The 2013 National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference^® and Expo

November 20^th – 22^nd at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas will again be monumental for our industry. The conference continues to innovate to meet your needs

 

The 22^nd annual conference offers regional breakout sessions and the expo hosts more than 260 exhibitors.

 

Among the highlights will be:

 

• Best Practices for Injury Prevention

 

• Strategies to Resolve Legacy Claims

 

• Actions to Curb Opioid Abuse

 

•  A brand new track focusing on an essential topic for industry professionals — Disability Management Solutions  – covering comorbidities, wellness and more

 

• Critical issues in trend-setting states that often affect decisions in other regions

 

• Emphasis on technology, innovation research & analytics to help workers’ comp and disability management professionals produce optimal outcomes

 

• A hypothetical risk situation dissected in Risk Scenarios Live challenging you to identify key turning points of the claim

 

• The Opening Keynote: Fighting Myths to Achieve Excellence in Workers’ Compensation by William Zachry, Vice President, Risk Management, Safeway, Inc.

 

• Luncheon & Entertainment: When It Comes to Achieving Excellence — You Can’t Just Give It a Shot! Bruce Wilkinson, a safety and health expert turned professional speaker, delivers a fast-paced, humorous program to show you how to unlock the secrets of a positive attitude and can-do leadership style

 

• Front and Center Again: Bloggers Speak Out on the State of Workers’ Compensation: David DePaolo, WorkCompCentral.com, Joseph Paduda,  ManagedCareMatters, Rebecca Shafer, ReduceYourWorkersComp.com & Robert Wilson, WorkersCompensation.com. They’re back!  If you missed them last year, you’ll want to catch these high-profile workers’ comp bloggers as they present their opinions o nsome fo the most pressing issues of the day.  It’s sure to be full of information, fun – and surprises!

 

• The Legal Perspective of the Latest Workers’ Comp Reforms where Stuart D. Colburn, Esq., of Downs Stanford moderates a panel including Brad Bleakney, Esq., Bleakney & Troiani, author Thomas A. Robinson, J.D. and Rebecca A. Shafer, J.D., President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc.

 

• You can choose one of the following five tracks:

◦       Better Claims Management

◦       Disability Management

◦       Regional Issues

◦       Medical Management

◦       Legal/Regulatory Issues

 

 

Why Attend this Conference

 

The workers’ compensation industry is always evolving – new players, new laws and new equipment. Everyone in this industry should attend to learn new techniques, meet new vendors and discover the latest service enhancements.

 

The National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference® & Expo is the industry’s leading training event, attracting thousands of workers’ comp and disability management professionals from across the nation each year.

 

With proven guidance from industry experts, ample time to network with your peers and much more, there is truly no better place to find solutions to your workers’ comp and disability management challenges.

 

Continuing Education Credit:

The conference is routinely approved for AAOHN, CDMSC, CCMC, CRCC, CWCP and HRCI credits – so you know you’re getting quality education. It is   already approved for 7.75 of the recertification credits you need to maintain your PHR, SPHR or GPHR certification.

 

 

How to Get the Most Out of the National Conference:

 

1. Attend the Opening Session. Don’t miss this because William Zachry, Vice President of Risk Management for the nation’s second largest grocery chain, has seen the workers’ comp and disability industry from all angles. Zachry will discuss well-known myths driving behavior and holding back the industry from achieving the best possible outcomes. In this energized presentation, he’ll explain what the myths are, how to separate them from the truth and how practitioners can achieve excellence.

 

 

2. Focus on specific goals. For example, sessions about your region or attracting business. Attend all the sessions in the track that will bring the most value to your program. Use the 2013 Mobile App to plan which sessions you want to attend.

 

 

3. Read the brochures when you return home to learn about service providers.

 

 

4. Pass out your business card and network, network, network. Meeting knowledgeable people gives you a resource when you encounter a problem.   The conference offers ample opportunities for networking including a networking Reception and Closing Social as well as numerous meals and refreshment breaks. 

 

 

5. Learn what you don’t know. Being exposed to new ideas presents an opportunity to learn things you don’t even know you are missing!

 

 

6. Chat with people who do the same things that you do and see where you differ. At this conference, everybody’s badge includes their title and organization. It’s easy to identify other attendees who have similar roles in different organizations.

 

 

7. Ask about key cost drivers. Attendees come from organizations of varying industries. Find people who work in workers’ compensation departments you know next to nothing about and ask them whether they are satisfied with their workers’ comp vendors. Ask them what drives their costs.

 

 

8. Roam through the exhibit hall speaking to vendors and learning about the types of services that are available to reduce workers’ comp costs. NWCDC is the nation’s largest Expo of this kind. THIS will be the best education you will ever get!

 

 

9. Wear comfortable attire. Bring comfortable shoes. The first day, people are a bit more dressed up than the following days. The last day is more casual because people are traveling back home. Definitely dress professionally because some of the people you meet with become lifelong contacts, so making a good impression is important, but you can be comfortable, too. For an ounce of prevention, bring moleskin to protect the areas of your feet most likely to get blisters.

 

 

10. Attend both the exhibit hall and the educational sessions. 

 

 

11. Start early, leave late and remember … although your feet may hurt, this is a once-a-year event!

 

 

12. Before the exhibit hall opens, join the group breakfast to network with new friends. You will find people are very friendly and helpful.

 

 

13. Keep your Show Guide for future reference. You may want to have this handy on your desk for the time you want to try a new service or ask a question about a new service. Or, if you are putting out a request for proposals, this will be your ultimate list of those companies to bid on your project.

 

 

See you there!

 

 

Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact:RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

 

Editor Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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