Bridging the Industry is the title of the Claims Conference of Northern California this September, at their two-day meeting in Sacramento. Exactly how one "bridges" an industry, and precisely which industry is being bridged, seemed a bit puzzling, but analysis of the extensive program provided a clue. Seminar sessions range from additional living expense claims and building code changes to data center destruction and tire product claim investigation — thus the program "bridges" both the property and the casualty claims industries. Catchy title!

The Iconoclast's contribution to the thing will be a question: Is adjusting a "professional vocation" or just a dead-end job? There is much to be said for both sides of that issue, and the attendees who absorb all that the speakers in the 16 sessions have to say are bound to come away from the conference with a good basis for counting themselves true professionals in the vocation of claim adjusting.

The same was true for the attendees at the 11th Annual America's Claims Event (ACE) held June 25-27 in Las Vegas, sponsored by Claims and National Underwriter Company. There the choices were between nearly 25 sessions, divided into three categories of management, process and policy, and technology, held over a three-day period. These sessions likewise ranged from claim auditing and training to coverage issues and fraud.