Learning, Networking, and Fun in Store for 2022 NASBP Winter School and Annual Meeting 

The world seems to be getting back to a more normal environment, at least from a NASBP standpoint. Recently we were able to have an in-person meeting for the first time in almost two years with our Fall East Meeting in Chicago. I think the meeting was a success. We had approximately 160 registrants, and we were able to navigate the COVID restrictions without difficulty. The attendees seemed pleased with the Chicago meeting’s structure and program content and absolutely enjoyed being able to renew relationships and visit with new and long-time friends.

Our next NASBP Fall Meeting, the West Meeting, which will be held in San Diego this week, has a registration of 275 attendees! It appears many are becoming more comfortable with travel and attending meetings in-person. The 2021 NASBP Midyear Board Meeting will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, November 11-13; and I am excited to host everyone in my hometown. NASBP has never held a meeting in Fort Worth, and I am hopeful that everyone will enjoy the western culture and heritage and the friendly hospitality we have to offer. Most of you have attended meetings in some of the other cities in Texas, but Fort Worth is the fastest growing major city in Texas, and we have been able to maintain our small-town feel.

Registration is now open for the Winter Session of the NASBP William J. Angell Surety School that will be held in our neighbor city, Dallas, from January 16 to 21. Classes will be presented by our outstanding faculty for Level I and Level II. The instructors are a cohesive group of producers and underwriters who possess decades of experience, and they share their personal understanding and knowledge of the surety process. The training that students receive in these classes is not available in any other training program focused on surety. The reviews we receive from the students who have attended often comment on the positive nature of the classes and the experts who provide a thorough understanding of the complexities of the surety business.

Planning is underway for our 2022 NASBP Annual Meeting that will be held May 1 to 4 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, California. The NASBP Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee is chaired by Chad Martin and Brian Ayres, and they are making great progress in developing a meeting that will offer presentations addressing many current topics affecting the surety and construction world. The Committee has made it a goal to present information that we can take home with us and use in making our agencies better and in sharing with our clients, helping them address obstacles they experience in their daily operations.

After extensive discussions, we have secured the main pool area for our opening reception, a beautiful, expansive environment in which to kick off the meeting. Brian and Chad have some fun, creative ideas to make the meeting a special experience for everyone attending. The hotel does have two golf courses on site, which will make golf convenient for the golfers in our group. The most recent in-person NASBP Annual Meeting was held in Austin. You may recall that Bob Shaw changed things up for the final event and held it outdoors in a casual environment, and it was hugely successful. The 2022 meeting will follow that same format. I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but I will tell you that it will be outdoors and will be casual, fun, and offer plenty of social interaction. NASBP will occupy more than 70% of the hotel and will give us the run of the house! Note that the hotel block for the 2022 Annual Meeting will open in November 2021, so be sure to keep an eye out for it at nasbp.org.

Thank you for participating in the NASBP Virtual Meetings held throughout the pandemic. We have a busy calendar over the next several months, filled with in-person meetings, which we are looking forward to and which will continue with my theme of being “Better Together!”

Tracy Tucker is President of Tucker Agency, Ltd. in Fort Worth, TX. He can be reached at tracy@tuckeragency.com or 817.336.8520.