Less than two weeks after the announcement that the Singapore International Reinsurance Conference (SIRC) Organising Committee will be organising the ‘SIRC 2020 Re-Mind’ virtual event on the same dates – 2 to 5 November – as the rescheduled 17th SIRC, over 750 delegates from 36 countries have already registered for the virtual event, the first-of-its-kind for the insurance industry.
The event will re-create the feel of in-person SIRC events, with virtual zones such as the Conference Lobby; Help Desk; Conference Hall; Networking Lounge; Meetings Arcade; Meetings Concourse; and Media Centre; where registered delegates will be able to navigate around seamlessly to attend keynote and panel sessions curated by contributing partners; engage in open chats or roundtables; visit Meeting Rooms and Meeting Pods of partner companies or the media partners in the Media Centre. It is envisaged that this virtual platform could form the nucleus of what future industry events may become, even when the in-person SIRC event becomes a possibility again as and when the current travel restrictions and safe distancing measures are further eased in future.
Heading the distinguished panel of speakers assembled for this virtual event is Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat who will deliver the Official Keynote Address and announce the launch of the Global-Asia Insurance Partnership (GAIP), a new global centre of excellence in risk management in Singapore that is a tripartite partnership amongst regulators, academia and industry. Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University will be the research institution partner under the GAIP, to work on studies about the future development and needs of the insurance sector. Other prominent industry leaders who have been lined up for the virtual conference are Mr Denis Kessler, Chairman and CEO of SCOR who will reflect on the industry response to the pandemic in his keynote address, while Mr Christian Mumenthaler, Group CEO of Swiss Re will share his views on a host of topical issues, including post-COVID risk landscape, sustainability and partnerships, in an intimate fireside chat.
As Co-Host, Swiss Re will also curate three panel sessions featuring senior leaders and experts from around the world in discussions on a wide range of (re)insurance topics, such as ‘Digitalisation of insurance in a post-COVID world’; ‘De-risking global supply chains’; and ‘Managing climate risks’. AM Best, the world’s largest credit rating agency specialising in the insurance industry, as Contributing Partner will be hosting its Insurance Market Briefing featuring its ratings analysts from across the Asia-Pacific region. Twenty reinsurance industry stalwarts, including Allianz Re, AXA XL, Lloyd’s, Munich Re, Partner Re, SCOR Re and Validus Re, have also pledged their support as Supporting Partners on this innovative virtual platform.
The Chairman of the Singapore Reinsurers’ Association (SRA), host of ‘SIRC 2020 Re-Mind’, Marc Haushofer said, “It has been a long and taxing journey for us to get here. We are glad that we have stayed the course and remained determined”. He added, “All things considered; I am really very happy with what we have achieved with this game-changing event. Out of Adversity, comes Opportunity. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a daunting challenge at all of us, but I believe as a community and an industry, we have demonstrated inventiveness and resilience in evolving and transforming our existing business models to create more sustainable solutions for the future.”
Mr Russell Higginbotham, CEO Reinsurance Asia & Regional President at Swiss Re Asia said, “Even though we live in a different world today than a year ago, we should not change our fundamental human desire to explore, adapt, and innovate. Swiss Re has decided to co-host this year’s SIRC because we believe in the power of working together to move forward. We know we can achieve more if we join forces to explore ways to transform, especially in this region where we continue to strongly believe in its growth and development. We are pleased and honoured to co-host ‘SIRC 2020 Re-Mind’ and lead the industry conversation on transformation.”
If If you have not already done so, all insurance/reinsurance industry practitioners and media can register for the event at this link. Registration is free. For more information, please contact the SIRC Secretariat team at sirc@sg-reinsurers.org.sg.
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