Highlights so far from the Annual Meeting & Expo in Toronto

If you aren't here, you are missing out! With nearly 1900 attendees this year's Annual Meeting & Expo, the energy is palpable.Today is day three of four and the amount of connections being made and business getting done is staggering. Here are some photos and highlights.

Chuck White gave his final address to the membership and spoke on a number of topics.

IAM recently developed a new strategic plan. The plan, developed by the board and staff, is based on enhancing the customer experience by ensuring professional and operational excellence. The way the staff and leaders approach programs, whether new or existing, is by using the mission statement and strategic plan as guideposts. If something does not support them, we should not be doing whatever that is.

IAM Trusted is a key to the future of being able to find trusted business partners. The companies that have signed up for this initiative have made an overt commitment to being good players in the industry and have made the time to earn a designation through education and good business practices. IAM Trusted has members on all six regularly inhabited continents.

The association's finances are solid. We are back to where we were in 2019 financially, through both good management and through donations made by the members. The staff and leaders are very appreciative of this support.

We have a new membership model to offer more choices to members so they can engage with IAM in the way that makes best sense for them, rather than based on what kind of company they are. Member feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Challenges
The Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) from the U.S. Department of Defense is rolling out now and is causing challenges to the industry by establishing a single-contractor element to serving U.S. military. The contract is worth $20 billion over the next seven years for a single contractor, which will then farm out the work to many subcontractors. Most of all, at present there is uncertainty. The next year will show more how things will develop.

Sustainably is probably the largest issue for businesses, with effects for the whole world. Government requirements concerning the environment are at the forefront. Europe is already dealing with this. Regulations will filter down to the individual companies, their associated suppliers and their entire supply chain. Lowering our carbon footprint is key in sustainability. The Coalition for Greener Mobility was established to improve sustainability efforts in the industry. and is supported by six major industry associations. In addition, IAM is requiring hotels and locations we contract with to reduce single-use plastics and adopt other practices in the name of environmental sustainability.

IAM has a partnership with Fill it Forward and has purchased recycled water bottles for members at the Annual Meeting and has a number of refill stations around the conference area. IAM has made a commitment to donate $5000 to Water First, an organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.

Volunteer Recognition

IAM values its volunteers. Whether you want to serve on a committee, lead a task force or become a board member, IAM supports your desire to serve your fellow members. With a staff of 12 people, we can’t do it all. We need you to come forward and we aspire to do better at recognizing the volunteer leaders among us.

The Future

Finally, Chuck expressed the honor and privilege he feels for being able to have led the association. Having started his career as a high school teacher and football coach, he expressed wonder and surprise at how he ended up leading IAM. He further announced that Brian Limperopulos will take over as the new president effectively at the end of this week. Brian thanked Chuck and Terry Head for the opportunity and for coaching he received over the years.

Next year’s meeting will be Oct. 14-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Award Recipients from the Annual Meeting

Two prestigious awards were given at the Annual Meeting.

The Rising Star Award was presented to Lennert de Jong of Gosselin Group. This award recognizes an IAM-Young Professional (IAM-YP) member who embodies the mission of the IAM Young Professional community.

The Excellence in Leadership Award went to Marcel Jöng, also of Gosselin Group. The award is given to the individual or group who has most positively affected the global moving and mobility industry and is attuned to current events of significance or relevance.

Congratulations to our recipients and we can't wait to recognize excellence in others next year!

Top Five News Stories You Might Have Missed

1. OAS to mediate Guatemala conflict that threatens transfer of power
2. Daily transit limit at the Panama Canal to be cut further
3. Containership owners still making money, despite the downturn
4. Hapag-Lloyd Christens New Dual-Fuel Mega Containership ‘Berlin Express’
5. Bulk carriers and containerships moving at slowest speeds on record this year

Get more news like this on IAM's LinkedIn page.

Hall of Honor Recipients Recognized

Three members were formally inducted into IAM's Hall of Honor. The Hall of Honor was established in 2008 to pay tribute to those Industry leaders whose careers reflect exceptional and distinguished service to their companies or the Association, or who have worked to elevate the Industry as a whole. This year's honorees are:

• Steve Lewis (Deceased), Voerman International
• Jim Putt (Deceased), Aires
• Stephen Weitekamp, California Moving and Storage Association

IAM and FIDI submit joint comments on Pending Global Recommendations for Reducing Pests in Sea Containers

On Sept. 25, the International Association of Movers (IAM) and the FIDI Global Alliance (FIDI), with the contribution and support of AIMA (Australian International Movers Association), submitted joint comments on the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) Recommendations for Minimizing Pest Risk Associated with the Sea Container Pathway. The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures is expected to make key decisions in 2024 on long-term guidance to minimize the risks associated with the international sea containers and invasive pests. These measures, if imposed globally, will directly impact the movement of household furniture and personal effects shipments worldwide.

IAM and FIDI support voluntary measures to reduce the transfer of pests throughout the supply chain and container pathway process and are in favor of a simplified version of the ‘Custodial Responsibility’ principle, with a key focus on pest preventive actions at origin. Please click here for a copy of the full comments. For additional questions, please contact angela.deconti@iamovers.org or marie-pascale.frix@fidi.org.

Army cancels 7,500 PCS orders to fix funding error as shutdown looms

The Army has canceled thousands of previously approved permanent change-of-station orders for soldiers reporting to their new units after Nov. 1, according to personnel officials and an internal Army newsletter.

Read More

Upcoming Webcasts You Need to Know About

Between free webcasts and specialized courses, IAM Learning is here to help provide you with the knowledge and information to drive the growth of your company. Check out what webcasts are coming up and what courses are available for you below (some are free):

Upcoming IAM Webcast

• Nov. 8 - US Government & Military Affairs Update
• Nov. 16 - Networking Like a Pro! Maximizing Your Conference Investment

Recent Webcasts You Can Watch Now

• Exploring Trends, Innovation, and Generational Dynamics
• Protecting Your Move: Uncovering the Dark Side of the Moving Industry
• Invisible Champions: Recognizing the Unsung Heroes Who Drive Organizational Success from Behind the Scenes

Courses You May Have Missed

• Liability, Transit Insurance & Claims Management - Free, thanks to Reason Global Insurance, Ltd.
• IOMI - Certified Office Mover Training Course
• Leadership Training Program
• Lithium Batteries Transportation Course

Get to Know Alan F Wohlstetter Scholarship Winner Ashlyn Szilagyi

Ashlyn Szilagyi is a student at University of Michigan-Flint and is one of the recipients of this year's Alan F. Wohlstetter Scholarship. Learn more about Ashlyn and the other recipients. Congratulations Ashlyn!

Portal Magazine

In every issue of the Portal, we invite our authors to share their experiences, success stories, learning experiences, and vision with others in the moving and forwarding industry. In addition to our regular columns, feature articles for each issue are united by a central theme.

The theme: "Think globally, act locally" chosen by the IAM-YP Management Board encourages considering global consequences and making a positive impact in local communities.

Submit your story today for the upcoming edition of the Portal Magazine. Contact Portal Editor Will Kohudic if you have any questions or want to send him your article.

Upcoming Industry Events

Is your calendar up to date? See IAM's Events Calendar to stay abreast of the various conferences and industry meetings. Want to add an event? Contact IAM's Carl Weaver.

IAM Membership Updates

• New Members This Month
• Prospective Members for Next Month
• Alleged Debtor List
• Voluntary Cancellations List
• Companies known to be misusing the IAM logo

Member News

DNS Mobility Ltd. Celebrates 10 Years

Daniel Rajiv, Founder and CEO of DNS Mobility Ltd. writes:

Our 10th Anniversary birthday party was a success Thanks to all those who came to celebrate with us. Despite the rain, we had a pretty great turn out. We’ve had a blast the last ten years building great moving experiences for expats and Myanmar alike.

Founded in Yangon, Myanmar in 2013, DNS Mobility was established by Mr. Daniel Rajiv & his wife Mrs. Thuzar Tin on one simple philosophy: provide amazing moving service and great customer care at a competitive price.

According to Daniel Rajiv, it takes more than strong muscles to build a successful company. “We built this company as a team, starting from small staff and a truck, and being able to commemorate 10 years in our brand-new Office facility is pretty surreal,” he said. DNS Company has now its owned warehouse at central Yangon and over 25 staff working in office and outdoor operations. The 10th Anniversary celebration also marked the Grand Opening of the company’s “New Office’ in this year June 2023.

The best part of it all was the opportunity to celebrate 10 years of success with our most important assets – our amazing customers, who trust us not only with their most treasured possessions but also their referrals time and time again.

As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we sincerely and heartily appreciate everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey: our team, customers, partners from all over the World. In ten years, we’ve embraced our shared values of Safe, Trust, Respect, Innovation, Bold and Servant Leadership, committing ourselves to living them every day. Today, it is our values and the culture they underpin that unequivocally set DNS apart as an outstanding place to work – and a company with whom our customers are proud to partner.

I would like to convey my sincere thanks and appreciation to my team members, worldwide Agents / Associates and valued customers for their unwavering support and trust on DNS Myanmar.