More than 625 attendees—the biggest crowd in years—gathered for the 2010 Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach November 17–20. For the ninth year, FICP raised money from a silent auction to give to a local cause: in this case, the Humane Society of Greater Miami. One resident, Prissy, shown at left with conference chairwoman Cindy Wheaton, CMP, of Nationwide Insurance, seemed rather grateful for the $41,306 check that FICP delivered!

Also at the conference, popular keynoter Peter Ricchiuti delivered a positive message about the economy; breakout sessions covered hot topics such as social media and risk management; and three stellar evenings showcased the glamour and event capabilities of the Fontainebleau, Eden-Roc Renaissance, and Westin Diplomat. Read our firsthand accounts and don’t miss the photo gallery.

It’s probably the most common conference complaint after meeting rooms being too cold: The reception music is too loud. Why hasn’t someone figured out how to solve this problem once and for all?
Bill Hopkins has, and we’ve got his four-point checklist to ensure perfect musical accompaniment throughout your entire evening. And that’s not all: This online advice column launches our Insider's Guide to Entertainment and Production series from Hopkins that will appear in the Financial & Insurance Meetings section of Corporate Meetings & Incentives beginning in January.

More than two dozen financial and insurance conference planners gathered at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, just south of Miami’s South Beach, as a prelude to the 2010 Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference last month. The event included a catamaran excursion to "Stiltsville"—a grouping of vintage houses built on stilts in the middle of the bay—as well as an elegant dinner at the Versace Mansion. Check out our on-site reporting and our photo gallery from the event.

In this edition of our interview series, meet a supplier to the financial and insurance conference planning industry who really knows how to celebrate. For example, why limit your birthday celebration to one day a year? Take a cue from Kathy Koziminske, vice president of sales for hinton + grusich in Chicago, and start celebrating your "quarter" birthdays as well! Read more from this sharp dresser and eyeglass aficionado, pictured with her significant other, Hyatt Rosemont GM Norman Theoret.

Chuck Lane, director, incentive travel, at Humana in Green Bay, Wis., is a modest gentleman, so it’s possible you don’t know he wears a Super Bowl ring. From the first Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers won that contest, and at the time the 23-year-old Lane was the team’s PR guy—the youngest in the National Football League. He spent 14 years with the Packers, four of them being profoundly influenced by the Packers’ legendary coach, Vince Lombardi. Hear him talk about the experience in an upcoming documentary about Lombardi, which debuts on HBO December 11 at 8 p.m. EST.