The holidays are coming, but before you go, make sure you’ve registered for the Forum.

From Monday 22 July, FERMA’s offices will be in a bigger, new space, not far from where we are now. Our doors will be open to welcome members. Some of you are already taking advantage of coming to the office when we are meeting the authorities here in Brussels. Visit us, meet FERMA’s team and learn who is working backstage to promote risk management in Europe.

Florence Bindelle, Executive Manager

The new membership categories agreed at FERMA’s general meeting will lead to an incredible opportunity to reinforce the risk and insurance community. We don’t know how many applications we will get, but we receive expressions of interest when we attend events like the US RIMS conference. Perhaps you have colleagues outside Europe who would be interested.

The FERMA board is currently concentrating on the Forum to come, as well looking further forward to the 2014 Benchmarking Survey, with the possibility of a new concept being discussed (for more information, watch the video intervew of Cristina Martinez on the FERMA Benchmarking Survey 2014 at Interview with Cristina Martinez. We’re also thinking about the seminar where we’ll be celebrating FERMA’s 40th birthday.

As some of you will have seen, I’ve been elected to the board of the European Society of Association Executives. There is growing attention to the role that associations in general and international associations in particular can be forces for social and economic development. Policy makers are more and more looking at what elements of society can drive growth and produce collective benefits. With the support of our members, FERMA has definitely a role to play in this arena. Your ideas?