The finalists in the inaugural Mansfield Awards for Claims Excellence in Sydney on July 13 are now known – but they will remain a secret until the event on July 13.

A large number of industry leaders and claims professionals have already booked to attend the event at the Establishment Ballroom in George Street on Thursday next week.

Final tickets can still be purchased this week via The Mansfield Awards website.

Judging for the Mansfield Awards, which were conceived and are being organised by Insurance News and LMI Group, has all been conducted through research involving official data and surveys of brokers.

The finalists – and the winners – will be named in the categories being covered in this inaugural year: personal lines, SME property and casualty, corporate property and casualty, and specialty.

There is also an overall Mansfield Award for Claims Excellence for the insurance company that scores the highest overall rating.

Insurance News Publisher Terry McMullan says the research and “weighting” of results through an LMI-developed program has been exhaustive and productive.

“We were surprised by the results of the research, which turned up some insurers we hadn’t expected to see,” he said. “There’s some close results and quite a few surprises.”

The evening is shaping up to be an exciting networking opportunity for claims professionals and will highlight the importance of claims management for the industry.

The keynote speaker at the event will be Lloyd’s Chairman and Sparke Helmore partner Mark Doepel, who is an expert on Lord Mansfield and his introduction of the concept of utmost good faith in insurance.

Representatives from event sponsors Insurance and Care NSW (icare) and Steadfast will present awards on the evening. The MC will be industry veteran Martin McAvenna.