This year's ACORD/LOMA Systems Forum was like other years for me in that it meant a great many back-to-back appointments and some fairly intense socializing with industry friends whom I seldom get to see otherwise. It was also similar in the mixed reviews of the show from the standpoint of the vendors. Courtesy no doubt plays a role in these matters, but I heard very positive remarks about the show both on and off the floor until the very end. Only then did reports come to me, usually second hand, that the traffic was perhaps not so great.The contrast of the negative comments with the positive was striking, and yet it was familiar. When is there ever enough traffic. Of course, from the perspective of a journalist meeting vendors and analysts, the show can't fail to be a success, and so it was for me and my colleagues at I&T. However, I also had an outstanding experience in terms of the number and rank of insurance executives I happened to see. Several were old friends but some were new people I was very happy to have the chance to meet.

The tone of the show was welcome too, considering that the economic downturn might have cast a pall over the proceedings but didn't. Finally, I had the chance to do some video podcasts with some very smart and personally delightful people, including Linda Dodson of Chubb, BA Scott of New York Life, Frank Neugebauer of ACORD and Deb Smallwood of Smallwood Maike & Associates.

Since the ACORD/LOMA Insurance Systems Forum ran right through midweek this year, it was impossible to cover the show's announcements in the normal way through I&T's weekly newsletter. That being the case, we saved some announcements for the May 21 edition and will no doubt use others for the next print issue we produce.From the perspective of a journalist meeting vendors and analysts, the show can't fail to be a success, and so it was for me and my colleagues at I&T. However, I also had an outstanding experience in terms of the number and rank of insurance executives I happened to see. Several were old friends but some were new people I was very happy to have the chance to meet.