COOK-OFF
Smoke, Spice, & Side
Hustles: The Return of Insure & Sizzle Cook-Off
A U G U S T
balbright@iiabl.com (225) 236-1357
IIABL STAFF
Benjamin Albright
Karen Kuylen
Director of Insurance Programs jnewchurch@iiabl.com (225) 236-1350
Director of Accounting & Finance kkuylen@iiabl.com (225) 236-1353
Jamie Newchurch
Director of Communications & Events koregan@iiabl.com (225) 236-1360
Kathleen O'Regan
Karson Kyle
E&O Administrator lyra roberts@iiaba net (225) 236-1352
Communications & Events Administrator kkyle@iiabl com (225) 236-1351
Lyra Roberts
SMOKESPICESIDEHUSTLES
THERETURNOFINSURE&SIZZLECOOK-OFF
KATHLEEN O’REGAN
IIABL
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS
In this article, you’ll get a look back at the firstever IIABL Insure & Sizzle Cook-off and learn what to expect at the 2025 event on October 2.
Last October, the air around the West Line Event Center in Scott, Louisiana was thick with mesquite smoke, laughter, and just a hint of friendly competition. You could hear the sizzle before you even parked. Teams, some in matching aprons, others in costume, were chopping onions, firing up grills, and talking smack about Seafood Bisque with the same intensity most people reserve for SEC football.
This was the first ever IIABL Insure & Sizzle Cook-off, and it was clear from the starT that this was not your average industry event.
This year, October 2, 2025, the grills fire back up and if last year was any indication, you do not want to miss it!
More Than Just a Cook-Off
The premise is simple: teams from agencies and partner companies across Louisiana compete to serve up the best bites, from gourmet grilled cheese to steak tacos, seafood jambalaya, and pepper jack deer egg rolls. But the real magic? It’s not just in the food.
It’s the networking without nametags. The conversations that happen over a pot of Filipino Pancit. The laughter shared between people who might usually only connect by email. The moment when a vendor becomes a teammate, or a competitor becomes a friend.
“It’s the most fun we’ve had at an insurance event – EVER,” said one returning team captain (who may have also gone home with a trophy).
Flashback Favorites
The People’s Choice Award went to the Young Agents, who stole the show with their Pepper Jack Cheese Deer Eggrolls, earning the love (and votes) of hungry taste-testers who took their judging duties very seriously.
SMOKESPICE SIDE HUSTLES
Continued from page 6
Stiel Insurance brought the fiesta with grilled steak, street corn, a shot of tequila. What stood out though was the presentation delivered by mustached men in sombreros who fully committed to the theme (and the flavor).
1st Insurance Marksville wowed the judges (and everyone with taste buds) with their rich, loaded seafood bisque— packed with enough fresh crab, shrimp, and love to take home the coveted Grand Champion title.
This Year, It’s Personal
As word spread, the 2025 Cook-Off is shaping up to be even bigger. More teams. More tastings. More time to escape the office and reconnect with the side of the industry we sometimes forget: the people. This event isn’t just for the “grill masters.” It’s for the quiet account managers who’ve never touched a smoker but make a mean salsa. For the young agents looking to bond with their peers. For the owners who want their teams to feel like teams. And for everyone who could use a day away from the inbox.
Why You Should Join Us This Year
Let’s be honest, we could all use a break from our desks, our inboxes, and our spreadsheets. The Cook-Off is a chance to get out of the office, roll up your sleeves, and stir the pot (literally and figuratively). Whether you come to cook, to compete, or just to eat and enjoy the vibe, there is a place for you! Bring your team, your coworkers, your appetite, and maybe a few business cards (you know, just in case). We promise that you’re only “Zoom” here will be the one happening on the highway as you cruise out to St. Francisville.
Event Details
When: October 2, 2025
Where: The Mallory, St. Francisville Register: Online at my.IIABL.com
Read to stir things up? Join us for the 2nd Annual Insure & Sizzle Cook-Off. No PowerPoint. No dress code, just fire, flavor, and fun!
5 MUST-TRY FEATURES FOR CATALYIT MEMBERS
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Guides & Resources
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crcgroup.com
A LOOK INTO THE
2025
& IIAM
Young Agents Conference IIABL
YOUNGAGENTS
The 2025 IIABL & IIAM Young Agents Conference wrapped up a couple of weeks ago in New Orleans, and it was one to remember. Young insurance professionals from across Louisiana and Mississippi came together for a mix of learning, networking, and fun in the heart of the French Quarter.
This year’s conference stood out not only for the strong connections and practical takeaways from the sessions, but also for the first-ever Young Agents scavenger hunt around the city. It was a creative way to explore New Orleans while building teamwork and relationships that carried throughout the conference.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the event a success—we’re already looking ahead to next year’s Young Agents Conference, set for August 27–29, 2026, at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mark your calendars—you won’t want to miss it!
BANKLENDERSANDUNDERWRITINGRISK
Independent insurance agents understand the art and science of underwriting: gathering details, assessing risk and making sound recommendations. But what happens when the tables are turned, and agents themselves become the subject of underwriting?
Both professions — insurance underwriters and bank lenders — deal with evaluating risk, but from different vantage points:
Insurance underwriters assess a client’s risk profile, exposures, and coverage needs to determine appropriate pricing and terms for the transfer of risk.
Bank lenders, when evaluating an insurance agency for a loan or line of credit, assess the agency’s financial health, growth trajectory, book quality and strategic vision to determine creditworthiness.
Despite these differing goals, the similarities in their approaches are striking. Understanding these parallels can help agency owners better prepare for financing conversations and position their firms for long-term growth.
Parallels in the underwriting process
Independent agents would never send a chaotic submission to a carrier underwriter. Yet some approach lenders with incomplete or disorganized financial information. Here’s how the underwriting mindset applies in both contexts:
Preparation matters: Just as underwriters expect clean submissions, lenders expect well-prepared financials and supporting data.
Storytelling counts: Both want the full picture. Agencies that can clearly articulate their value proposition, niche focus and growth plan stand out.
Book quality is critical: Industry lenders evaluate retention rates, loss ratios and carrier mix, much like carriers do when assessing an insured’s risk.
Risk focus overlaps: Carriers assess client-level risk; banks focus on agency-level risk and concentrations. But both are looking for disciplined, resilient and scalable operations.
Your book of business tells the story
For lenders who specialize in the insurance space, one of the clearest indicators of agency strength is the quality of the book.
An industry lender will look closely at retention, loss ratios, and carrier relationships. If an agency is writing profitable business with strong markets, that lowers the lender’s risk by building confidence in their ability to repay.
It’s not unlike a commercial auto underwriter reviewing fleet safety records or a property underwriter examining claims history. Good data indicates good habits and lowers perceived risk.
Strategic capital fuels strategic growth
When used wisely, capital is a tool, not a burden. Yet many agency owners hesitate to take on debt, preferring to bootstrap their growth. That can be a limiting strategy in a market that rewards scale, technology, and specialization.
When an agent wants to hire producers, upgrade their AMS or make a small acquisition, financing can make that possible. In many cases, these moves help the agency qualify for higher commission tiers, boosting profitability without changing the client base.
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BANKLENDERS
This is the same kind of leverage large aggregators have been using for years. Increasingly, savvy smaller firms are adopting similar strategies: buying books, recruiting producers and expanding into new niches or geographies.
Ben Albright December 2023
It’s more than just numbers
While strong financials are critical, lenders also consider brand strength, leadership and culture.
Just like staging a home before a sale, you should prepare your agency before meeting a lender. Clean up your financials, clarify your strategy and sharpen your story.
Even if you don’t end up borrowing, the exercise itself can enhance operational clarity and make the agency more efficient and more valuable
Key takeaways for independent agents
Think like an underwriter: Present your agency with a clean, complete financial story, just like you do for clients
Know your book: Metrics like retention, loss ratios and carrier mix are just as important to banks as to carriers
Use capital strategically: Financing can unlock growth, efficiency and scale without sacrificing control
Start the conversation early: Specialized lenders like InsurBanc understand the business Engage them before you need funding
Independent agents already have the skills they need to navigate underwriting They just need to shift their perspective This time, they’re not submitting on behalf of a client; they’re underwriting themselves
Continued from page 18
BANKLENDERS
Differences in Purpose and Outlook:
Aspect
Value to Agency
Insurance Underwriters
Accept, price and manage client risk
Insured’s risk exposure, limits and coverage
Loss history, values at risk and operations
Policy issuance
Protection and loss control
Bank Lenders
Evaluate credit risk and ensure repayment capacity
Agency’s cash flow, balance sheet and growth strategy
Financials, book analysis and strategic plans
Capital deployment (loan or line of credit)
Capital access and expansion potential
AmWINS
Berkshire
Burns & Wilcox, Ltd.
CRC Group
Gulf States Insurance
Homebuilders SIF
Imperial PFS
UPCOMINGEVENTS
IIABL 2025-2026
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS
CHAIRMAN, ROSS HENRY
CHAIRMAN-ELECT, JOE KING MONTGOMERY
SECRETARY-TREASURER, CHRIS HAIK
NATIONAL DIRECTOR, JOHNNY BECKMANN, III
PAST CHAIRMAN, BRET HUGHES
YOUNG AGENT REP, MICHAEL MOBLEY
Henry Insurance Service, Inc. - Baton Rouge
Community Financial Insurance Center, LLC - Monroe
Higginbotham Insurance Agency - Lafayette
Assured Partners - Metairie
Hughes Insurance Services, Inc - Gonzales
Moore & Jenkins Insurance Agency, LLC - Franklinton
ANN BODKIN-SMITH
MATTHEW DEBLANC
CHRISTY DESOTO
DOMINIQUE DICARLO CROUCH
ROB W. EPPERS
KARA GARZOTTO
MATT GRAHAM
BEAU HEAROD
CHARLES H. LEBLANC
CRAIG MARTEL
LYDIA MCMORRIS
EUGENE MONTGOMERY, III
HARTWIG "ROBBY" MOSS, IV
SETH OSTENDORFF
ROBERT LOUIS PALMER, JR.
RANDY PERISE
ROBERT STONE
JEFF ZEAGLER
Thomson Smith & Leach Insurance Group - Lafayette
Continental Insurance Services - Marrero
1st Insurance of Marksville - Marksville
Riverlands Insurance Agency - LaPlace
Risk Services of Louisiana - Alexandria
DJW Insurance Agency - New Iberia
Lincoln Agency - Ruston
Jeff Davis Insurance - Jennings
Bourg Insurance Agency, Inc. - Donaldsonville
Insurance Unlimited of LA, LLC - Lake Charles
Alliant Insurance Services - Baton Rouge
Community Financial Insurance Center, LLC - Monroe
Hartwig Moss Insurance - New Orleans
Dethloff & Associates - Shreveport
Insurance Underwriters, Ltd - Metairie
Blumberg and Associates - Ponchatoula
Stone Insurance, Inc. - Metairie
McClure, Bomar & Harris - Shreveport