When Heather McGowan and Chris Shipley wrote The Adaptation Advantage (April 2020, Wiley), they did not realize how prescient their advice would prove when the pandemic required an immediate and dramatic shift in work, learning, and leading.  Overnight, companies remapped supply chains, pivoted product lines, and transformed to remote-work organizations. Heather will share her vision of what the future of work looks like and how we can apply it to our industry, companies, and culture. The virus has accelerated our future of work, expedited our human transformation to digital creating, and placed an even greater burden on leaders to inspire and motivate human potential. Even when the virus subsides, many of our new ways of working will remain, and we will be the better for this accelerated transformation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized millions of people’s mental health. The industry has responded by developing benefits and programs designed to support holistic wellness. This session will offer perspectives and trends related to mental wellness concepts, and the engagement strategies that are most effective in helping people take advantage of these important programs.

For 20 years, MetLife’s annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study has examined what workers want and how employers can respond meaningfully to shifting workforce dynamics. This year’s research confirms the new power dynamics in the “era of the whole employee”.

MetLife research explores:

• The rebalancing of power between employers and employees
• Understanding holistic well-being for a heterogenous workforce
• Enabling a holistic employee experience

Every year at our event, industry leaders share their thoughts about today's most important topics. This is your opportunity to hear what's on the minds of these executives as they focus on our role in the future of work.

As the workplace benefits market continues to evolve, the keys to success will evolve as well. While carriers look to stand out with enhanced products, digital capabilities, and superior service, the questions remain: What does it take to differentiate offerings in the marketplace and create unique value? What truly separates the great from the good?

In this session, brokers and carriers will share their thoughts on how the market is changing, what is resonating in various market segments, and what makes a difference in winning an opportunity. You will hear how to set your organization apart and become the provider of choice.

There are too many impacts of COVID-19 on our industry to list, so this session will center on changes to product distribution, claims and pricing, and customer behavior. We’ll focus on understanding the negative impacts, the positive trends that emerged, and what we should consider on as we move towards a new normal. This session will discuss both quantitative and qualitative factors that can guide us into the future.

As an industry, we have adapted internally to the cries for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ve adjusted our hiring and retention practices and continue to improve the performance of our companies. However, are we moving fast enough to challenge our long-held beliefs and adapt our products and services to remain relevant and meet the demands of our customers?  If we don’t, will we survive? The speakers will share strides in hiring and retention practices, evolving products and solutions, and philanthropy, and highlight how they lead to a business imperative of competing in a world where the stakes are higher than ever. 

Recent times have brought on significant increases in state and federal regulations as well as unprecedented policy reform change in Washington. These trends will most certainly continue in 2022. Attend this session to understand the key compliance and regulatory changes that your company should be focusing on. 

While many companies are operating with legacy technology, the world continues to advance when it comes to administration systems. But the desire grows to transform into an agile environment and an integrated benefit administration system for ease of doing business. Companies must find ways to shift their value propositions; reduce expenses through investments, technology fees; and product changes; and still balance multiple systems while being innovative. Hear from individuals on where technology is going and how your company can grow.

Join the conversation with industry experts about streamlining data partnerships and the LIMRA Data Exchange (LDEx) Standards. We will take a comprehensive look at why the standards were created, current contributors and consumers of the standards, and how we envision they will be enabling the future of our industry.

As the Great Resignation offers employees more leverage regarding working conditions, compensation, and benefits, it is critical for the workplace benefits industry to stay attuned to shifting employee wants and needs. Join us for the world premiere of LIMRA’s BEAT (Benefits and Employee Attitude Tracker) study, a new annual survey monitoring employee attitudes and opinions about employment in general and benefits in particular. You will learn about employee:

• Attitudes toward work and factors they look for in a potential employer
• Opinions, understanding, and satisfaction with benefits
• Preferences for benefit communication and enrollment

Leading solution providers showcase the latest technological advances and innovative solutions in the Group & Worksite Benefits space. This session will consist of a few different solution providers to share with the audience their product or present a “tech talk” surrounding their exercise in the space.

Our work, communities, and families have all been impacted by the pandemic in ways never expected — and we’re caught right in the middle. With the right mindset, though, times like these can lead to opportunities we would not have had otherwise. A shift in thinking is required to create massive breakthrough results. Based on two decades of research and presenting to over one thousand organizations around the world, Kevin Snyder will introduce a ShiftThinker™ mindset to help us endure, bounce back, and grow amidst the unprecedented adversity we’re experiencing. The principles within this program will empower us to rethink current challenges and effectively navigate a new course for the competitive journey ahead. The future will only continue to shift, so we must shift our thinking to prepare. Will you be ready?

This panel discussion will focus on the growing numbers of gig/non-traditional workers with the objective of better understanding the following:

• Who makes up this unique and growing market?
• What are their needs and challenges around insurance benefits?
• How can the group benefits industry meet their needs while also capitalizing on the opportunity represented by their growing numbers?

Insurance companies have a vested interest in creating a robust customer experience, but a strategy is difficult with legacy systems and the use of various enrollment platforms. Learn about the future of the insurance customer experience, from customer engagement to real time integrated API’s.

Attend this session to understand the big things coming our way that may impact employee benefits.

The war for talent continues to intensify. Increasingly, employers are using a robust and modern benefits package as a competitive differentiator. As such, the workplace benefits market represents a growing opportunity and an area of intense competition for carriers, where experience, products, services, and technology can provide competitive advantage. However, traditional sales and service models are under pressure. Increasing complexity, an evolving ecosystem, intense competition in the third-party landscape, and other transformations all confront organizations looking to succeed in this market. Based on new research conducted by EY and LIMRA, this session will examine the rapidly changing dynamics of the workplace benefits landscape and explore how carriers must adapt to harness profitable growth in this market.