Where to next?

It has been many years since any real business was done at the annual September Rendez-Vous in Monte Carlo but the usefulness of the event lies in the networking and the market intelligence gained. Another annual tradition is reinsurers trying to talk up rates in advance of the renewal season. And while the dreadful results of 1999 will certainly cause some lines to move, privately many admit that 2000 is not going to see big rate rises. Far from it.