Excitement, enthusiasm and momentum are all building for this year's FPIA Success Forum to be held in Auckland.

Registrations and sponsorship up

"Registrations are 23% up on the same time last year, and with the opportunity for cheaper earlybird registration ending this week, we look set for a truly awesome event", conference chairman Simon Hassan says. (To register, do it online CLICK HERE, by email team@conferenceteam.co.nz, phone 03-343 5900, or fax 03-343 5063)

"Sponsorship is also looking good, with more than 92% of our funding target already achieved. So far four major sponsors have lined up, and we already have more sponsors overall than at last year's event - with more expected to confirm in coming weeks"

Fabulous new venue

Meanwhile, following a hard hat tour of the nearly completed venue on Friday (with organiser Marg Craig), Simon was enthusiastic, "The new Sky City Convention Centre looks like a fabulous venue."

"It can cater for crowds of up to 1,500, but rooms can be resized to fit any smaller crowd", he said. "So although it is big, it will feel 'just right'".

"Everything is under one roof, with registrations and exhibition hall on one level; the theatre and breakout rooms on the level immediately above, connected by a short skyway to the hotel complex.

"And it's all smack in the middle of Auckland."

As a brand new venue the acoustics, amenities, and general furnishings will all be superb, and venue has the latest audio visual and communications technology built in.

"Data show facilities, radio mike loops, and fast internet access are available in every room. That means exhibitors, speakers and delegates should find themselves in an ideal environment."

Programme a highlight

"We have lined up a really top class series of platform speakers, but it is the workshop programme that our small team is most excited about", Simon said.

"Our aim is to provide real value for everyone, and we are confident that no one will go home disappointed."

As there was last year, there will be five workshop streams at Success Forum Auckland: two with an insurance focus; two focusing on investments, and one looking at best practice issues. This means that during each break out session those attending will have five options to choose from. "The biggest problem will be what not to go along to," he said.

The overall quality of presentations should be better than before too, as committee members will be asking all presenters to complete 'dry runs' in advance of the event, to iron out timing or other weaknesses in advance.

Convenor of the insurance streams, Cecilia Farrow, says they offer a wide and varied programme. "There are 14 insurance based workshops covering 14 different topics", she said. "The topics we have settled on are a careful balance of advanced and fundamental issues as diverse as Managing the underwriting process, Key laws pertaining to business advice and a variety of product issues.

"Some of the comment after past conferences has been along the lines that insurance topics were not that well covered. I can assure you that this will not be the case this year", she said.

Clair Jones, Convenor of the Investment Streams, is also excited about what will be there for investment advisers.

"We have canvassed the view of advisers and used a lot of that, and I think we have come up with a good balance and real diversity of topics and presenters", she said.

Once again none of the topics is repeated, giving attendees a great deal of choice. "As a practising adviser, I was very keen to hear from people who can add some real value to what I do with clients", she added. "I want every one who comes to go home with a variety of really usable new ideas."

So, if you have already registered, we'll see you there. And if not, it's still not too late!