2021 NWCDC Conference in Las Vegas Great Break from Video Conferences
The 2021 NWCDC Conference in Las Vegas was worth attending even though the crowd was smaller this year. I give the sponsors and BOD credit for having a large in-person conference during the end of the pandemic. I decided to cover a few sessions on Wednesday (10/20) and cover the vendor area on Thursday (10/21).
Check out my old articles on my search for technology in the vendor area or the sessions at the prior NWCDC conferences. The links to the other articles for the 2021 NWCDC Conference sessions are still being added to this article.
Some of the other Workers’ Comp press noted that attendance was down. The lower attendance was an expected outcome due to COVID-19. Masks were required for everyone at the conference. Hand sanitizer was everywhere at the conference. I did not have any pandemic concerns at the conference. Traveling to the conference was more concerning than any location in Las Vegas.
Yes, I know that writing the word conference after NWCDC is redundant. For people not familiar with the conference, NWCDC does not denote event specifics. The redundancy is necessary.
2021 NWCDC Conference Wednesday Sessions
I had registered for a press pass and received another invite a few weeks before the conference to fill out a request for a pass. I never received the pass. When I arrived, I was told I was not on the attendee or press pass list.
After showing my ID and press credentials, the staff was very helpful with registering me with a walkup press pass. The registration staff was very professional – good job. The conference was off to a great start for me. Then, things did not turn out well.
Banned From First General Session
The registration staff pointed me to the first general sessions at the end of the Mandalay Bay registration hall. I was ready to rock the notes. I was told by a security guard that I was not allowed in the first general session. What? I asked the reason why and the security guard only said that the press was not allowed – to a general session. That encounter had a bad look to it.
As a fellow press member commented, “What did they have to hide?”
I decided to go back to the vendor area to see what new technology was present at the conference. I ended up speaking with Nancy Grover of WorkersCompensation.com and having a latte at the Enlyte booth (Mitchell, GENEX, Coventry)
2021 NWCDC Second Session Attended
Two of my favorite Workers Comp ladies were presenting at the second round of sessions. I decided to sit in on the session. The session was titled Leading a Resilient Claims Organization Through Uncertainty and Change. My notes from the session can be found in this article. Adding in all the session notes to this article would make it run a little long.
2021 NWCDC Third Session Attended
The second Thursday session was Break Down RTW Obstacles and Build Light Duty That Works. The session was somewhat basic on the return to work. issues. The presenters did a great job. Many attendees had questions. You can find my notes on the session by clicking here.
NWCDC Vendors – Looking For New Technology
Every year that I have attended the conference, I always extensively visit the vendor area to see if any new technology exists among the entrepreneurs. The tried-and-true stalwart vendors are not the ones that I am searching for to find any type of new technology. Check out this article on those vendors (if any). There was no new technology found among the vendors.
2021 NWCDC Conference Overall
I think we all need to thank the NWCDC vendors, attendees, sponsors, and BOD. The conference was not perfect. It was much better than I had expected when I signed up to cover it in this article and the next two.
Vegas is recovering from the pandemic. Conferences like this one help everyone in the Las Vegas and Workers Comp community – good job on a monumental task!
