We are delighted to report that the 2020 Annual Conference was hailed as a great success despite not being able to meet in person. It goes without saying that we would have much preferred a physical meeting in Stockholm to exchange ideas and knowledge and to greet old and new friends over a glass of wine. However, the Swedish Organising Committee did an exceptional job in creating an “IUMI first” – a virtual conference. We give them huge thanks for making this conference such a success.

This year’s conference took place over a two-week period (14-25 September), with two workshops each day (morning and afternoon to accommodate time differences) and under the common theme of ‘Navigating changing climates: Delivering expertise to shape the future’. Over 600 delegates attended from nearly 40 different countries. Not only was the virtual format an IUMI first but we also welcomed non-members to attend this year and were pleased that over 90 brokers, surveyor, lawyers and reinsurers joined the event.

As every year the Technical Committees worked hard to deliver comprehensive and high-quality workshops. Unsurprisingly one key area this year was COVID-19 and its impact on marine insurance; the President’s workshop focused its entire session on this topic and was once again one of the conference highlights. Continued emphasis was also given to a better understanding of the principles for underwriting environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks. Other presentations looked at technical issues post IMO 2020, remote surveying, the use of Ion-Lithium batteries in the marine environment, and vessel detentions, to name a few. This year also marked the first ever Data & Digitalization Forum workshop – a conference of many firsts.

Thank you once again to the Swedish Organising Committee for rising to the challenge of creating a virtual conference and for all their hard work. Thank you also to all the delegates for joining us over the two-week period. We do hope to be in a different position next year and welcome you all - in person - to Seoul for the 2021 Annual Conference. But watch this space!