AIDA adapts in wake of pandemic

by Chris Rodd, AIDA Vice President – Asia Pacific

With the global pandemic showing no signs of abating, AIDA, like many organisations, has had to adapt accordingly.

All face-to-face meetings in 2020 were cancelled and, given the current state of the pandemic and the inability to inoculate the planet , it seems unlikely we will see international meetings this year.

AIDA Europe is still scheduled for July in Zurich, Switzerland, but it is possible that may be cancelled.
 
The Latin American arm of AIDA (CILA) plans to host its 2022 meeting in Costa Rica in May next year but, with the uncertainty generated by the pandemic spread in South America, the meeting is likely to be in doubt unless hosted as a virtual event.

However, AIDA activities continue with Zoom events and webinars the new norm.

AIDA’s primary activities are focused around the 13 working parties (WP) and currently we are organising programs for 2021 with the plan for each WP to host two or three events this year. These are publicised on the AIDA website and will be promoted through AILA.

One of the first meetings this year, on 27 April, was a joint event hosted by AIDA and the Federation of Defence and Corporate Counsel, in the USA, on the topic Climate change & insurance implications 2021: A time for coordinated universal action?

Speakers were Rich Traub, from the USA; Tim Hardy, UK; and Dr Stefan Perner, Germany.

With the next AIDA World Congress scheduled for Melbourne on 10-14 October 2022, we held the first organising committee meeting to design the program and events surrounding the congress.

It is proposed to engage with our NZILA colleagues  as part of the committee and those in Europe, the USA, and hopefully Asia to ensure we have the best speakers and the most relevant topics for the event. That will entail engagement with AIDA members in Latin America as well.

Subject to travel restrictions, we plan for the congress to potentially be face to face and virtual to ensure we engage the widest possible participation.

Details of the program and speakers will be outlined in up-coming reports so I encourage all members in Australia and New Zealand to save the dates (10-14 October 2022).