Disruption and innovation are more than just trendy buzzwords - change is happening in our industry, within walking distance of this conference, and could impact the ways we are all doing business. Join us for a pre-conference conversation with local start-ups, where we'll hear directly from innovators who are working to solve problems and move our industry forward.

Local innovators scheduled to speak include:

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You're probably listening to podcasts on your commute, at the gym, and during the lunchtime walk, but are you using podcasts as part of your social and digital strategy? Maybe you should - the audience there is strong and growing.

Come get a peek behind the curtain and be part of the studio audience for this special #LLSBC podcast recording. Get ready to respond to the "Applause" signs and be part of experience as you see live and in person what it takes to create a podcast from one of the best in the business: Victor Gaxiola from #HSOnAir.

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App FOMO? No more when you attend this session!

Here's your chance to get advice and suggestions from colleagues about the apps that make life easier, more productive, and just plain more fun.

We'll start by talking about Snapchat and the conference app, then we'll open up the conversation to hear from you! Come ready to learn from others and to show and tell about your own favorite apps. Be sure to charge up your device before you arrive, because the App Store and Google Play are going to get a workout in this session.

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Back by popular demand: Meet at the Registration Desk for a walk about the neighborhood to capture and share early morning images of beautiful Boston!

Looking for a faster pace? Runners can meet up at the Registration Desk at 6:00am to talk about routes or find a running partner to get the day started. 

Meet at Conference Registration Desk - Harborview Lobby

Today’s business climate is changing at an unprecedented rate.  Every week, it seems there is a new strategy, social media site or technology that is a “must use” or a “game changer”.  What we lose in this endless quest for the next bright shiny business object is that at the core of business while everything has changed, nothing is different.  Trust, connection, consistency and service will always trump any new app to hit the market.

In this keynote, Scott will walk the audience through what is real and what are only smoke screens in the business world today.  Audiences will walk away understanding the following:

The Millennial Myth:  The younger generation may create new challenges for business, but not in the way people are saying.

Social Media Snake Oil: Why social media is a poor sales and marketing tool, what it’s really meant for, and how understanding this will actually lead to the best success for your company online.

The Digital Decision: Your market today is forming buying decisions well before coming to you. Marketing today means getting in front of them when they’re making these important choices.

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Analyzing engagement and finding your influencers isn't an easy task unless you know what to look for and what tools to use. Explore platforms and methods to strengthen your marketing and distribution focus.

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Where's your smartphone? If you're like 207 million consumers in America, it's right by your side, or in your hand right now.  You're always connected via your smartphone and your favorite social media feed. As modern marketing leaders, we must learn to think and act at the digital edge.  It's not enough for social content to be compatible with mobile, it should be designed for it. In this session, you'll gain insight on effectively deploying a digital strategy from an insurance executive who has done it. Join us and learn how to win the digital edge.

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Knowing what your producers need so they can use social tools confidently can make all the difference in their business – and yours.

In this session, socially savvy advisors will talk frankly about the importance of utilizing social media as a key element of their overall digital strategy. Listen and learn what works for these social advisors and what doesn't. You might just come away with the next big idea that will help encourage your producers to change and improve the way they do business!

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Do you have a hundred people on your social media team? A thousand? Most of our employees are probably already actively using social media, both in and out of the workplace. In this session, we’ll talk about how even highly regulated industries can harness employees’ collective social presence into a team of powerful brand ambassadors that can humanize our brand, boost content, provide credibility and transparency, and impact our business.

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Determining the return on investment in Social Media initiatives is one of the more debated topics when evaluating the value and effectiveness of Social Media.  Attendees in this session will gain insight into:

• The true potential of social - what is realistic and valuable to measure
• Insight on the use of traditional metrics such as share of voice and sentiment from social and how this may be measured
• Investments in Social and where we go from here

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Life Stages, a start-up launched in January 2016, is leveraging the vast reach of social media to entertain and inform consumers around life events that align with insurance protection needs.  Learn about Life Stages' approach, successes, and challenges as they deliver a compelling journey of influence through engaging content and communications.

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In this interactive and informative Lab session from the social pros at Life Happens, you’ll learn protips for leveraging your brand on a variety of social media channels.  We’ll talk about best practices, and you will come away with creative ways to craft memorable and engaging content for your audience from start to finish – that just might go viral.

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In the insurance industry, it seems like we take our consumer hats off when we walk into work and become okay with providing inexcusably crappy experiences to our clients and agents.  Learn how a multi-line carrier decided to stop ticking off the people who pay the bills and take an innovative approach to building a powerfully simple experience that they believe will truly set them apart. Attend this session and learn how you can do it, too!

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Somewhere out there, someone is trying to disrupt our industry on every point of the value chain. What can we learn from innovators that will help change the mindset of our business? In this session, we’ll look at the disruption that is shaking our industry and talk about ways we can adapt so we will see disruption not as a threat, but as an inspiration to innovate from within.

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The customer journey is more than just a series of micro-moments on the way to a purchase. This integrated process can be central to the consumer’s entire experience – as important as the product itself in providing a competitive advantage. Companies are hiring Journey Design Managers to shape the customer journey before, during, and after purchase in order to keep customers irresistibly and permanently engaged. Hear what Google has learned about the importance of understanding micro-moments and what that might mean for financial services and your digital strategy.

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The annual #SilverBowlAwards recognize excellence, innovation, and achievement in the use of social media in the financial services industry. This event is the big reveal of the 2016 winners, which this year includes some brand new categories recognizing industry trends in social media.  Come to this presentation to congratulate your peers and get an inside look into the winning campaigns.

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Feeling inspired by the #SilverBowlAwards? We're following up the event with targeted, topical “unconferenced” conversations with winners and finalists based on the award categories. Pull up a chair to the discussion on the topic you choose and get ready to share, ask questions, listen and learn.

The moderators will have discussion points to get the chat started, but the group will guide the exchange - ensuring that the session includes the topics and questions most important to YOU. Don't miss the lively discussion - it might be the highlight of the conference for you! Switch groups at the halfway point to attend two different sessions, or stay in one conversation to really explore the topic in depth.

 There will be a brief intermission during this 60-minute session to allow participants to change topic discussions if they wish.

LIMRA research has found that 95% of US employees say financial literacy is important, while only 28% are very confident in their ability to make important financial decisions.  The conversation in this session will focus on how our industry can leverage social channels to help consumers feel confident in their financial decision-making.

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Social media is increasingly becoming the preferred platform for connecting with companies with questions and complaints. In this session, we'll talk about what works, and what doesn't, and ways to overcome challenges in meeting our customers' needs on social.

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Today's candidates are digitally savvy and connected on all levels, especially during their career search. Let's talk about best practices and innovative ways we can use social to reach out and recruit the best talent into our industry.

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Before, during, and after a social campaign, there are decisions to be made, resources to garner, strategies, tactics, tools, and more to manage. In this session, we'll hear from some of the best in the biz about innovative social campaigns.

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Our industry has a long history of helping people in their time of need. Come to this session to learn more about how our industry is using social to boost philanthropy and make a difference in the world.

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Just when we’ve mastered one channel, there’s another platform on the horizon. We’ll talk about Snapchat, Instagram, and others that might not even be on our radar yet as we think about opportunities and challenges in using these emerging channels.

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The question is no longer IF financial professionals should use social media, but HOW. How are companies successfully supporting professionals in the use of social? Socially savvy advisors and company reps will lead this discussion on what works, and how we could do better.

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Today, every step of the client journey, from discovery and research to consideration, loyalty, and referrals now deeply intersects digital.  What does this omnichannel consumer mean for the future life insurance distribution?

In this session, Clara Shih, author of "The Social Business Imperative," will share key takeaways from her book on today's consumer along with best practices for adapting to this new social, mobile era.  Join to learn more about why firms cannot get by simply creating digital touchpoints with clients. In addition, they must empower advisors to be omnichannel, digitally training and equipping their advisors to be findable, responsive, and in touch via social, mobile, and digital.

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Back by popular demand, the dynamic duo of Mindset Digital has a new presentation for 2016: There's a lot of talk these days about the impact of being a "thought leader." Some executives have more people following them on Twitter than the companies they represent.  And the top 500 influencers on LinkedIn regularly post blogs that generate thousands of views.  These leaders have become major brand ambassadors, using their smart, thoughtful take on the world to build their reputations, enhance their companies' image and attract new talent.  So how can you become a thought-leader - even if you're no Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington or Richard Branson?

In this high-energy, practical session, Dr. Debra Jasper and Betsy Hubbard, founders of Mindset Digital, will demonstrate what it takes --and why it's worth your time. They'll cover how to:

• create compelling, shareable content
• share your thinking in new, informal ways
• extend your network, engage with others and build your credibility

To be a leader in a digital age, you must be a digital leader. This session will show you how to stand out in a crowded social media world.

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Our economy has made the shift to mobile, and as a result, consumers are discovering what they need while defining when they need it all in one place - the mobile device.  For the financial services industry, this means organizations must adapt quickly. These businesses must truly embrace the shift in order to stay relevant, provide enhanced and forward-looking customer experiences and continue to build a future for their brand.

Join Facebook's Financial Services Lead, Deepanjan De, to discuss the what the future holds for financial services. In this session, Deepanjan will shed light on tactical ways we can engage with our customers while taking advantage of the ever-changing digital landscape and the platforms that exist within it.

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What technologies are emerging? Merging? How do I harness the power of Socialnomics? Qualman explores which innovative trends are cutting edge and which are bleeding edge to ensure your organization is not only on the correct path, but ahead of the curve. Most importantly he explores how to infuse more disruption and innovation into your business.

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