About 680 brokers and 132 exhibitors attended the Underwriting Agencies Council market exchange in Melbourne on Tuesday.

UAC CEO Jenny Bax says the numbers are significantly up on the same event last year, and surpassed the Sydney exchange held in February.

“The feedback from directors and from the market has been phenomenal,” she told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

Ms Bax believes a new venue – the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre – and switching the event from a Friday to a Tuesday played a part in the exchange’s success.

“Coming up to [the June renewals], brokers are looking for markets, and there is a need and a desire to link up with underwriting agencies,” she said.

The next market exchange is in Brisbane on July 10, with Parramatta lined up for August 7, Adelaide on September 11, Launceston on October 16, and Perth on November 1.