2013 IBAA Convention

Two weeks ago, Larry, Andrew and I had the pleasure of attending the 2013 IBAA Convention at the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs Resort. From Sunday, May 5th to Wednesday, May 8th, we had the opportunity to enjoy the historic hotel, amazing weather, and attend some wonderful events.

Sunday consisted of registration and a party put on by the fine folks at Peace Hills Insurance Company.

Monday was a busy day from beginning to end, starting off with a presentation by the one and only Mike Holmes (from Holmes on Homes). We enjoyed a couple other seminars and in the afternoon attending the IBAA’s Annual General Meeting. The evening consisted of couple photographs (looking forward to seeing Andrew & Amanda’s, as they chose to do a “goofy” photo this year), a nice sit-down dinner, and entertainment by Firefly Theatre. The only thing missing was the Moosemilk… as a Convention tradition, we were sad that it didn’t happen this year. Hoping the Moosemilk sponsors will come back in 2014, or they will find someone else to sponsor it. At least we were able to track down the recipe on-line, so we can always make our own!

Tuesday was another busy day, with several more seminars and an afternoon trade show. We had the chance to chat with most of our Insurance Company representatives and had great time entering for prizes and collecting trade show goodies to take home. In typical Costen & Associates fashion, we cleaned up when it came to the prizes. In 2012, Larry and I both took home some great prizes. This year, Larry took home two prizes – a new Calgary Flames golf bag and a backpack/picnic set. Sheila won a fridge magnet/video recorder and a blue tooth speaker, and in my opinion Amanda came out on top with her ipad mini! I didn’t win this year, but that’s ok, as I”m saving my luck for the Foothills Home Lottery! After the trade show wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon, there were a few additional events put on by the Insurance Companies, including Intact and AVIVA. As well, there was a hospitality night complete with great food, drinks and music… not to mention the fabulous mountain view.

In addition to the busy Convention schedule, we also found time to enjoy some of Banff. A couple of us did some shopping, took a Heritage Tour of the hotel, and hit the pool or hot springs. Overall, it was a great couple of days full of education, building relationships and a lot of fun. We really enjoyed the 2013 IBAA Convention and look forward to attending again next year.