The SAN Group is an alliance of over 325 independent insurance agencies in the Northeast
Over 500 insurance industry professionals attended the Satellite Agency Network Group’s Annual Business meeting on April 23rd. The attendees included SAN member agencies, insurers and other vendor partners. The meeting held at Worcester’s DCU Center included a trade show with over 50 booths and included representatives from Liberty Mutual, The Hartford, Travelers, Safeco Insurance, MetLife, Berkshire Hathaway’s Guard Insurance, Tower Group, Arbella, Harleysville, AmTrust, Capital Premium Financing, and EZLynx.
“Each year,” Frank Waters, Chief Operating Officer of SAN, expressed, “our membership increases, the economy changes and technology creates new ways to conduct business. Our members need access to tools and resources to adjust their business plans and propel their agencies in the marketplace, regardless of the current industry cycle or overall economic environment. This yearly summit displays all the benefits of a SAN membership. No matter what the stage of their agency development, there is something for everyone.”
This year’s meeting, dubbed the “Team of Champions” focused, on helping SAN members learn how to build “…a more profitable agency within the context of the industry’s changing distribution model.” To further that goal, the meeting included several different workshops and panel discussions including ones on marketing, community involvement, building commercial lines, agency management and sustaining profitable growth.
The annual meeting which always includes a luncheon featured the keynote address, “The Evolution of Insurance Agencies.” Three different speakers, Matt Masiello President & CEO, SAN Group; Dan King, Director of PL Agency Development, Travelers; and John Fear, President of Premier Business Consulting, took to the podium to address the attendees about technology and the Internet’s effect on the insurance distribution model and how agents must meet those challenges by embracing change and adopting a more customer-centric approach.
On a final note, the meeting include its annual award ceremony which awarded the six industry top performers and recognized dozen of SAN members celebrating various anniversaries with the alliance.
