E&S IS GROWING. THE COMPLEXITY IS GROWING FASTER.
Sessions on E&S placement, NatCat modelling, nuclear verdicts and construction risk - with practitioners shaping the specialty market.
JULY 16, 2026 | SANTA MONICA PIER
Bring ideas. Bring your team. Build your advantage.
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WHAT THE E&S MARKET IS DEALING WITH
Practitioners. Real placements. Real challenges. Not academic overviews or vendor pitches — the market talking to itself, solving problems.
Top E&S brokers, MGAs and underwriters break down how they're accessing capacity, navigating shifting appetites and solving for risks the standard market won't touch. Leave with insider perspectives and new approaches to winning in the 2026 E&S market.
A scenario-driven panel walking through real-world situations — from PE and roll-up plays to complex construction and cyber exposures — with the brokers and underwriters navigating them. Leave with practical niches to target and a checklist for your next high-stakes placement.
Claims and legal experts unpack how early intervention, advanced analytics and tight broker-carrier-counsel coordination can change outcomes in an era of nuclear verdicts and social inflation. Leave with a sharper checklist of questions for every large, complex claim.
A catastrophe modelling expert, a nat cat-heavy retail broker and a California reinsurer unpack what's really driving pricing, capacity and coverage shifts — and how to talk about it with clients. Leave with sharper language for tough conversations and practical ideas to keep cat-exposed accounts insured.
Hear candid war stories from major construction accounts — covering climate, regulation, supply chains and litigation. Leave with a must-ask checklist for your next complex project placement.
Carriers are reshaping personal cyber cover as brokers deal with deepfake scams, home device ransomware and hacked payment apps — and leading brokers are packaging it with home, auto and executive policies. Leave with concrete talking points to make personal cyber a value-adding conversation, not a fear play.
WHAT ATTENDEES ARE SAYING



SPEAKERS
Christina Lucas
Rochelle Lewis
Rochelle M. Lewis is Director of Risk Management at Red Bull North America, Inc., where she oversees the insurance and risk management program for all Red Bull subsidiaries in North America, including Canada. With over 25 years in the insurance industry, she is well-versed in navigating an ever-shifting risk landscape, anticipating change, and managing complex exposures.
At Red Bull, the world’s leading energy drink brand and a global powerhouse in food and beverage, entertainment, and sports, Rochelle evaluates the company’s domestic and Canadian insurance program, identifying key risks across operations that span beverage sales, media, professional sports teams, and Formula 1.
Rochelle began her insurance career in 1995 and is both a licensed insurance broker and certified paralegal. In 1998, she moved into risk management, serving organizations including a global private equity investment firm and a global lifestyle brand retailer.
Kader Sakkaria
Jacqueline Waters
Josephine Gartrell
Reid Eanes
Allen Madden
Allen Madden is a Senior Vice President for the Americas at Alliant Insurance Services. There, he is responsible for being a strong client advocate, business partner and trusted advisor for the insurance and risk management needs of complex upper middle market and large risk management corporations both domestically and globally. He does this through harnessing the resources and deep talent of dedicated professionals throughout Alliant’s Americas and Specialty divisions to lead tailored client service teams for best-in-class support, counsel and Property and Casualty insurance program placements.
Allen started his insurance career at the regional broker, McGriff, Seibels and Williams, Inc. where he was a Senior Vice President. Just prior to Alliant, he led a team of mergers and acquisition professionals serving the needs of the private equity and lender communities providing due diligence, brokerage, risk financing, claims management and transactional insurance solutions services at Wells Fargo Insurance Services where he was a Senior Vice President. Before being in the insurance industry, he was in finance helping venture stage companies and growing publicly traded companies secure private growth capital.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University where he currently serves on the Executive Board of the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. He also serves on the Dean’s Research Council Committee at SMU advising on faculty research grants.
Edward Cha
Thomas Fitzgerald
Tom Fitzgerald is President of Retail at World Insurance Associates, leading one of the industry’s fastest-growing insurance brokerages. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, he has built high-performing teams and driven innovation across the commercial insurance sector. Before joining World in 2023, he held senior executive roles at QBE North America, where he led the transformation of Specialty and Commercial underwriting, and at Aon Risk Solutions, where he served as CEO of US Retail and Global Broking. He holds a finance degree from Drake University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
BRING IDEAS.
BRING YOUR TEAM.
BUILD YOUR SPECIALTY
ADVANTAGE.
InsuranceFest unites 1,200+ specialty commercial insurance leaders on the Santa Monica Pier to transform the industry. Join curated meetings, dive into expert-led sessions, solve real problems, and network at the industry’s only true festival experience.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
InsuranceFest was a ‘wow’ experience – after more than 600 conferences, I’d rank the networking and social interaction on the Santa Monica Pier in my top five.
INSURANCEFEST AT A GLANCE
Network Like You Mean It
1,000+ insurance leaders, founders, and innovators in one place. Brokers, MGAs, agencies, insurers, InsurTechs. From C-suite to NextGen, they’ll all be on the pier.
Join the Conversation
60+ industry voices you actually want to hear from—from Aon to Marsh McLennan to InsurTech founders. Interactive sessions across every zone where you’re invited to jump in, ask what you really want to know, and steer the discussion. This isn’t sit-and-listen; it’s speak up and be heard.
Hands-On Marketplace
30+ exhibitors and interactive InsurTech demos you can actually touch and test. A buzzing marketplace of ideas, solutions, and collaborations where you discover new tools, products, and partners to tackle your biggest challenges.N ot just watching — finding what you’ll take back to your work.
Discussion Table Real Talk
50+ exclusive, 1-hour Discussion Tables for senior brokers and decision-makers. Small-group, facilitated conversations on Cyber, Digital Transformation, Construction, and E&S where everyone leans in, swaps war stories, and pressure-tests ideas in real time.
Bring Your Crew
Team experiences and group sessions designed so your whole organization goes back energized with shared insights and new connections. Build your own festival lineup as a team, join collaborative workshops together, tackle live challenges side by side, and turn the pier into your offsite — complete with shared moments, fresh ideas, and stories you’ll still be talking about back at the office.
Festival Energy on the Pier
From sunrise yoga to sunset sets, food trucks, cocktails, and ocean air — the pier turns every coffee break into a moment.
THEMES AT A GLANCE
Digital Transformation & Innovation
Cyber, Risk & Underwriting
Nat Cat & Climate
Regulation, Legal & Compliance
Next Gen
E&S Unfiltered
Construction & Specialty Reports
Market Capacity, M&A & Economic Headwinds
DISCUSSION TABLES
Step into action with our all-new themed discussion tables—built for leaders who want results now. These fast-paced, interactive sessions go beyond theory, delivering tactical conversations and proven takeaways you can put to work immediately.
Cyber
How do you keep up with rapidly evolving cyber policies while driving client education on emerging risks and solutions?
Digital Transformation
What are the transformational benefits of implementing AI effectively across your business?
Construction
What are the biggest hidden builder’s risks brokers and clients need to watch for, and how can you identify them early?
Excess & Surplus Lines
How do you build and maintain client trust in E&S placements, especially in a volatile market?
Cyber
How are you leveraging AI to outpace cyber threats, and what challenges are you facing in the cyber arms race?
Digital Transformation
How can brokers turn data into actionable insights that drive revenue and growth?
Construction
What strategies help brokers navigate high-risk construction projects in a tightening market?
Excess & Surplus Lines
How do you stay ahead of volatility in the E&S market and make confident placement decisions?
Cyber
What strategies have helped you convert cyber skeptics into loyal, proactive clients?
Digital Transformation
How do you design a digital-first client experience that truly delivers value and loyalty
Construction
How do you evaluate and implement jobsite technologies that deliver real value for clients?
Excess & Surplus Lines
What creative strategies help brokers secure E&S coverage when traditional markets say no?
Cyber
What digital threats are most concerning for your clients, and how are you helping them prepare?
Digital Transformation
What lessons have you learned from your digital transformation journey—both successes and failures?
Construction
How do you identify and negotiate contract clauses that can make or break a construction deal?
THEMES AT A GLANCE
Digital Transformation & Innovation
- Turning AI from hype to ROI in real brokerage workflows
- Building a digital client journey that wins (and keeps) business in a virtual world
- Choosing InsurTech and RegTech partners that accelerate real transformation
Cyber, Risk & Underwriting
- Turning cyber risk into a client‑value conversation, not a fear pitch
- Cyber crisis playbooks: who does what, when it hits
- Underwriting the next wave of cyber and personal cyber exposures
Nat Cat & Climate
- Rethinking nat cat models for a world that won’t sit still
- Helping clients understand climate‑driven pricing and coverage shifts
- Placing and structuring nat cat and climate‑exposed risks when volatility is the norm
Regulation, Legal & Compliance
- What new rules really mean for AI, cyber, and everyday brokerage workflows
- RegTech that actually simplifies audits, file reviews, and reporting
- Staying compliant on claims, E&S, and specialty without killing broker speed
Next Gen
- Career playbooks: what rising brokers wish they’d known earlier
- Mixing veteran experience with new ideas in
- Finding your lane as a NextGen broker in a consolidating, tech‑driven market
Diversity & Inclusion
- Real stories from women and under‑represented leaders on breaking through and bringing others with them
- How brokers can sponsor others, share opportunities, and use their voice even without a hiring title
- Where inclusion has changed client relationships, ideas, and outcomes – not just internal messaging
E&S Unfiltered
- Winning in a capacity‑tight, appetite‑shifting E&S market
- Designing E&S solutions for “wild risks” the standard market won’t touch
- Broker, MGA, and carrier partnerships that unlock specialty placements
Construction & Specialty Reports
- Managing construction risk under climate, cost, and regulatory pressure
- Spotting breakout niches across specialty lines before the market crowds in
- Claims and coverage lessons from large, multi‑party and specialty projects
Market Capacity, M&A & Economic Headwinds
- Broker playbooks for navigating consolidation and staying relevant
- Positioning your firm for sale, scale, or strategic partnership
- Competing when capacity, pricing, and client demand all move at once
Digital Transformation & Innovation
- Turning AI from hype to ROI in real brokerage workflows
- Building a digital client journey that wins (and keeps) business in a virtual world
- Choosing InsurTech and RegTech partners that accelerate real transformation
Cyber, Risk & Underwriting
- Turning cyber risk into a client‑value conversation, not a fear pitch
- Cyber crisis playbooks: who does what, when it hits
- Underwriting the next wave of cyber and personal cyber exposures
Nat Cat & Climate
- Rethinking nat cat models for a world that won’t sit still
- Helping clients understand climate‑driven pricing and coverage shifts
- Placing and structuring nat cat and climate‑exposed risks when volatility is the norm
Regulation, Legal & Compliance
- What new rules really mean for AI, cyber, and everyday brokerage workflows
- RegTech that actually simplifies audits, file reviews, and reporting
- Staying compliant on claims, E&S, and specialty without killing broker speed
Next Gen
- Career playbooks: what rising brokers wish they’d known earlier
- Mixing veteran experience with new ideas in
- Finding your lane as a NextGen broker in a consolidating, tech‑driven market
Diversity & Inclusion
- Real stories from women and under‑represented leaders on breaking through and bringing others with them
- How brokers can sponsor others, share opportunities, and use their voice even without a hiring title
- Where inclusion has changed client relationships, ideas, and outcomes – not just internal messaging
E&S Unfiltered
- Winning in a capacity‑tight, appetite‑shifting E&S market
- Designing E&S solutions for “wild risks” the standard market won’t touch
- Broker, MGA, and carrier partnerships that unlock specialty placements
Construction & Specialty Reports
- Managing construction risk under climate, cost, and regulatory pressure
- Spotting breakout niches across specialty lines before the market crowds in
- Claims and coverage lessons from large, multi‑party and specialty projects
Market Capacity, M&A & Economic Headwinds
- Broker playbooks for navigating consolidation and staying relevant
- Positioning your firm for sale, scale, or strategic partnership
- Competing when capacity, pricing, and client demand all move at once


