IAM (International Association of Movers) met in Atlanta, Georgia for its 60th Annual Meeting & Expo from November 2–5.
The organisation said that judging by the number of attendees, it was its most successful Annual Meeting in five years with more than 1,730 registered members. For many, this meeting also represented their first opportunity in three years to travel to a major industry event and trade show. Certainly, everyone in attendance was happy to leave video chat behind and meet with colleagues in person.
In celebration of IAM’s 60th anniversary, the theme of this year’s Annual Meeting was ‘The Next 60 Years’. Often, an anniversary or milestone is seen as a time to look back over past times and events. However, given the current pace of innovation and change taking place in our industry, IAM elected to dedicate this time to looking forward to the next 60 years. The subjects of the learning labs were all geared around this theme, along with the setup of ‘The Hub’ (the Expo Hall) and the surrounding meeting areas.
The number one reason people come to industry events like the Annual Meeting is, of course, the outstanding opportunities to meet with colleagues, potential clients and business partners. Having been deprived of this kind of face-to-face meeting for almost three years thanks to COVID, it was clear from the profusion of handshakes, smiles and hugs that everybody was delighted to once again be able to conduct business and meet with friends in the same space.
IAM instituted a handful of innovations this year to help facilitate those business meetings, most of which were tested at last year’s hybrid meeting in Orlando ...
Photo: Chuck White addresses the annual meeting,