Rita Hollada, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, leads her Monday morning class, Exploring E&O in a Changing Marketplace.

Just as newly elected PIACT President James A. Goodman’s speech Monday looked forward to the future of the industry, many of the convention’s education sessions addressed upcoming changes in key coverages and practices … as well some that already exist.

In her Monday morning class, Exploring E&O in a Changing Marketplace, Rita Hollada, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, brought to the fore the errors and omissions concerns of an increasingly technology-based world. With real-world examples, she illustrated common, technology-based E&O pitfalls and suggested operational safeguards to minimize the risk for attendees’ agencies.

Rita Hollada, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, lead two classes: Exploring E&O in a Changing Marketplace and Current Issues in Catastrophe Mitigation and Recovery.

In Current Issues in Catastrophe Mitigation and Recovery, Hollada’s afternoon session, Hollada sought to answer crucial questions for agents raised by recent catastrophic events, such as hurricanes Katrina and Ike—especially the critical water/wind controversy. In particular, she identified changes in insurance products and definitions resulting from recent court decisions, and anticipated the impact of the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 should it make its way out of committee and reach the President Barack Obama's desk.

	James T. Harrison Jr., J.D., CIC, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, offered two classes: Cyber Liabilities and Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Agents and Brokers.

At the same time, James T. Harrison Jr., J.D., CIC, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, opened eyes in his class, Cyber Liability. With the entire business world now dependent on technology of one sort or another, many traditional lines of coverage must be viewed in a new light. Harrison examined the new ISO approach and specialized cyber-risk products, and highlighted the lack of coverage for first-party exposures.

Tuesday morning, Harrison returned for Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Agents and Brokers, which offered some guidance for agents navigating the ever shifting legal terrain of the insurance industry.

Mark Palinkas, CIC, presented Time Element Coverages.

Meanwhile, Mark Palinkas, CIC, offered insight into Time Element Coverages. It seems like each year brings a new disaster, worse than the last. For businesses the resulting loss of the use of a property, even for a brief period of time, can be devastating. The solution is time element coverage, and Palinkas presented attendees with the most important factors to consider when determining adequate coverage.