Dear AILA Member

I have great pleasure in inviting you to participate in the AILA conference to be held in Melbourne from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 October 2009.

The AILA conference presents a great opportunity for all participants associated with the insurance industry to discuss and debate all of the latest developments, ranging from the role of insurance in society, through legal and regulatory developments to claims handling and dispute resolution processes.

The key to success of this conference will be the strong program which we are developing. The conference will be introduced by the Victorian Chief Justice and she will be followed by a keynote speaker from the US who will lead a series of presentations on the challenges to and responses of insurers to catastrophe. This will be developed by speakers from the Australian insurance industry, a re-insurer and a high level commentator on dealing with the aftermath. The fires and floods which have ravaged Australia this year bring this topic into even sharper focus.

Class actions will also be another key topic led by speakers with extensive experience in acting for plaintiffs and defendants respectively, as well as in relation to litigation funding and the underlying legal issues.

A spirited debate relating to education and career paths in the insurance industry and for service providers serving the industry is also on the agenda. This will embrace current issues, such as the engagement and role of Generation Y in the industry.

Numerous other topics including proportionate liability, litigation process and alternative dispute resolution, are included in the program. There will also be specific specialist liability streams covering professional and general liability and other specialist insurance classes.

There is a key focus on attracting and engaging younger members of the industry and our registration options will encourage this. It is vital to AILA and to the leadership of the industry that we stimulate and engage younger participants.

The venue for the conference is Crown Promenade, which is in a key location in Melbourne, close to the insurance and legal hub of the CBD. We have built a strong social programme around the conference commencing with the welcome reception at Crown Promenade on Wednesday evening, the conference dinner at Carousel on Thursday and finishing with an entertaining celebratory lunch on the Friday.

We look forward to your support for this event and encourage you to extend the invitation to your colleagues in what is sure to be an outstanding conference.

Kind regards,

Peter Rashleigh
Conference Chairman