The World Insurance Forum (WIF) is coming back to Bermuda with a brand new format and a host of international industry leaders signed up for its discussion panels.

After the eighth conference was held in Dubai in 2008 — the first time it had been staged off the Island — organisers will hold this year's event at the Tucker's Point Point Hotel and Spa in St. George's, from March 14 to 16.

The biennial event is aiming to attract around 200 attendees, who will be admitted by invitation only, with applicants expected to be senior managers.

Panels of CEOs will discuss hot industry topics and then participate in hour-long question-and-answer sessions.

The event which started out in 1993 as the Bermuda Insurance Symposium has earned a reputation as a thought leadership event with a global perspective.

"We found that the more interesting feedback from previous World Insurance Forums was from the panel discussions," WIF honorary chairman Michael Butt, also the chairman of Axis Capital Holdings Ltd., said. "Set speeches are less interesting than debate.

"We want WIF to have some intellectual added value and we believe this is the best way to involve our informed participants.

"The unusual thing about WIF is that it's non-commercial and it's put on by the industry for the industry. It's global — not just about Bermuda. When it started in 1993, it was about gaining recognition of the Bermuda market, but we're way past that now."

After the successful staging of the seminar in Dubai, WIF Operating Committee chairman Robin Spencer-Arscott said one distant jurisdiction had expressed interest in hosting this year's event. But the recession and resulting cutbacks on corporate travel budgets had made that seem too much of a risk.

"We started this in 1993, following the formation of eight to 10 companies after Hurricane Andrew," Mr. Spencer-Arscott said. "The success of WIF has gone hand-in-hand with the success of the Bermuda market.

"We've been lucky in that around the time of every WIF, there's always been something substantial to talk about."

Neill Currie, CEO of RenaissanceRe, is chairman of the WIF Advisory Committee. He praised the work Mr. Butt had done for WIF and as an advocate of Bermuda.

Mr. Currie will moderate the first panel the opening day of the Forum, discussing "Industry Leadership: The Next 10 Years". He said the question-and-answer format tended to create more interest than set presentations.

"On my panel, we have Swiss Re CEO Stefan Lippe, Lloyd's chairman Lord Peter Levene, Liberty Mutual Group CEO Ted Kelly and Marsh & McLennan CEO Brian Duperreault," Mr. Currie said. "People of their calibre can think on their feet and people want to hear their opinions."

As for the efforts to attract delegates from high-level management, Mr. Currie said: "In previous WIFs, I think the calibre of the panellists has been superb, but it's been a little light in terms of the delegates. We have attracted a disparate group.

"The WIF has evolved and we thought it would be interesting if we could attract more people in senior positions. I think we may have opened it up to a slightly broader group, but we have a lot of high-level people coming. I think it will be sold out."

After a cocktail reception on the evening of Sunday, March 14, the forum proper starts the following morning with an introductory address from Patrick Liedtke, secretary general of the Geneva Association, a group comprising world insurance industry leaders, followed by Mr. Currie's session.

The afternoon discussion, moderated Catlin Group CEO Stephen Catlin, will focus on Enterprise Risk Management. On the panel will be Axis Capital CEO John Charman, Bermuda Monetary Authority CEO Jeremy Cox, Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority vice-chair Monica Machler and HCC Insurance CEO John Molbeck.

An hour is scheduled for questions and answers after each session and the same applies to the Tuesday discussions.

Tony Knapp, president and director of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science, will open the second day with a scientific overview of climate change.

That will be followed by a panel on potential costs and opportunities for the industry from climate change, moderated by Mr. Butt. The panel will comprise David Bresch of Swiss Re, Peter Hoeppe of Munich Re, Rolf Tolle of Lloyd's, Barney Schauble of Nephila Capital and Kyle Danish of Van Ness Feldman.

The final session examine the boundaries for risk assumption between the public and private sectors, moderated by Arch Capital CEO Constantine Iordanou. Two more Bermuda CEOs will feature on the panel — Mike McGavick of XL Capital and David Brown of Flagstone Re. They will be joined by The Chubb COO John Degnan, Swiss Re's David Bresch, Wharton School professor Scott Harrington and Ray Spudeck, chief economist of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

For more information, or to register, go to the WIF website at www.worldinsuranceforum.com