The Australasian Institute of Chartered Loss Adjusters (AICLA) has postponed next month’s Asian Claims Convention in Japan due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

And the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF), which has strong ties to Asia, has introduced restrictions on travel to the region and postponed events in Hong Kong.

AICLA’s annual conference was due to take place at the Grand Prince Hotel in Kyoto from April 14-16, with up to 150 expected to attend. The theme was “Catastrophes, Environment, Technology”.

But the organising committee announced yesterday it will be postponed until March next year. Precise dates have not yet been confirmed but the venue will be the same.

“With authorities around the world battling the growing coronavirus crisis, the organising committee … believes that the wellbeing of delegates, speakers, sponsors and partners would be jeopardised should the event proceed as planned,” AICLA CEO Tony Libke said.

AICLA says the Loss Adjusters Association of Japan, which helped organise the event, “fully supports this decision”.

ANZIIF says it is “carefully monitoring” the ongoing outbreak and is following World Health Organisation advice.

“Travel to Asia has been restricted to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all ANZIIF employees,” CEO Prue Willsford told insuranceNEWS.com.au today.

“Necessary safety precautions are in place to make sure multiple executives aren’t travelling at the same time.”

ANZIIF says all events and face-to-face meetings in Hong Kong have been postponed “until further notice”.

But Ms Willsford says the crisis creates an opportunity to “reimagine” flexible working solutions.

“We are an organisation that supports flexibility,” she said. “However, this will take it to a new level in terms of online collaboration.

“With such an extensive presence in the Asia-Pacific region and members in over 50 countries, our ability to deliver education online, including live webinar events, ensures our members are supported today and into the future.”

Meanwhile, the Risk Management Institute of Australasia (RMIA) is hosting a series of one-day workshops to help businesses minimise the operational, financial and reputational risks the virus poses.

“The workshops will be led by industry experts who will deliver comprehensive information and tools to help organisations manage their business continuity and crisis plans in order to mitigate against the effects of COVID-19,” CEO Jason Smith said.

“The crisis around the coronavirus has clearly moved to the next level, with the Australian Government expecting the virus to move to a pandemic phase and stepping up measures to prepare authorities for what is likely to be a sustained period of instability and disruption.”

The sessions will be held in Sydney on March 10, Melbourne on March 13 and Brisbane on March 17. Click here for more information.