Members of New Zealand’s two broker associations gather in Rotorua tomorrow for crucial meetings that are expected to see the two groups vote to combine under one banner.

The vote to bring members of the Corporation of Insurance Brokers of New Zealand (CIBNZ) and the Independent Insurance Brokers Association (IIBA) into the new Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand (IBANZ) has been a long time coming.

Stung by a rejection by IIBA members three years ago, the two associations have been working since to sort out their differences. CIBNZ has traditionally looked after the interests of corporate and larger brokers, while IIBA members are mainly smaller operators.

The vote will kick off the annual IBANZ conference, which finishes on Sunday. The theme of the conference is “Taking Care of Business”.