Brokers Are Becoming Resilience Partners
The insurance market is changing quickly, and one of the clearest themes running through this yearโs BIBA Conference 2026 was the growing importance of brokers as resilience partners, not simply policy providers.
Held at Manchester Central under the theme โTime:Toโ, the conference focused heavily on action, adaptability and helping brokers and customers navigate increasingly complex risks.
For the Coverdrone team at Stand B47, many of the discussions across the event reflected what we are already seeing in the drone insurance sector. Emerging technologies are developing rapidly. Regulation is evolving. Client exposures are becoming more interconnected. At the same time, customers often need more support understanding what risks they face and how insurance responds when something goes wrong.
Technology Is Changing the Insurance Conversation
One seminar in particular, โTIME:TO Adapt โ Broking, Emerging Risks and Building Resilienceโ, explored how brokers can ensure insurance solutions remain relevant as risk landscapes change. The conversation repeatedly returned to the value brokers bring through guidance, insight and trust.
That message strongly aligns with the direction of the commercial drone industry itself. The sector continues to expand across infrastructure inspection, agriculture, emergency services, logistics and autonomous operations. At the same time, operations are becoming more technically advanced, with increased use of AI, automation, BVLOS operations and data-driven systems.
As technology advances, insurance conversations are becoming broader than simply arranging cover. Businesses increasingly need help understanding operational resilience, cyber exposure, regulatory compliance, supply chain risks and how different risks interact with one another.
Guidance and Education Are Increasingly Valuable
Several sessions at BIBA Conference 2026 also highlighted concerns around underinsurance and gaps in customer understanding. That is especially relevant in specialist sectors such as drones, where clients may not always appreciate the differences between aviation liability, public liability, cyber exposure, equipment cover, regulatory obligations or operational limitations.
One example is EC785/2004, which continues to create confusion across parts of the market despite being an important consideration for commercial drone operations.
For brokers, that creates a valuable opportunity to move from transactional conversations towards longer-term partnerships built around expertise and trust. The value is not simply access to a policy. It is helping clients make better-informed decisions before a claim ever occurs.
For brokers looking to build their understanding of drone-related risks and insurance considerations, Coverdrone also recently delivered a CPD webinar for BIBA members covering regulation, liability, common claims scenarios and emerging risks in the drone sector.
Cyber resilience was another recurring topic throughout the conference. Discussions focused on the growing need for businesses to understand interconnected digital risks and the importance of clearer guidance for SMEs. In the drone industry, those conversations are becoming increasingly relevant as aircraft rely more heavily on connected systems, autonomous technology, cloud-based data and remote operations.
Relationships Still Matter
Across the two days, BIBA 2026 reinforced how important strong insurer and broker relationships remain in a changing market. Good partnerships are increasingly built on shared goals, technical insight, claims expertise and open communication.
That becomes especially important during claims scenarios, where specialist sector understanding can make a significant difference to client outcomes.
The collaborative approach helps brokers support clients more effectively while helping specialist insurers better understand evolving risks.
The event also highlighted how valuable face-to-face conversations continue to be. BIBA remains one of the insurance industryโs biggest opportunities for networking, collaboration and relationship building, bringing together thousands of insurance professionals under one roof.
For Coverdrone, the conference was an excellent opportunity to speak with brokers about how the drone sector is developing, where emerging risks are appearing, and how specialist knowledge can support better outcomes for clients operating in a fast-moving industry.
Looking Ahead
As drone operations continue to scale across commercial sectors, the need for specialist guidance, education and resilience-focused conversations will only continue to grow.
If you didnโt get the chance to visit the Coverdrone team at BIBA Conference 2026, brokers can still learn more about the BIBA Drone Insurance Scheme, access specialist drone insurance support, or speak to the team about drone-related risks via the Coverdrone Broker & Agents page.
