Registration for insurance industry’s D&I ‘Glastonbury’ opens next week

The registration for 2024’s insurance industry focused diversity and inclusion (D&I) festival, Dive In, opens on 15 August 2024.

This year’s three-day event – held between the 24 and 26 September – will have a heavy emphasis on futureproofing the insurance sector, as demonstrated by the festival’s strapline of ‘A sustainable future: the next 10 years’.

What makes the Dive In festival such an industry-leading event is the fact that it is “a huge example of cross-sector collaboration” that “really lives its own values of innovation, collaboration and inclusion”, explained Mark Lomas, head of culture at Lloyd’s.

Speaking exclusive to Insurance Times, he said: “Dive In is a unique thing. I like to call it the Glastonbury for D&I.”

The Dive In event is this year marking its 10^th anniversary. Lomas commented that over the last decade, the festival has grown from a one room conference in 2015 to now being the “world’s biggest D&I festival”, held across more than 50 countries.

He is most looking forward to soaking up the “absolute plethora of really good content that’s available” – including a “variety of topics that Dive In tackles” such as “mental health to racial inclusion, neurodiversity and intergenerational workforce issues”.

Reverse mentoring

Another element of 2024’s Dive In festival that Lomas is supportive of is its Dive In to Reverse Mentoring programme, returning for its second year.

This will see senior leaders and junior team members from across 16 different countries paired up for mentoring conversations.

“Insurance is a really relationship-based business,” Lomas said.

“It’s really important people [are given] the opportunity to develop those relationships and something like Dive In to Reverse Mentoring does exactly that.

“It is an opportunity for global talent to connect with leaders across the industry, share perspectives [and] coach them on aspects of work-life that are important to them.”

Telling Insurance Times about his own experience, having been mentored by two participants last year, Lomas explained that “when you really get going, it becomes a bit of a reciprocal relationship”.

He continued: “That interaction [and] really practical aspect of educating people on inclusion, business practices and global norms is at the heart of what Dive In does.”

Tackling ‘relevant’ issues

Lomas said he felt “really lucky” to be involved with 2024’s Dive In festival.

His main contribution to the event is to “empower the team to deliver a great festival” and offer strategic direction using data and insights. This makes sure the conference is “tackling issues that are relevant to the sector”.

Lomas additionally praised Dive In’s governance group for bringing “a variety of perspectives” to the table, as well as the broader event team that makes “the festival happen along with the steering group and hundreds of global volunteers”.

Lomas does not want “people missing their chance” to attend. For more information on 2024’s Dive In festival and to register, click here.