History of the Conference

The strategic importance of world trade remains paramount to governments, manufacturers, farmers, miners, traders, ship owners and port operators. At least 80% of world trade is moved across oceans and at some time those goods, vessels and the harbours they use are the subject matter of a Marine Insurance policy, and perhaps even a claim under that policy.

The advent of modern communications means that even a straightforward risk can be spread to insurers far and wide across the globe. In order to maintain the highest of professional standards in handling Marine losses the claims adjusters need to be able to communicate with each other freely, but until 2004 no forum or platform existed for such a dialogue to take place. For many years Marine Underwriters have had an international organisation to foster relationships between markets, but nothing existed for the claims community. So after consulting many people from around the globe Charlotte Warr instigated the concept of an International Marine Claims Conference.

The inaugural International Marine Claims Conference, organised by Charlotte Warr, Ann Waite and Philip Cornick, was held in Dublin in 2004. Claims Handlers, Adjusters, Marine Surveyors and Lawyers from many parts of the world got together to learn about the claims philosophies of some of the major and not so major centres for Marine Insurance, with Conference concentrating predominantly on hull and machinery issues and practices. Today, the Conference still concentrates on the current issues associated with hull insurance claims but has expanded to incorporate P&I topics, integral to marine casualties.

The success of the first Conference was a solid foundation on which IMCC has built each year, with attendance now at capacity level and features as a firm date in most claims practioners' diaries.

The conference was organised by Gill Langford, Ken Freeman, Simon Langridge and Steven Hill during 2006 and 2007, but since 2008 the conference is back with the original team of Ann Waite and Charlotte Warr.

Since inception, Conference has been held in Dublin,and in 2010 will again be at The Grand Hotel, Malahide. The organisers feel this works extremely well for all delegates as communications and travel to and from all parts of the globe are possible and most delegates are removed from their own working locations. Irish hospitality and the Guinness are just additional factors that continue to make Dublin an attractive location for this event.