Elevating Our Knowledge and Connections: A Personal Reflection on Steadfast Convention 2025
By Kirsty Mcleod, General Manager
Having just returned from an inspiring three days at the Steadfast Convention 2025 in Melbourne, I’m eager to share our team’s experience and the valuable insights we’ve gained to better serve our clients across Australia.
The Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre was abuzz with energy from 23-25 March 2025, as over 2,000 insurance professionals from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the USA gathered under the theme “Elevate”, a perfect encapsulation of what we achieved together.
Our Knightsbridge Insurance Group team, Johnnie our managing director, along with Tina, Ryan, Maddison, and myself, immersed ourselves in a wealth of knowledge shared across broker and gold sponsor sessions. I was particularly impressed with the product-specific training on Strata, triage claims, and technological advancements that will directly enhance how we support our clients.
One of the most valuable aspects of the convention was the frank discussion around common myths in Strata insurance, something many of our clients will benefit from understanding better. The sessions on EV chargers highlighted emerging risks we need to prepare for, while metrics for measuring success gave us practical tools to enhance our service delivery.
I was especially inspired by Dawn Miller, CEO of Lloyd’s Americas, whose insights into global insurance trends offered perspective on where our industry is heading. The launch of HWS Speciality, along with deep dives into Steadfast Group and Agency performance, has given us benchmarks to aspire to in our own operations.
Beyond the professional development, what truly moved me was witnessing our industry’s generosity. Together, we raised an incredible $512,000 for Free 3D Hands. Seeing the impact of this charity first-hand reinforced why I’m proud to be part of this community.
The evenings provided wonderful opportunities to strengthen relationships. Johnnie, Tina and I enjoyed the hospitality of Vero during the gold sponsor evening, while Ryan and Maddison connected with the team at PassportCard. The final gala dinner’s “Night at the Theatre” theme created a memorable backdrop for conversations that will lead to new opportunities for our clients.
In what can only be described as a stroke of good fortune, our team didn’t come home empty-handed! Tina won a $100 voucher from PassportCard, and in a moment that brought the room to cheers, my father Johnnie won a $5,000 travel voucher from the Free 3D Hands raffle draw.
As I settle back into the office with fresh perspectives and renewed energy, I’m excited to implement these insights with our team. The relationships we’ve strengthened and the knowledge we’ve gained will directly benefit our clients as we continue our commitment to providing exceptional, personalised insurance solutions across Australia.
The team and I are particularly looking forward to sharing these new perspectives with our clients in the coming weeks. If you’re curious about how any of these industry developments might affect your business, our door is always open for a chat over coffee.
The Steadfast Convention has once again proven why it’s a cornerstone event for our industry, creating space not just to learn, but to truly elevate our expertise and connections in ways that matter to the businesses and people we serve.