IIABW’s GO BIG Conference was held at the Snoqualmie Casino Hotel recently. Click here to view pictures from the event. We had a great turnout, a sold-out tradeshow of vendors, seminars on timely topics and fun networking events.
IIABW President Reid Ekberg of Pilkey Hopping and Ekberg handed over the leadership of the association to incoming President Nick Brewe of Gallagher in Redmond. Your new President-elect is Drew Hodgson of Western Insurance in Spokane and Secretary Treasurer is Hans Eskelsen of WaFd Insurance Group in Stanwood.
IIABW presented the following awards:
- Young Agent of the Year: Blake Sumner of Travelers
- Industry Person of the Year: Mary Lemon of CIG
- Agent of the Year: Hans Eskelsen of WaFd Insurance Group
- Don C. Burnam Lifetime Achievement: Pat Otter of Otter Insurance/HUB
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
7:00 pm Hospitality Suite
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
9:30 am -10:30 am Exhibit Table Set-up
10:30 – 1:00 pm Lunch. Exhibit Hall open
1:00– 2:30 pm “Welcome” Reid Ekberg, IIABW President; “Stop Playing Defense in the Soft Market” Gregg Goodmanson, Advisor/Partner, InCite Performance Group
2:45 – 3:45 pm “OIC New Consumer Outreach Program & WA Fair Plan” (1 CE) Andrew Davis, J.D., Deputy Commissioner, OIC; Celeste Holmes, Executive Director, Washington Fair Plan
4:00 – 5:00 pm “Best Practices in Responding to Catastrophic Events” (1 CE) Megan Coe of NorthTown Insurance in Spokane; Drew Hodgson of Western Insurance Associates in Spokane; Tony Kelley of Kelley Insurance Agency in Everson; Melissa Wikum, Alliant Insurance in Spokane
5:00 – 7:00 pm Reception & Exhibit Hall open
7:00 – 8:30 pm Awards Dinner
8:30 pm Reception in the Hospitality Room
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
9:00 – 10:00 am “Breakfast with Bill: Legislative Update” (1 CE) Bill Stauffacher, IIABW’s Lobbyist
10:15 – 11:00 am “The Art of Influence & Persuasion” Gregg Goodmanson, Advisor/Partner, InCite Performance Group
11:00 – 11:45 am “Using AI to Maximize Sales” Gregg Goodmanson, Advisor/Partner, InCite Performance Group
We would like to thank the companies who sponsored the 2026 GO BIG Conference. Watch for ways you can participate in 2027 to show independent agents in Washington that you support them and their Conference by being a sponsor. For more information, please contact Suzanne Arnett (sarnett@wainsurance.org) or 425-336-0461.
Title: Liberty Mutual
Platinum: Capital Premium Financing, Burns & Wilcox, First Insurance Funding, IPFS, Progressive
Premier: AMWINS Access, Granwest, National General an Allstate Co., Nationwide, Travelers
Major: Berkley North Pacific, Cochrane & Co., Mutual of Enumclaw, Red Shield, ServiceMaster of Tacoma, Western National
Supporting: WSRB
We sold out our trade show again this year to give attendees and valuable business partners the opportunity to network. Thank you to our exhibitors:
- Affiliated Members Insurance
- AMWINS Access
- Applied Systems, Inc.
- Arrowhead General Ins. Agency
- Bridge Specialty Group
- Burns & Wilcox
- Caliber
- Capital Premium Financing
- Clear Risk Solutions
- Cochrane & Co.
- CPCU Society – Pacific Northwest Chapter
- CRC Tapco
- Distinguished Programs
- Ennabl
- Enterprise Mobility
- ePayPolicy
- ERS Construction
- First Insurance Funding
- FirstChoice, a MarshBerry Company
- Foremost Flood Program
- Granwest
- Guide One Insurance
- Hallmark Financial Services
- Hawksoft
- HCIT/Trustco
- IIAB of King & Snohomish Co.
- IIABW/IPSC
- IPFS
- Johnson & Johnson
- Liberty Mutual
- National General, An Allstate Company
- National Partners
- NATIONWIDE
- NPIP/CIAW/SIAW/USIP/WCRG
- McGowan Companies
- MiniCo, Inc.
- Mutual of Enumclaw
- Pennsylvania Lumbermen’s Mutual Insurance
- Peoples Premium Finance
- Professional Program Insurance Brokerage
- Progressive
- Risk Placement Services
- RT Specialty
- SageSure
- Safety Northwest
- ServiceMaster Of Seattle
- ServiceMaster of Tacoma
- Slater All Lines Insurance School
- Sompo
- Travelers
- VensureHR
- Washington FAIR Plan
- Wholesure
- Wright Flood Insurance
- WSRB
- XPT Partners LLC