Kiwi advisers hit massive conference in US

The MDRT annual convention in Miami has attracted more than 5,000 advisers around from around the world.

Overall MDRT has just over 95,000 members in total

MDRT country chairman Travis Hamilton says the turnout this year is good. Collectively around 60 of its members attended MDRT's three big events (annual convention, global conference and the Top of the Table gathering of the associations top producers).

The annual conference runs over four days and is made up of daily main platform sessions with some of the best keynote speakers in the world, hour long focus sessions which take a deep dive into advice topics and dozens of short-sharp 20 minute Connection Zone sessions.

Hamilton says MDRT has grown strongly in recent years and is attracting many new members. It runs an Academy programme which helps aspiring members achieve full membership.

There are various earnings levels to achieve full membership and the most common one used in New Zealand is the requirement to write $114,000 in new business commission in a 12 month period.

Under the Academy aspiring members are supported by mentors and four insurance companies, Asteron, Chubb, Fidelity, nib and Partners Life) have come onboard to support the programme sponsoring 10 Academy members each.

Travis says currently New Zealand has 54 Academy members.

MDRT also runs its own events in New Zealand with the next one being in Christchurch and Auckland in mid-October. 

Also it has started a monthly "Power Hour" online session where members explore a topic. Hamilton says these have proved popular with 45 members tuning into the most recent one.

Another relatively new innovation for members in New Zealand is its "Lunch and Learn" sessions.