He said it is incumbent upon agents to create "a ground swell" of interest with the newest generation which is entering the workforce and get them interested in working in the industry.

The executives acknowledged that where companies formerly trained the future generation of executives, it has now fallen to the agencies to do the job, although some regional insurers are attempting to fill the gap.

Marita Zuraitis, president of The Citizens and Hanover Insurance Companies, a subsidiary of Allmerica Financial Corp., of Worcester, Mass., and F.W. "Bill" Purmort, president and chairman of the board for Van Wert, Ohio-based Central Insurance Companies, said they are working to help promote the future of the industry through the education of new people.

Ms. Zuriaitis said her company is running producer training classes, which she hopes will grow in number in the future. Mr. Purmort said Central Insurance is supporting the system through scholarships.

As a recruiting tool, IIABA President Thomas A. Grau said it is important for agents to tell their story and get the word out that the insurance industry "is a great place to come."

"Companies are helping us to bring that focus to get the young people in, and that is a great help," he added.

On Sunday, addressing agents during IIABA's opening general session in a chief executives panel discussion, Axel P. Lehmann, chief executive officer of Zurich North America Commercial, said globally, the industry is not doing enough to promote itself.

"I believe the whole industry has under-invested in attracting talent," he said.

"We are not doing what we need to do to make our business more attractive to a new generation," said Charles M. Kavitsky, president and CEO of Novato, Calif.-based Fireman's Fund, during the same discussion. "We have to take the time and put effort into doing that."

Meanwhile, the head of a Florida insurance concern announced that his company will pay half the initiation fee for its agents that join the IIABA's Trusted Choice marketing program.

Thomas M. Van Berkel, president and chief executive officer of The Main Street America Group of Jacksonville, Fla., said his firm would pay half of the first year initiation fee for its agents joining the Trusted Choice program, to emphasize the company's dedication to the independent agency system and promote the branding of agents as the primary distributor of its insurance products.

"You are the best way to distribute our product," Mr. Van Berkel told a group of agents during the panel discussion held Saturday. Agency membership in Trusted Choice, which is the IIABA's independent agent branding initiative, costs $250 for an agency of nine or less, and $499 for an agency of 10 or more.