Thanks to the amazing organisation of the General Insurance Association of Japan (GIAJ), the annual marine insurance event of the year - the IUMI annual conference - went off without a hitch and was once again a huge success.
This was the fifth occasion the conference has been held in the remarkable city of Tokyo, with over 500 delegates and 60 speakers and panellists in attendance. This year was very special as it coincided with the 100-year anniversary of the GIAJ’s inauguration. Japan’s history in marine insurance dates to the 19th century with the first general insurance company being founded in 1878.
This year’s conference theme was “Disruptive times – opportunity or threat for marine insurers?”. The theme was specifically chosen to encompass the current difficult market conditions and unsettled political environment through which marine insurers, as well as many other industries, are currently having to navigate.
Leading marine insurance professionals and IUMI members assembled at the impressive conference suite of the Grand Nikko Tokyo Hotel, located in the beautiful area of Daiba, and discussed key industry issues such as cyber threats, digitalisation, autonomous shipping, and block chain, to name a few. It is clear that global innovations are changing the marine insurance sector and marine insurers must go beyond their traditional expertise if they are to continue to provide high quality underwriting provision for their clients.
But it wasn’t all work and no play. The GIAJ hosted the conference opening reception at the Miraikan, Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, which is also home to ASIMO – the humanoid robot created by Honda. This was a fitting location that certainly showed the rapid advancement in technology. The conference closed with a “Japan evening” at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa – delicious food and great company was enjoyed by all.
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the GIAJ and everyone involved in making this year’s conference a huge success. We would also like to thank our members and everyone who attended as the people are the heart of the conference. We hope to see you next year at the 2018 annual conference in Cape Town (16-19 September 2018).
