This month I will be bumping into many of you at the IAM and PAIMA conferences in San Diego.  Thanks to all those who have expressed an interest in advertising with us; I look forward to helping you promote your businesses when we meet.  As you know the companies that advertise with us are our only means of support, so the more we get, the better we can make the magazine. 

This month the editorial is dominated by our exclusive interview with Pat DeDonato, the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Cartus.  Cartus is the world’s largest relocation management company and, as such, is probably the biggest customer for many of you.  It’s not often that we get the opportunity of interviewing such an influencer in the market and I am sure you will be interested to read Pat’s take on the changing relocation industry; how suppliers are managed; the importance of moving as part of the relocation offering; the big ‘C’ – compliance - that preoccupies all in the industry; and how you can become a Cartus supplier.  My thanks to Pat and her team for being so frank and helpful.

I would also like to thank Terry, Brian and Chuck at IAM for inviting me once again to the world’s largest moving convention.  Last year I wrote an honest, generally complementary, report on the Orlando convention.  But it’s the fact that organisations such as IAM invite me back despite my occasional criticisms that makes the communication so strong.  You know, that if I say something is good, I really believe it is; because if I think it’s rubbish, I will say so.

There have been many who criticise the IAM convention for its size and the fact that it’s a boiling bear pit of unashamed and unadorned sales activity.  For me, that’s a good thing.  There are plenty of opportunities in the moving calendar for those who are so inclined to engage in the vitally important process of building relationships and long-lasting friendships.  IAM does that too but it also gives people the opportunity to be upfront about their companies and the benefits they can provide, and sell them unashamedly.  That’s probably why it’s so popular.

So if you do attend IAM: embrace it, drink it in.  Wear your sales hat with pride and, if you can, come away just a little more prosperous.  I look forward to seeing you all there.  Now, who wants to advertise next month?