What happens at camp doesn't stay at camp.

For instance, here are five takeaways from Brand Camp 2013, held this week in Baltimore: 

1. There are a lot of independent insurance agents in Michigan.
2. Google Plus doesn't suck.
3. Eric Hall from Rough Notes doesn't just have an eye-popping wardrobe, he also kills it at karaoke.
4. The scariest thing about staying in Room 1408 was the difficulty in controlling the ambient air temperature.
5. The creative power of insurance people committed to solving problems is awe-inspiring.

Of course, there was much, much more I learned at the fourth insurance branding event put on by consultant Peter van Aartrijk and gang, and I'll be writing about it soon. But the main takeaway was that when you put a lot of smart people together in a room for two days, the result is no less than inspiring.

I've been a big fan of the Brand Camps, ever since they held the first one in Chicago in 2009. There are no long-winded speeches, stuffy panels or McKinsey-esque PowerPoint presentations; and although the meeting rooms are almost always overly air-conditioned (it's just a fact of life), that's the only similarity between Brand Camps and a "typical" insurance industry gathering. Participants–mostly independent agents, but also folks from carriers, reinsurers, trade associations and even a state rating bureau–feel comfortable enough to lob both gibes and ideas in equal measure. Peter and the other "camp counselors" make it a point to engage everyone in the room–which results in a delicious stewpot of unique perspectives and ideas.