Feb. 1-4 Windstorm Conference Agenda: Hurricane Lessons, Preparing for Summer

The four major hurricanes that severely impacted Florida and other states and preparing for the 2005 hurricane season will be discussed by Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, during the Feb. 1 to 4 Sixth Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference in Tampa, Fla.

Two other prominent speakers at the conference will be Congressman Jim Davis and Bill Bailey, Hurricane Insurance Information Center director. During the conference, leading property insurance industry experts and others will focus on the issues of the 2004 hurricane season.

The purpose of the conference, hosted by the Windstorm Insurance Network Inc., is to provide a forum for review and discussion of windstorm and related insurance issues. More than 700 insurance industry representatives are expected to attend the conference.

Topics include catastrophe and emergency mitigation, multiple deductibles, condominium losses, Florida building code, hail damage, wind vs. flood, wind-effect on building, mediation strategies, mold issues, Florida’s response to disaster, sinkholes, deposition training, and ethics and cultural diversity. On Friday Feb. 4 there will be a a bonus expert panel discussion/seminar to discuss “Sinkholes: Florida’s Other Catastrophe.”

Continuing education credits will be offered for a variety of organizations. The Association of Property & Casualty Claims Professionals will provide adjuster continuing education credits with the State of Florida. Additional offerings include agent credits from the Florida Department of Financial Services, State of North Carolina (agent/adjuster), The Florida Bar, RPA and CPCU. Certification programs will be offered by the National Flood Insurance Program.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) of the American Bar Association and the Property Insurance Plans Service Office Inc. The event will provide numerous workshops on specific tracks for insurance agents, company adjusters, catastrophe adjusters, public adjusters, risk managers, engineers and other experts and counsel.

A conference spokesman said that by by bringing together all of the segments of the insurance industry that deal with the impact of a windstorm, a greater understanding can be developed in dealing with windstorm issues. Information on conference registration and a complete schedule is available at http://www.windnetwork.com.

Topics Florida Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Hurricane Market Training Development