The 2015 AASCIF Annual Conference, held in San Francisco in early July, brought together leaders from state funds across the country. Paradigm Outcomes has sponsored the event since 2009 and is always eager to attend and learn about improvements to the workers’ compensation system.

This marked the fifth year that Paradigm Outcomes has sponsored the AASCIF Annual Conference Golf Tournament, and unlike last year, the weather cooperated. Golfers enjoyed Harding Park, one of the top courses in the country according to Golfweek and Golf Digest magazines, and the site of several PGA tournaments.

For those unable to attend the AASCIF Annual Conference, you can still learn from the thought leadership shared at these three key presentations:

Edelman Trust and Communication

Steve Telliano, the general manager of Edelman’s Sacramento office, discussed highlights from the 2014 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer—an annual survey of thousands of people from around the world identifying who the public trusts. The survey concluded that trust in NGOs, business and media declined between 2014 and 2015. This matters because the public is more likely to buy from, recommend, advocate for and invest in trusted companies.

Since search engines are now the most trusted media source, and technical experts within a company are viewed as among the most trusted overall sources of information about a company, Edelman recommends:

• Prioritizing search engine results over media results
• Utilizing media results as just one way, out of several available tools, to impact search engine results
• Utilizing more experts and employees as ambassadors

Economist Panel

Another highlight of the AASCIF Annual Conference was a panel that featured experts from BlackRock and Deutsche Bank sharing their mid-year market outlook. They predicted long-term yields will remain low due to a lack of bonds. And despite a large-scale central bank intervention globally, neither inflation nor deflation is on the horizon for most of the world. Panelists continued to prefer stock investments over bonds and saw the upside potential of developed foreign markets.

Global Changes – Local Impacts

Researcher Terrance Bogyo discussed the evolution of current demographic realities and suggested how attendees should plan for the future. The key takeaway was that the U.S. population was aging, with 2056 being the first year where the population 65 and older will outnumber people younger than 18. This will increase demand for healthcare services, raise labor costs and increase competition for scarce resources. More older people in the labor force will impact the workers’ compensation system as more workers will be vulnerable to work-related injuries. For a more detailed explanation of his research, visit Mr. Bogyo’s blog.

The AASCIF Annual Conference was full of useful information and great networking opportunities. Paradigm Outcomes was proud to be a part of it yet again, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s conference in Salt Lake City. For more information on the 2016 AASCIF Annual Conference, such as the schedule, sponsorship information and local attractions, visit their website.