A big "Happy 75th Anniversary" goes out to the Insurance and Financial Communicators Association. A volunteer-run, industry-specific association dedicated to the professional development of its members, IFCA will celebrate this historic milestone at the annual meeting in Boston, September 14-17.

IFCA has members in over 100 large multinational firms and smaller, locally-focused insurance and financial services companies in North America and as far away as Thailand. Members develop product marketing, training and sales promotion materials. They create the advertising and public relations necessary to promote the value of life and health insurance products, annuities and long-term care products, as well as work hard in all media to reinforce the company's reputation and brand.

IFCA offers schools to aid member development, as well as conducting an annual meeting, industry surveys and occasional case studies; the Association communicates with members via a Web site and newsletter. The Annual Awards Competition, held every year since IFCA's founding in 1933, features the industry's best work in 69 distinct categories, as judged by peers. The Best in Show awards are considered the Oscars of our industry and winners will be honored at the annual meeting in Boston. The industry's top communicators, including writers, graphic artists, and marketers, are like agents — they love to compete, network and share ideas with their peers about what's working.