I was there … were you? By Editor Steve Jordan.
So, after all the hype, did the virtual IAM work? Well, just like the real thing, you get out what you put in. It seemed to me that if you allocated some time away from the day-to-day chores, and made a bit of an effort, there was real value there. However, many people said to me that they are not paying for the opportunity of holding Zoom meetings with lots of people they could otherwise talk to for nothing. Those who took part purely to chat one-to-one with agents probably felt the same way. But that was not really the point.
Those of you who have read my reports about IAM (and FIDI) will know that I have a particular bee in my bonnet about people not attending the group meetings. It seems potty to me to travel halfway around the world and spend the whole time locked down in intense (or maybe not so intense) agent meetings without taking the opportunity to broaden your mind a little. Yes, we all like the travel and the cultural experience, but there is much more than that going on at these events, from which only a minority ever benefit. Their fault! Their loss ...