

Location - Jasmine Room

Chuck "Ace" Eberle

 

 

Chad "Backstop" Bozell 

Electronic Enrollments

How to use integrated technology solutions for not just making the employer sale… but increasing your long term success for 'making' more voluntary employee benefit sales". Location - Oleander Room

Mike "Charge-The-Mound" Castle

Read Bio

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm  "Down The Middle"
Break-out Sessions
Critical Illness Track - CII as a complementary product with Disability Insurance.

Become an agent of change by helping companies implement cost-intelligent strategies that help their employees become better managers of their personal health care, thus reducing costs.

Location - Magnolia Room

Ken "Swing For The Fences"  Smith, Director of Critical Illness Insurance and Disabilty Income - Assurity Life Insurance Co., NACII's Board of Directors and the current President of
NACII

Steve "Round-Tripper" Rowley, Vice President of Risk Underwriting, Gen Re Life Corp

"Open more doors in less time in 2008 by providing the #1 solution Employers beg for".

It takes a "new" kind of message, one that separates you from the competition… Bottom line… don't try and sell your way in the door with the same old message everybody uses.

Whether you're breaking into Worksite marketing or a seasoned pro.... Everyone will learn new information to help you to hit your sales goals "out of the park!"
Location -
Jasmine Room

Mark D. "Grand-Stander" Gebhardt, President, AIGILIS Corporation - Read Bio
 

Essential Components for Successful Benefit Enrollment
Combining 25 years of experience as an insurance agent along with 15 years as a software developer, Daniel Freund, CFP, ChFC, CLU, President of Common Census, Inc.®, a software company with a Benefits Operating System™ that specializes in technology to enroll and manage employee benefits, will review the essential components of successful benefit enrollment.

Additionally, he will describe the probable future of enrollment for the remainder of the decade. A brief Q&A will follow a presentation designed to leave attendees with a succinct one page guide to successful enrollments.
Location -
Oleander Room

Daniel "Fireballer" Freund
President, Common Census
 

Read Bio

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm 7th Inning Stretch  
3:30 pm – 3:40 pm
“Box Score” Wrap-up / Reminders, & Prizes

Location - Floral Ballroom

Kerrie "Yacker/Yacker" Young - WBA Manager
3:40 pm – 4:15 pm
Keynote Speaker - Challenging Times, Courage and Convictions, Difficult Days, Defining Moments

We live in interesting times. However, it is through our most challenging moments that we learn about who we are as people, the companies we work
for, and the world we live in. You will be motivated to live with courage and conviction as John Penko recalls how defining moments can light the way
for a better future for ourselves, the people we serve and our industry.
Location - Floral Ballroom
John "Fastball Artist" Penko, Senior Vice President of Sales AIG EBS
Read Bio
 
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm "Stadium" Networking Reception in the All-Stars' Exhibit Hall

Sponsored By: AIG Employee Benefit Solutions
Location -
Palms Ballroom


  Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Time Event Speaker/Sponsor
8:00 am - 5:00 pm "MVP" Registration Desk Open

Location - Outside Palms Ballroom

8:00 am – 9:30 am "Break Open The Game" Breakfast With All-Star Exhibitors in the All-Stars' Exhibit Hall
Sponsored By:
Workplace Benefits Association
Location -
Palms Ballroom

9:30 am – 9:45 am "Put The Ball In Play," Manager's Lineup Card & Dugout Notes Location - Floral Ballroom Walt "Pine Tar" Podgurski & Jeff "Good Eye" Grabiak
9:45 am – 10:30 am
Keynote Presentation - "Silence is Golden;

Proven Closing Techniques for Closing the 4 Sales of Worksite, Negotiating Superior Working Conditions and Increasing Participation.
Location -
Floral Ballroom

Jim "Circus Catch" Christenson, Director of Workplace, Emerson, Reid & Company - Read Bio
10:30 am – 11:15 am
"Fast Pitch'
Break-out Sessions
Critical Illness Track - CII and Cancer products; How they differ.

Location - Magnolia Room

Joe "Wheelhouse" Wieser, Vice-President of Sales, Colorado Bankers Life Ins. Co.

J.R. "JR" Jordan, Vice President of Administration, Colorado Bankers Services

Read Bios

Successful Group Presentations - Knock it out of the park every time. Be the Babe Ruth of Group Presentations - "Tips that will take Rookies to the Majors and Seasoned Professionals to the Hall of Fame!"
Location -
Jasmine Room
Peggy "Payoff Pitch" Hayes, National Agency Director for American Fidelity Assurance Company - Read Bio
A New Approach to Solving the 401(k) Testing Dilemma

It has virtually become a requirement to provide a 401(k) plan for employees. From the employer perspective, a major challenge of having a 401(k) plan is how to satisfy the mandated compliance testing while allowing the company’s highly compensated employees to fully participate. Learn about a unique solution specially tailored for Benefits Producers that will substantially increase your benefits revenue while permanently solving your client’s mandated testing concerns without changing your client’s existing 401(k) plan or plan administrator.
Location -
Oleander Room

Tim "Triple Play" Trankina
President and Founder
The Peachtree Companies

Robert J. "Golden" Gaspard
Vice President & Director  LBP

Read Bios

11:15 am – 11:30 am "Umpire's Time Out"  
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
 "Long Ball"
Break-out Sessions
Critical Illness Track -  An Overview of CI Integrated Products, (Life , Mini Med , LTC).

Although most critical illness insurance products are designed as stand alone products, CI can also be integrated into life, mini meds, and long-term care products for the individual and worksite sales. This session will provide an overview of these products, along with marketing and sales ideas to utilize in this evolving market.

Location - Magnolia Room

Dan "Pivot Man" Pisetsky, Ph.D., Managing Director, US Living Benefits LLC - Read Bio

Rob "Squeeze Play" Shestack, CES: Voluntary Benefits Practice Leader, The Trion Group - Read Bio

Small Business Retirement Planning
Learn how to turn "challenges" into "opportunities" and increase your Contributions


Small business retirement plans today are more flexible and appealing than ever before. There are numerous plan designs that can be structured to convert current taxes to assets and achieve the retirement income desired. The challenge is to determine which plan is the most beneficial and will help your clients achieve their retirement goals. This session highlights some of the truly innovative plan designs, reviews who may be the best fit and looks at examples of some unique cases, such as plan designs that put 80% to 90% of the company's retirement plan contribution into the business owner's account.
Location - Jasmine Room
William A. "Moonshot" Magnuson
Pension Sales Consultant
American National Insurance Co., Galveston, TX
Building A 5-Year Strategic Benefits Plan With Your Clients

Until now the focus has been on plan design and redesign
Forward thinking benefit advisors and voluntary benefits specialists are now beginning to think more strategically and holisticly about their clients benefits programs.

In this presentation, Jack will discuss the development of a 3-5 year written strategic plan for the entire employee benefits package  Location - Oleander Room

Jack "Knock Down" Kwicien, CLU ChFC
Registered Investment Advisor
Managing Partner
Daymark Advisors, LLC

Read Bio

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm "Home Field Advantage" Lunch With All-Star Exhibitors in the All-Stars' Exhibit Hall

Sponsored By: Peachtree LBP
Location -
Palms Ballroom

 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
 "Magic Number"
Break-out Sessions
Critical Illness Track - Successful CII Sales Ideas for Individual/Worksite/Group Markets

Throughout the insurance and financial industries, Wilma is known as The LTC Coach and The Critical Illness Coach.  She has authored sales systems for financial professionals, written consumer booklets about financial choices, and appears regularly as a columnist for ‘The Register’.

She has published over 200 articles for the financial community and her articles have appeared in magazines such as Business Week, Senior Market Advisor, Agent Sales Journal, and Advisor Today. Location - Magnolia

Wilma G. "Triple-A" Anderson
CEO, Senior Care Associates

Read Bio

Riding Mega Trends – The Rising Cost of a College Education

The College Tuition Benefitsm is the take away, sales idea, for which you came to Orlando, not to mention the $500 per child, SAGE College Scholarship you’ll receive for attending.  Learn how you can:   Differentiate yourself and open doors, Guarantee working conditions, Increase Account penetration, and Ensure re-enrollment annually. This truly unique tool focuses on putting dollars in employees’ pockets and addressing one of Americans’ most significant financial concerns; putting a child through college. www.CollegeTuitionBenefit.com
Location -
Jasmine Room

Michael R. "The Natural" Ackerman
Principal
National Benefit & Scholarship Co.

Limited Benefit Medical Plans = Unlimited Opportunity

If you have all the business and income you can handle, skip this workshop and hit the golf course. But if you want to tap in to a hugely unpenetrated market with millions of customers, come learn how limited benefit medical plans can give you a new solution to the health care issue. Limited benefit medical plans have been around for a few years but are still a relatively unknown — and often misunderstood — solution for employers who can’t afford to offer health coverage or who have employees who don’t qualify for the company’s plan. In this presentation, you’ll learn what limited benefit medical plans are, where they work best, the key points that hit employers’ hot spots and why effective communications is crucial for a successful enrollment.
Location -
Oleander Room

Justin "Lead-Off" Laughlin
Assistant Vice President
Product Development
Colonial Life

Frank "Flamethrower" Ferez
Territory Manager
South Carolina/East Georgia
Colonial Life

Read Bios

 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
 "Go The Distance"
Break-out Sessions
"Clean-Up" Keynote Speaker - Workplace Benefits & The P&C Producer The industry has long recognized the potential of the P&C producer to generate substantial workplace premium. This presentation will explain how this has been successfully accomplished on a company-wide level.
Location -
Floral Ballroom
Allstate Workplace Division
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm 7th Inning Stretch  
3:45 pm – 4:00 pm “Around The Horn" Wrap-up / Reminders, & Prizes Location - Floral Ballroom Kerrie "Yacker/Yacker" Young - WBA Manager
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm Double Your Voluntary Benefits Revenue Stream - Is it actually possible to double your voluntary benefits revenue stream? Of course it is, says Walt, and he will share what he has learned over a 39-year career in insurance and a 30-year involvement with voluntary product sales.
Location -
Floral Ballroom
Walt "Pine Tar" Podgurski  - Read Bio
4:45 pm - 6:00 pm Caribbean Margaritaville Party-  Closing Networking Reception With All-Star Exhibitors in All-Stars' Exhibit Hall Sponsored By: Transamerica Worksite Marketing
Location -
Palms Ballroom

6:00 pm Prize Give Away & Closing Remarks Walt "Pine Tar" Podgurski
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm "All-Star" Exhibitor Tear Down  

 Thursday, February 28th, 2008 2008

Time Event Speaker/Sponsor
9:00 am - 11:00 a.m.

9:00 am – 11:00 – WBA Advisory Board Meeting

Location: Azalea A & B


 

Contact Information:
9221 Ravenna Road, Suite #D8
Twinsburg, OH 44087
888-282-1765
330-425-8489 fax
330-425-8399 direct
Walt Podgurski, CLU, CES
Chairman & CEO
   walt@insurancebroadcasting.com
   
Tedd Isham
Communications Consultant   tedd@insurancebroadcasting.com 
   
Kerrie Young
Consulting Director, Workplace Benefits Association 405-735-5532   kerrieyoung8@gmail.com 
   
  InsuranceBroadcasting.Com, Ltd.   www.insurancebroadcasting.com
  INSURANCE NEWSCAST   www.insurancenewscast.com
  Workplace Benefits Association   www.workplacebenefits.org
  Insurance Media Association   www.insurancemedia.net
  Insurance Radio Network   www.insuranceradio.net
  Insurance TechWeek   www.itechweek.com

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