Best of Christmas Backchats 2022

Good tidings we bear 

PR agency Lansons hosted a festive get together on 24 November for clients and press – turning its headquarters into a winter ski lodge where guests were greeted by a larger than life pink grizzly bear that stood at the entrance next to a Christmas tree. 

The event had its very own Christmas market with sellers offering homemade chocolates and spirits to guests. Other stalls included baby clothes, wine, kitchen wares and jewellery. 

Each guest also received a Christmas party favour – a sparkly Lansons bauble for the tree. 

Naughty or nice?

On 15 December 2022 at 11:30 in the morning, Lloyd’s of London chief executives will find out if they have been put on the naughty or nice list when they receive a special Christmas gift from the climate action group, Mothers Rise Up. 

Naughty list chief executives will receive socks branded with their face and a message “pull your socks up” in a bid to prompt them to stop insuring fossil fuels. 

Lloyd’s chair Bruce Carnegie Brown is set to get a Christmas hamper and stocking full of coal, as well as a cricket ball which opens to reveal mini protesting cricketers and parents chanting “we’ve got the balls to take climate action, have you?”

On the other hand, chief executives on the nice list – including Allianz, Munich Re, Hannover Re and Swiss Re – will receive Christmas socks branded with the message Insuring our Future. 

Santa insurance 

Even Santa needs insurance – this is why Simply Business has him covered for risks such as a missing presents, injured elves, getting wedged in the chimney after having too many mince pies and even a sleigh crash. 

Simply Business’ Santa insurance also contains public liability cover protecting against compensation claims for injury to a member of the public, or damage to their property.

Simply Business should definitely be on the nice list after this. 

Donna’s IT Awards charity dance-off

Donna Scully, director of Carpenter’s Group, put standup comedian and Insurance Times Awards 2022 host Romesh Ranganathan to the test when she challenged him to a dance-off for charity on stage. 

Scully ordered a track to be dropped, prompting Ranganathan and herself to show off their best dance moves in front of an audience of nearly 1,000 insurance folk for a donation of another £500 to independent charity Charles Thompson Mission, which provides clothes, shelter and care to anyone that is poverty stricken in Wirral. The donation from Scully reached £2500 as a result. 

While there was no clear winner to the dance-off, with both candidates cutting some pretty impressive shapes on stage to Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You, it did help get the after party started early and get everyone in a festive mood. Next stop, Strictly Come Dancing – Christmas Special. 

Lloyd’s is Santa’s next stop 

On 8 December, Lloyd’s of London attempted to spread some festive cheer by offering market pass holders a free coffee and hand made mince pies made onsite. The gesture also took the chill off the icy winter weather and facilitated face-to-face market conversations, the latter of which the market is known for.  

Word has it that Santa even made an appearance. No doubt that free coffee will help him organise all the Christmas present stop offs he has coming up – we just hope he has sleigh insurance! 

Snowman Sling

If you were thinking that a Snowman Sling was a festive Christmas cocktail like the classic Advocaat-based Snowball or the Singapore Sling, it’s definitely not – but there’s an idea!

This Christmas, cyber insurance MGA  CFC Underwriting created a video game called Snowman Sling – the self-explanatory video game has players slinging the head of Sheldon snowman, who’s head seems to fall off an awful lot, into Santa’s sack, Christmas stockings and hoops of all sorts in the hopes of beating fellow players.

 The Insurance Times editorial team have been fiercely competing over Snowball Sling .