Running and Networking, and Curing the Insurance Industry of Its Spreadsheet Addiction - A Recap of ITI USA

Fast forward a quick breakfast and shower turnaround and we headed into the hustle and bustle of the ITI USA exhibition hall.  

A long anticipated event, the space, the offering, the footfall and the connections didn’t disappoint. The stand and the 3m wide tag line ‘curing the insurance industry of its spread sheet addiction’ was once again not just the topic of but the starting point for EVERY conversation we had.  It turns out we’re right, no one likes spreadsheets but everyone is addicted to them!  

On day one it was obvious that due to the wealth of insurance industry experts and fantastic conversations going on all around us, distriBind was in a powerful position to learn and to educate.  We are leaders in providing automated data exchange in a digital workbench for this space and it showed.  Dave Connors, our founder and CEO, is passionate and knowledgeable about the needs of our customers and of the insurance industry and how we can not just make our mark, but how we have longevity in the solution we provide.  

Hosted by QBE ventures, Munich Re ventures, LM strategic ventures at the Classic Car Club Manhattan, (a monumental venue) the evening networking was not to be missed.  Such an amazing venue with outstanding networking opportunities, meant not only did I come away with a spin buddy for SoulCycle on Friday (thanks Irene), but I built connections at organidations that I would not have ordinarily crossed paths with. 

Unfortunately day two was dampened by the ongoing wild fires in Canada that left an orange hue over NY city.  A serious risk to health and very poor air quality meant flights were frantically trying to be rebooked and masks recommended.  Luckily inside the Javits Centre the buzz was still high and our conversations ranged from quite simply, ‘I know what you do and I want a demo’ through to 30minutes of in-depth discussions in technical detail and step by step usage via a simple screen shot on our stand.  Each equally as valuable. Conversations with potential customers, partners and investors meant that this event was more lucrative than we could imagine.   

By the end of the two days I was horse from conversation and exhausted from standing and networking, but mostly I was excited for the week to follow, where I would be reconnecting with all the amazing people I had met and continue our conversations into a business environment.   

Here’s to the follow ups and continuing to build distriBind. The brand, the product and the team. The culture we have is second to none and I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of curing the insurance industry of its spreadsheet addiction.