Insurance News’ Outlook 2025 conference was held in Sydney last week, with feedback indicating the event was a significant success.

More than 200 industry professionals attended the content-packed event at Doltone House Hyde Park, where they were presented with a printed copy of an exclusive market outlook report. 

Finity principals Susie Amos and Pravesh Ponna – alongside insuranceNEWS.com.au editor-in-chief John Deex – crunched the numbers on pricing, concluding: “There is softening, a lot of competition and a tough market.”  

A poll of the audience found 42% agreed we are in a soft market in commercial lines; 47% said: “It’s pointless to generalise because there’s so much variety.”

Asked how long a soft market would last, 42% said one to two years, and 27% said two to three. The rest were split between saying longer (8%), less than a year (7%) and it’s not a soft market (16%).

Also at the conference, leaders from Berkley Re, Edgewise, Insurtech Australia and Coalition debated what insurance will look like until 2050, while industry icon Richard Enthoven’s broad keynote discussion included how insurance is taking GDP share from other industries.

Insurance Council of Australia executive Alexandra Hordern, chief corporate affairs officer for Allianz Nicholas Scofield and Financial Rights Legal Centre representative Julia Davis explored the growing challenge of rising home premiums, and regulators Nathan Bourne (ASIC) and Prue Monument (AFCA) tackled expectations around transparency.

The event finished with a CEO panel and expert perspectives from CGU’s Jarrod Hill, Lloyd’s regional director Chris Mackinnon, Suncorp CEO of commercial and personal injury Michael Miller, Liberty’s Australia president John McCabe, and WTW’s Pacific head of broking Trent Williams.

This year’s event was made possible by gold partners Finity and Liberty, and sponsors Allianz, AAMC and Australia Underwriting.