NEWS RELEASE
August 19, 2010
ABIA Media Contact: Jonathan Snowling
(202) 663-5468
E-mail: jsnowlin@aba.com

ABIA TO HOLD ANNUAL CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 22-24 IN PHOENIX
Fred Barnes to be Keynote Speaker

WASHINGTON – The American Bankers Insurance Association announced that their annual conference is set for September 22-24 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona where Fred Barnes will be the keynote speaker on September 22.

Barnes is the cofounder and executive editor of The Weekly Standard. He is host, with Mort Kondracke, of the Beltway Boys on FOX News and appears regularly on FOX's Special Report with Bret Baier.

Considered the preeminent meeting for the bank-insurance industry, the ABIA annual conference draws senior agency managers, bank-insurance program executives and service providers from banks and insurance companies of all asset sizes.  During the three-day event, bank-insurance professionals, lawmakers and regulators will meet to discuss the latest trends in the growing bank-based insurance industry.  In addition, experts will lead more than 30 sessions on topics including:

• Marketing Insurance to Retail Bank Customers;
• Using Technology to Drive Bank Sales;
• Bank-Insurance Compliance;
• Strategies to Provide P&C to Your Bank's Core Customer Base;
• New LTC Hybrid Annuities;
• Expanding the Revenue Stream in Changing Economic Times;
• Using Social Media as a Marketing Channel; and
• The Role of Bank Captives and Risk Management in Bank-Owned Agencies.

Registration is $1,095 for ABIA members; $1,695 for non-members. Team discounts are available.  To register, call ABA's Member Service Center at 1-800-BANKERS or visit the conference web site.

The American Bankers Insurance Association (ABIA) is the separately chartered insurance affiliate of the American Bankers Association (ABA) and is the only Washington, D.C.-based full service association for bank insurance interests.  The ABIA's mission is to develop policy and provide advocacy for banks in insurance and to support bank insurance operations through research, education, compliance-assistance and peer group networking opportunities.  ABIA Membership consists of banks, and their affiliated agencies, insurance companies, marketing, and administrative services suppliers, non-bank lending organizations and other firms involved in the bank affiliated insurance industry.  Additional information on the ABIA can be found on the Internet at www.theabia.com.

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Note to editors:  Complimentary registration is offered to news media.  Press credentials are required.  To pre-register, please contact Jonathan Snowling at jsnowlin@aba.com.