You Can't Afford NOT to Attend the URMIA Annual Conference

In this episode of URMIA Matters, Julie Groves, Director of Risk Services at Wake Forest University, hosts an informative conversation with the chairs and co-chairs of the upcoming URMIA Annual Conference: Juan Azcarate, Susie Johnson, Michael Tabije, and Courtney Davis. URMIA’s 56th Annual Conference is taking place in beautiful Las Vegas from October 12–16 this year! Our guests share thoughtful insights into their roles and exciting details about the agenda, including a keynote by New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath. The conference offers a rich mix of learning opportunities, peer networking, and social events—from a lively opening reception at the Marquee nightclub to a stunning closing celebration overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. The episode wraps up with helpful travel tips for first-time attendees to make the most of their Vegas experience. URMIA Institutional Members only who listen to this episode can receive $200 off their registration using the code JoinAC2025 at time of registration! 

Show Notes

Register for URMIA’s Annual Conference 2025 in Vegas!

URMIA's 56th Annual Conference Schedule

Volunteer Opportunities at URMIA's 56th Annual Conference

Guests

Juan Azcarate, Senior Director, Risk Management - Dallas College

Susie Johnson, Risk Management Director - Iowa State University 

Michael Tabije, Risk Manager - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Courtney Davis, Executive Vice President, Global Education Practice Leader - Hub International

Host

Julie Groves, Director, Risk Services - Wake Forest University

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Transcript

Jenny Whittington: [00:00:00] Hey there. Thanks for tuning in to URMIA Matters, a podcast about higher education, risk management, and insurance. Let's get to it. 

Julie Groves: Hi, everyone. I'm Julie Groves, Director of Risk Services at Wake Forest University, and I'll be your host for this episode of URMIA Matters. Today we're going to be chatting a bit about our upcoming annual conference, which will be held in Las Vegas. October 12th through the 16th. Joining me to give us a sneak peek into what we can expect are conference chair, Juan Azcarate, and vice chairs, Susie Johnson, Courtney Davis, and Michael Tabije. Welcome to the podcast. I'm excited to hear all about what we can expect next month. Before we get into our discussion, why don't you each introduce yourself and talk a little bit about why you wanted to help with the annual conference. So why don't we start with you, Juan?  

Juan Azcarate: Thank you, Julie. So, [00:01:00] I'm Juan Azcarate. I'm the senior managing director for Dallas College. Been here about three years and pretty much I oversee. And manage the entire commercial insurance program, various risk control initiatives. We're starting to take on the enterprise risk management program here as well. So, a lot of things going on here at Dallas College in the last three years that I've been here. So, look, really enjoying my time here and looking forward to some of these other issues that we're taking on in projects in the next few months.  

Julie Groves: And why did you say, I think I wanna be the chair of the annual conference?  

Juan Azcarate: You know, I've always enjoyed working with people and I think people that have gotten to know me, I've really enjoyed interacting with them and really in the time that I've been with URMIA and going to the conferences, networking with a lot of folks, and so I think this was a chance not just to work with other colleagues, but also getting a chance to work with URMIA staff and URMIA staff just is, does an incredible job. A lot of [00:02:00] people don't know all the work that goes into it. Until you're actually on the committee or working, you know, as one of the chairs or co-chairs. And so really gotten a chance to work closely with them and gotten a chance to work closely with our committee. And so really enjoy just interacting with all of them. 

Julie Groves: Well, you are correct. Our URMIA staff is amazing, so if you don't know that, they sure are. And so, thank you, Juan, for stepping up and agreeing to chair the conference. I know that it's gonna be great. So, Susie, why don't you tell us a little bit about you and tell us kind of what sort of tasks you've taken care of as one of the vice chairs of the conference? 

Susie Johnson: Okay, sounds good. Julie. I'm Susie Johnson from Iowa State University. You know, like Juan, one of the great things about URMIA is just all of the people. So, getting to work a little more with Juan is always terrific, as well as the URMIA staff and so many of the other volunteers who are on committees. And our particular committee worked on the programs and the programming submission from dozens and dozens of URMIA members. Both [00:03:00] institutional and affiliates who present the educational sessions at our conference, and we had just a phenomenal array of topics and types of presentations. Makes it really hard to narrow them down. But we did, and we have it all set and ready in a great program for this year's attendees.  

Julie Groves: Right. And Michael, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and tell us what you've focused on in your role as vice chair?  

Michael Tabije: Great. I'm, uh, Michael Tabije. I'm the risk manager at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. I wanted to get my feet wet with getting involved with URMIA other than just being an attendee. And my, uh, role, uh, in this year's conference was to be the guest and social programming person. And, you know, we got a lot of great stuff lined up for this year's conference in terms of, you know, not only. Conference session, but also out the sessions, the things that we have, activities that we have outside of the conference. Plus, I wanna to get involved because I'm a resident of Las Vegas, I have to represent ULV, so.  

Julie Groves: Good. Great. Well [00:04:00] thank you for, uh, stepping up. And Courtney, you certainly need no introduction, but some people may not know that you've had a little bit of a job change in the not too distant past. So, do you wanna give folks an update on that and then tell us a bit about your role as vice chair of the conference? 

Courtney Davis: Absolutely, and thanks for having me today. So, my name is Courtney Davis. I am currently with Hub International, an insurance brokerage. So, from a day-to-day basis, I support our clients and prospects with their insurance claims and risk needs. Partnering across the Hub education, specialty practice. Also, a past president of URMIA and a longtime supporter. So naturally, when the opportunity came up to be involved with this conference, it was a no brainer for me. Because the URMIA staff certainly knew that I have a love for Vegas. So, it was right on time and, and happy to get involved and, and dive in head first, uh, just to support and make it as big and as great as we know it's going to be. 

Julie Groves: Well, thanks again to all of you, for all the [00:05:00] work that you and the other members of the committee have done, I know that's gonna be a great conference. So, before we start chatting about that conference, let's take a little step back and think about past conferences that you all may have been to. Does anybody have a particular favorite memory you'd like to share from a past conference? 

Courtney Davis: I'll go ahead and kick things off for us. I've had the joy of going to many conferences over the last 18 years, but certainly a standout memory would be the Portland Conference in 2011. We did something in URMIA’s history hadn't done before, which, which really popular at the time. We coordinated a surprise flash mob, so created a secret group of folks to participate, train them in advance with the dance moves, and then at the opening receptions, the group just kept getting bigger and bigger, and so it was contagious. Certainly, but certainly a moment to capture as well.  

Julie Groves: And sadly, I don't know that video was a part of most people's phones at that point, but if it had been, I think we'd have some excellent footage of that. But does anybody have, I don't know how to find it. 

Courtney Davis: Oh, I’m gonna find it. 

Julie Groves: I was gonna say, does anybody have footage?  

[00:06:00] Okay, well good. We might need to, we might need to put a link in the, uh, show notes so people who weren't around in 2011 can witness that. So, the, but.  

Courtney Davis: Absolutely.  

Julie Groves: That was a fun memory. Anybody else wanna share anything? I will say that one, my very first conference was in Washington DC, and they were supposed to be done remodeling the hotel and they weren't. So, we had to walk on plywood everywhere we went. It was lots of fun. Susie, you were gonna say something?  

Susie Johnson: I think back to my first conference, uh, was in Nashville, and I remember standing at the back of the room at the opening and seeing all these folks who knew each other and the interactions and then you know, a speaker saying that, really hope you get to know some people and welcome, we're so glad to have you here. And I think we hear that at lots of different things we attend. You know, it could be on my campus or at an an event, but every person I met, they genuinely were just. So friendly and and happy to interact and share their thoughts. And ever since then, I just thought how amazing it is that people, just the people of URMIA. And so that's my [00:07:00] favorite, that it keeps replaying itself every year when I attended the next conference.  

Julie Groves: Yeah, I think the people of URMIA are incredibly welcoming, you know, and you can make some really great contacts who can then go on to help you when you have, you know, issues that you need assistance with who go on to become really good friends as well. So, I hope that people who come to any event we put on, I hope that's their experience. So, let's jump into our conference. It's getting ready to. It'll be here before we know it. So, from each of your perspectives, what are you looking forward to the most at the upcoming annual conference? So, Susie, I'm gonna start with you. 

Susie Johnson: Well, Julie, I guess I'll just go back to what's a little bit of what I just said. I think there's that moment, each person that I see at the conference and whether I met them 12 years ago or just last year when we were at the registration table, it's kind of this reuniting with somebody and they're happy. We're happy to see each other, and you kind of hear about what happened in their lives this past year. And that really is my favorite part of it. The catching up with each person and kind of [00:08:00] celebrating something. Or maybe they had something, you know, difficult, they experienced. So, kind of just getting to give some hugs and say hi, and that's the part I'm looking forward to most.  

Julie Groves: Agreed. Courtney?  

Courtney Davis: For me, I think, you know, every year echoing what Susie says, it's always great to catch up. It's kinda like a family reunion, but something feels a little bit different about the environment that everyone's operating in from an educational perspective, just with a host of things happening in the world and more locally. And so, I think the ability for us to be able to come together in this environment, knowing that we lean on each other, but also to learn together there and share. I think that it's going to be very powerful beyond, you know, the beauty and, and all of what we have to offer in Vegas. But I just think the timing is gonna be so critical. So that's what I look forward to the most, to see what we can get out of it and share with one another.  

Julie Groves: Michael, what about you?  

Michael Tabije: You know, this is. Basically, the sales pitch that everyone in this podcast is listening to, it will, you know, it'll make them wanna come because I also echo the same thing. Looking forward to meeting other risk professionals in person and forming [00:09:00] relationships and also picking their brain because, you know, risk is constantly evolving and the way we have to deal with them is also evolving. And what better venue to get that information than with other risk professionals, you know? And you'll be surprised that a lot of 'em have the same common problems or issues that you are facing so you're not alone and you'll be surprised of the different ideas and innovative ways to kind of, you know, broaden your, your scope and your horizons and on how to deal with these issues. And also, a change in scenery, you know, for a few days. 

Julie Groves: Definitely, definitely. And Juan, what about you?  

Juan Azcarate: You know, Julie, I think for me it's a newcomer’s orientation. I think when you go in there and you get to see that every year that we've gone, every year, it keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. You're seeing more folks coming in. More people are, that are coming into higher ed risk management, that are learning about URMIA, that are hearing about URMIA from their colleagues and from, you know, other institution colleagues and that sort of thing. And so [00:10:00] to me, I think that's what really kind of gets me going is when you go in there and you're starting to meet new folks that are just coming in. You know, your risk analyst, your incoming risk manager, people that are just starting off, that are learning about URMIA.  

And so that, to me, I think that's a great motivational tool for me, is that it keeps me going, it keeps me engaged and it kind of, you know, makes me feel, you know what, we're gonna have continuity here with the organization because the word is getting out of how great we are. Our mission, you know, is something that we really, really take to heart, and all of us, you know, that, that are, are involved in URMIA and, and URMIA leadership really, really take it very seriously. And so, I'm really thankful that that is moving forward and we're seeing more and more folks coming in every, every year. 

Julie Groves: And that's a great point, Juan, if you are coming to the conference and it's your first time and you haven't signed up for the newcomer session, please do. You will not regret it because you will meet other folks who are there for the first time as well. And it's just a really, really helpful way to kind of learn more about what. You [00:11:00] know what's going on with URMIA and to meet other people who are there, as I said for the first time. So, thanks for mentioning that one. So, I'm just, I'm gonna throw this question out to anybody who wants to answer. I've heard that the Cosmopolitan Hotel is very unique, and so what, what do people need to know about the hotel in our conference location before they come? 

Juan Azcarate: I think one of the things about the Cosmopolitan, and I was surprised because I've been to Vegas many times. And what I really like about the layout, first of all, is that you literally don't have to go to the casino floor. So, you know, in the past you had to basically, you check in to get to your room, you go through a casino floor. You don't have to do that here. Literally, you can bypass a casino floor, you, you don't even have to go into the conference area. You can literally go up to your room. And so I think that's one thing that, that I, I think I enjoy that I like, and I think other members will like that as well, that if you're not there to do the, the gambling, you don't have to actually go to that area too to get to your room or get to the conference space or get [00:12:00] to where all the restaurants are. So, it's structured a lot differently. And so that's one thing I think some of our members are going to enjoy.  

Julie Groves: Great.  

Susie Johnson: It's so accessible too. It's easy, you know, quick and easy to get there from the airport. And then once you're there, there are shops and restaurants without, again, even having to leave the building. I can go grab a sandwich or hit the fantastic breakfast buffet, but also, I can easily get outside and go walk for quite some time if that's what I wanted to go do. So, it's just kind of a little bit of everything right there. I loved it.  

Julie Groves: Great.  

Michael Tabije: Yeah, and it's the Cosmopolitan among all the other strip properties. It's unique and it's quirky. There's nothing like it on a strip. It has, you know, this art centric decor and one of the few hotels, or maybe one of the only hotels that have balconies in the rooms, you know, which is strip facing, facing the Bellagio Fountain and what Susie was saying, the Wicked Spoon Buffet. It’s one of the last few buffets existing in Las Vegas. And the food is very quality. I would recommend [00:13:00] the bone marrow dish. That's something unique.  

Julie Groves: Okay.  

Michael Tabije: Pretty yummy. There's also eclectic mix of foods, eating venues such as Momofoku, China Poblano, and STK Steakhouse. There's a whole bunch of hidden venues. And speak easys, about five in all, and you can explore that. And again, that's something that's unique to the Cosmo. So, all the casinos I’ve stayed at, the Cosmo, has just a different vibe, you know, if you wanna frame it that way. But I know Courtney has a lot to say because that's one of her favorite spots to stay, isn't it?  

Courtney Davis: You summed it up so nicely, especially about the hidden gems. So, there's a lot to explore and to see, and I think it's just centrally located, making it walk bowl easy to get to and from the airport as well.  

Julie Groves: So, I have a note, and I'm kind of scared to ask this question, but I have a note about something about the smell of the hotel. There a particular smell. 

Courtney Davis: What smell?  

Julie Groves: Okay.  

Courtney Davis: The smell is not, well, there is a smell. They have a [00:14:00] fragrance that is infused throughout, but it wouldn't be what some people may be of concern about when going to a hotel or a casino in Las Vegas from like a smoking perspective. And so, I think from an aromatics perspective, I think it's vanilla that they infuse throughout the hotel, which makes it lovely. But then also not to be, you know, a bother to those who may be trying to avoid that.  

Julie Groves: Good.  

Michael Tabije: Right. It's a very nuanced smell. It's not, it's nothing overly powering or anything like that. You just, you kind of just walk by and think, well, it smells different here. What is it? You know? It's just one of those things you don't really notice, but it's there, so. 

Julie Groves: Okay. Well, good to know. We look forward to that. So, Juan, my understanding is we have a New York Times bestselling author who's going to be appearing as our keynote. What is his story and what can folks expect from him?  

Juan Azcarate: So, you know, Julia, when I first heard about Dan Heath, I did not know a lot about him. So, I really looked into kind of his background and so, you know, besides him being a senior fellow at the Duke University Case [00:15:00] Center, which focuses on supporting entrepreneurs who are fighting social good, he's written a lot of books, I mean a lot of bestsellers. But I think the one that resonates the most is the, his most recent one, which is Reset How to Change What's Not Working, because think about what's going on right now in the country, and especially in higher education risk management. In our institutions, right? A lot of changes going on. You know, there's a lot of challenges for a lot of, of our university leadership or risk management to folks as well.  

And so how better way, what better way to address that on what's going on in in higher ed institutions than have Dan Heath come and talk to us about that? How do you make it, you know, how do you deal with the change? How do you reset things? You know, maybe the way things worked a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago. We have to rethink all that because, you know, these are, you know, this is a brave new world now that things are changing, and so these are all things that you have to think about. And so, I think having him there as our keynote speaker is gonna be just really great for us in firm membership.  

Julie Groves: [00:16:00] Great. And so, Susie, I saw that we have some featured speech speakers, and that's sort of a new edition this year. So, can you talk a little bit about how that's gonna work and what we can expect from those speakers? 

Susie Johnson: Definitely, Julie. It's on Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, and at that time, folks have one of their biggest decisions to make for the week, and that is to which of the featured speakers they'll go visit. And so, there are three of them. We're really excited because all three individuals just know a lot about higher ed and have some great perspectives to provide folks who are in risk management. First is Dr. Christopher Bell. He has some very interesting research and will be sharing with us that research about communication patterns across micro generations in our workplace. And so, it's something that each of us, no matter what type of university in institution or affiliate organization you're with, we all have communication, both challenges and opportunities, and so he's going to kind of connect those dots for us there. [00:17:00]  

Secondly, Liz Clark. Liz is the Vice President for Policy and Research at NACUBO. Again, very familiar to a lot of folks within URMIA, and so Liz will bring us some very timely information that all of us within risk management and higher ed will be happy, you know, interested to hear about because Liz's perspective is she just has so much to share. And then Cheryl Lloyd, another familiar face and name for folks from URMIA, a longtime member of URMIA familiar, but Cheryl is the vice president system-wide of human resources. She's the Chief Human Resources Officer for the University of California system. And so, she provides that perspective of where HR and risk management connect and some of the workforce development, career advancement topics that folks would be really interested to hear about. So again, these will all three be going at the same time. So, folks just need to decide which one they'll attend and then get together over lunch and talk with their colleagues about which session they attended. And we can hear about all three that way.  

Julie Groves: For [00:18:00] those of you that don't know, Cheryl, she's a delight. So, I think if you're leaning toward the HR topic, you will certainly enjoy her.  

Susie Johnson: Absolutely fantastic. And other folks, you know, I know from Michelle Smith and others who have heard all three of them speak, each one of them just really captivates an audience and has so much to say that will directly speak to your experience, I think.  

Julie Groves: Great. Well, that's a great addition to the program. So Michael, why don't you tell us a little bit about some of the local flare that you have planned for those of us who come to Vegas?  

Michael Tabije: Sure. I mean, this is an expanded episode because there's so much to do with Vegas. I mean, some of the things we have planned on the itinerary, you know, we're inclusive of your spouse and family members. They can take a tour on the big red bus, down the Las Vegas strip opening. The event is sponsored, uh, by Gallagher, which will be at the Marquee Night Club, which is pretty unique. And the Marquee Night Club is a pretty cool venue to have an opening ceremony at.  

URMIA Cares is gonna be partnering with Three Square Las [00:19:00] Vegas. Three Square is a one of the region's biggest food banks, and their mission is Hunger Relief for the residents of Nevada. North Star sponsoring a golf outing, Top Golf. If you've been to this one, here's four levels of driving ranges, 20 days, restaurants, five bars, and two pools, which is pretty unique. And each morning, uh, during breakfast, we'll be woken up and welcome to the day with iconic, uh, music from, uh, Elvis, from, and, uh, FM is also sponsoring a 5K run/walk along the Las Vegas strip through Las Vegas sign. You can also take a tour of my university at UNLV.  

And also, the Wizard of Oz tour at the sphere is something if you haven't seen posts on Instagram or other social media, it's a unique experience. It even has when the tornado comes in, it has like trash that's circulate throughout the theater. And then outside of the schedule events at URMIA, there's a lot of things you can explore in Vegas. [00:20:00] If you wanna look at the history of the mob and Vegas, you can tour the Mob Museum. You can take a controlled free fall from the top of the Strat or ride one of the thrill rides at the top. And if you're not adventurous, you can visit the observation deck and get an absolute best view of Las Vegas from over a thousand feet above the strip. 

You can learn about Las Vegas's history with the atomic bomb, the tour of the Atomic Museum. And then also next to the Cosmo, you can visit the Bellagio fountains. Which is an iconic staple, the Las Vegas strip. But then inside the Bellagio there's a Bellagio Conservatory Gardens, which changes with the seasons and the meticulous detail of the garden setup. You, you know, you'll just go in there just to appreciate that. You can also get a taste of downtown, the Fremont Street experience with this dazzling light show. It has a free entertainment nightly, and you can even zipline across the the free monster experience. And for the outdoorsy types, there's Red Rock Canyon and you can also tour the Hoover [00:21:00] Dam and you can walk across the Mike O’Callahan Home and Bridge, which is across the Hoover Dam. You get a nice river and dam. So again, there's a lot to do. So.  

Julie Groves: Now some people think that Elvis isn't dead. So, is he going to actually be singing to us in the morning or is it, is it a recording? I just, I wanna, I wanna manage people's expectations.  

Michael Tabije: Oh. It's a virtual experience.  

Julie Groves: Okay.  

Michael Tabije: You know, he'll be, uh, playing his, uh, iconic hits. 

Julie Groves: Okay. Alright. Well, I mean, if he came, if he really was. Not dead and he came back to the URMIA conference. That would be the scoop of the lifetime for URMIA. Let me just say we would be famous. I will also add that for those of you going to the sphere to see the Wizard of Oz, you're gonna have a very special escort. That's all I can say. But it's a photo op, so be sure to have your get, get your phones ready for that. So, thanks, Michael. That sounds fabulous. I mean, I feel like I need to spend like three weeks there just so that I can make sure that I get everything, you know, checked off my list. [00:22:00]  

So, Courtney, I heard you've done a fantastic job rallying our affiliate community to support the conference. And so, can you tell us some of the ways that our affiliate members can plug in and connect with others at the conference if they're interested in doing that?  

Courtney Davis: Absolutely and wanna give a big shout out to all of our supporters. It's been, you know, a record setting year, not only in terms of the dollar amount that we've raised, but the number of affiliate partners who are sponsoring. And I think that they really stood up and were able to stand out to the call of action, not only because it's material and important for us as an association to be able to deliver our conferences the way we are, but also because there was such a greater need from our institutional members for support to be able to attend. So, the direct scholarship opportunities to allow some of our member institutions to be able to attend has been great.  

But you know, there's also great value in that opportunity to have their respective firms be acknowledged at the various opportunities, whether that's in digital and print, or have their [00:23:00] items handed out to them. But true also to engage directly by participating in the sessions to be part of the thought leadership that happens through the content. Certainly, at any of the events, it's a truly a community no matter what side of the street you represent, whether it's an affiliate. Or an institution that's always an opportunity to collaborate and connect. 

And I know a number of the affiliate partners also host a number of their own events, which of course are outside of the URMIA hours of events. And so be able to bring forth their clients and prospects together too. But you know, we walk hand in hand with one another throughout the conference. And so, I think that's what makes URMIA really special about that community we built and how we learn from one another. And I think, you know, anytime you lean in, whether it's to answer a question, just to be a resource. That definitely creates opportunities for their firms as well, in addition to, you know, the names being in the lights, if you will.  

Julie Groves: Well, and I, I will just say that, you know, URMIA could not do what it does without our affiliate members, and they're so [00:24:00] important to us. And as Courtney mentioned, I mean, you know, when you're at the conference, we're just colleagues, right? Nobody, it's not like someone works at an insurance broker and this person works at a carrier. And I'm at a university. I mean, we all. I feel like the playing field is really level there and everybody is, you know, everybody's just there to kind of help one another, which I think we've already touched on that a little bit about how URMIA is so welcoming. So, thanks for all your work on that, Courtney. And rallying.  

Courtney Davis: It's a team. It's a team, truly as a team.  

Julie Groves: So, I'm gonna throw this out to anybody who wants to answer. I know we've already talked a little bit about how. The relationships in URMIA are so important and coming back every year is like a bit of a family reunion, I think, Courtney, you said that. So, what are some other aspects of the annual conference that you think are really valuable and why? What are some of the other reasons you attend URMIA conferences? When you can. So, I'm gonna throw this out to anybody who wants to answer.  

Susie Johnson: Julie, I mentioned the sessions earlier that [00:25:00] you know the educational sessions, and I think no matter how many years you've been in risk management or how your role changes, there is a session that will have you leaving with something you maybe hadn't thought about before or a new perspective on it. Or even one of my favorites is a connection with somebody that I can follow up on after I get back home. So, I might, you know, many, many years ago. I needed to know more about defense-based act and connected with some folks from a session. We talked about just a tiny bit. That wasn't the focus of the session, but when I went back home, I had a couple people I could call for more information, and I think that's what's always so helpful. I have a list that just keeps running as I attend these sessions of things I need to follow up on when I get back home. And I think others probably have the same.  

Julie Groves: And if you're like me, you have a list of things of you're stressed out about. 'Cause you realize you're not doing all this, so you're like, oh my gosh, I didn't even think about that. So, but it, you know, it, it is helpful, you know, to kind of hear what other folks are doing and think, oh gosh, maybe I could be doing that too. So, anybody else have thoughts they wanna share [00:26:00] about that?  

Juan Azcarate: I was gonna just say, Julie. It's interesting how our profession has changed over the last few decades. I remember when I first started in risk management, it was just basically insurance and maybe some claims. It's evolved, especially in higher education risk management. It's amazing how you have to deal with so many issues on campus, right? Title IX and emergency management. Um, AI is now the biggest challenge and it's just incredible and there's just no way you can know it all. And so, I think going a lot of, to the URMIA conference and, you know, hearing from subject matter experts that kind of can tell you exactly kind of what's going on with AI, for example, you're always learning something new. 

You know, next year we go back and it's gonna be something different. It's probably gonna be a different risk that we haven't thought of or that it's just evolving. And so, you know, just when you think, okay, I think I, I got it all together. You're always gonna learn. There's always something new to learn. And of course, engaging with others. That's how you network when we network with others, when you learn so much more and [00:27:00] something that you can take back to your institution.  

Julie Groves: Totally agree. Totally agree. So, we've talked a little bit about networking and all the importance of the relationships, and so one of the great places to do that is at the opening and closing receptions, and so I think we've heard a little bit about those, but can y'all elaborate on what we're gonna be able be able to participate in when we go to the opening and closing receptions this year? 

Courtney Davis: Well, I am happy to chime in and share. So, we heard a little bit about the opening reception happening at the Marquee. It's kind of a day club or nightclub. So, I just think that's gonna be an awesome venue, very open, lively environment. We'll be able to look across the room and see all those folks we are hoping to catch up with, which should certainly be conducive to, you know, be the association where handshakes become hugs. So, to allow that to happen and always there's a good amount of food and, and beverages to support that as well.  

But then at the closing, it'll be an opportunity to really take back [00:28:00] and take a a seat to overlook the strip and the Vegas with the views and the scenery. So, I think it offers an afford. Much of the same in terms of the experience, but just from a different venue and a different perspective. So, I think that's a great way to both start and end the conference when we think about collaborations and connections and really bringing out, bringing home the true network of the community that URMIA is. 

Michael Tabije: Yeah, and I think to drive home the point of attending, because you get to see these people and people in person and build, you know, these connections. It's opportunity to connect with your colleagues on a personal level outside the usual professional context, the relaxed and informal atmosphere of these events, the opening closing ceremonies, it encourages, I believe genuine conversations allows you for more authentic exchange of ideas and experiences. Uh, and building on these personal connections can lead to, uh, I, I guess you could say increased trust, better collaboration, and a stronger sense of purpose.  

Julie Groves: Okay, so if people haven't [00:29:00] signed up yet to come to Las Vegas? What do we wanna tell them? I mean, besides that, they need to really come. Do we have anything else we wanna share with them that kind of pushed them over the edge? If this hasn't already, why should they come and join us? And what else do they need to know about that?  

Susie Johnson: Well, Julie, now that they've listened and they know what all to expect and they are so excited, something to add to the excitement is that. You can add the, the word, the promo code to their registration if they join after today, and the promo code is join JOINAC2025, JOINAC2025 and they get $200 off their registration. That is a fantastic deal.  

Julie Groves: Right? That is fantastic. So, if you're on the fence, if you have this special code, which we will put again in the bottom of the episode in the show notes, please use JOINAC2025 to get $200 off your registration. Now I do need to just say that this is for institutional members. [00:30:00] Only so I have to tell y'all, I'm getting very excited. I know it's maybe have seemed like it would be a long time before the conference got here, but it's gonna be here before we know it. And it just sounds like y'all have a lot of great things in store for us. So, thank you again so much for all your work on it, your committees work on it. I know it's been a long time in the making. So, before we wrap up, anybody have any last-minute thoughts they wanna share?  

Michael Tabije: I mean, just some travel pointers, some comfortable shoes. If you'd be walking around, bring a light jacket if you're sensitive to cold in the conference rooms. And if you're not acclimated to desert weather, you know, keep hydrated, eye lubricating drops. And the strip is deceptive because the buildings are so huge and you think they're so close, but it's actually further than you would expect it to be. So just be prepared for if you're walking some distances. 

Julie Groves: People need to pace themselves.  

Michael Tabije: Yes.  

Julie Groves: Yes. Okay. That's good. Good word. Good word. Well, [00:31:00] like I said, thank you all so much for everything, and we look forward to seeing everyone there in Vegas. And this wraps another episode of URMIA Matters. 

Narrator: You've been listening to URMIA Matters. You can find more information about URMIA at www.urmia.org. For more information about this episode, check out the show notes available to URMIA members in the URMIA Network library.