How Do You Choose the Right Insurance Conferences to Attend in 2026?

Choosing which insurance conferences  to attend can feel overwhelming, especially when budgets, time, and internal resources are limited. Over the years, I’ve seen the most effective agencies and carriers shift away from “must-attend” lists and toward goal-driven event strategies. By aligning conferences with specific objectives, whether that’s recruiting agents, expanding into new states, launching products, or strengthening existing relationships, organizations can maximize ROI while avoiding burnout and wasted effort. The result is fewer events, better conversations, and far more measurable impact.

Start With the Goal — Not the Event

One of the most valuable insights I’ve heard recently came directly from carrier partners: they don’t choose conferences first; they choose goals first.

Before committing to an event, they ask clear, intentional questions. Are they trying to appoint new agents in a specific state? Strengthen relationships they already have? Launch a new product or expand into a new line of business? Or focus on geographic growth in a particular region?

When you start with those objectives, the conference list becomes much easier to define. Instead of asking, “Which events should we attend?” the better question becomes, “Which events support what we’re trying to build this year?” That shift alone eliminates a surprising amount of noise.

Use Regional Events to Build Real Relationships

National conferences absolutely have their place — but regional events are often where the strongest relationships are built.

For organizations focused on Florida growth, FAIA is an obvious choice. For Texas, Houston Insurance Day continues to deliver meaningful, relationship-driven conversations, particularly for carriers and agencies already active in the market.

When you already have a footprint in a state, regional conferences allow you to deepen relationships instead of starting from scratch, which often leads to better follow-up and faster momentum.

Match Conferences on Geographic Growth Strategies

Another consistent theme I hear from carrier leaders is how closely their conference calendars align with where they’re actively growing.

Some strong examples include IIANC for North Carolina expansion, IIABSC for South Carolina visibility, and PIA of Louisiana alongside IIABL — one of my personal all-time favorite conventions — for Louisiana-focused growth. In the Northeast, PIA of New Jersey and MAIA remain key events for organizations building presence in those markets.

These conferences put you directly in front of the agencies, decision-makers, and influencers who matter most in that state, which is especially important when licensing, appointment rules, and compliance requirements vary so widely by jurisdiction.

To make this approach easier to visualize, the chart below highlights key industry and Insurtech conferences that will be available in 2026.

Our Top 3 Insurtech Conventions — and Where Agenzee Will Be Next Year

When we evaluate Insurtech conferences at Agenzee, we don’t look at size or hype alone. We look at who’s in the room, what problems they’re actively trying to solve, and whether meaningful conversations happen.

With that lens, three events consistently earn their place on our calendar.

The ICMG Annual Conference remains a standout for carrier, MGA, and executive-level conversations, particularly in health and senior markets. It’s relationship-driven rather than vendor-saturated, which makes it ideal for strategic discussions around operations, compliance, and long-term partnerships. For Agenzee, this audience aligns closely with organizations that feel the real impact of licensing and appointment complexity.

Insurtech Connect (ITC Vegas) continues to be unmatched when it comes to ecosystem visibility. While it’s busy and fast-paced, it’s still where enterprise carriers, platform partners, and infrastructure providers come together to shape the future of the industry. For us, ITC isn’t about selling, it’s about positioning, partnership alignment, and validating our roadmap alongside other serious industry platforms.

Then there’s SILA’s National Conference, which is truly non-negotiable for any organization operating in licensing and compliance. SILA isn’t about marketing, it’s about credibility. The audience includes licensing administrators, compliance leaders, regulators, and NIPR-adjacent stakeholders. It’s where trust is built and where alignment with evolving regulatory expectations really matters.

Quality Over Quantity (Always)

One of the things I admire most about these conversations with carrier leaders is their willingness to say no. Fewer conferences, approached intentionally, consistently deliver better results than spreading teams thin across too many events.

Showing up prepared, with licensing readiness, appointment strategies, and follow-up plans already in place, matters far more than how many badges you scan. In today’s environment, success isn’t about visibility alone. It’s about alignment.

Summary

The most successful insurance organizations aren’t choosing conventions based on tradition or hype, they’re choosing them based on strategy. Whether your focus is geographic expansion, agent appointments, product launches, or relationship-building, aligning your event calendar with clear goals leads to better outcomes every time. A thoughtful, goal-driven conference strategy doesn’t just save time and budget, it supports sustainable growth and compliance across every state you operate in.