Steve Jordan interviews Brian Limperopulos, IAM Vice President, as the world’s biggest moving association plans its 60th anniversary conference and asks whether the future will be more of the same, or not.
In November, IAM (International Association of Movers) will be holding its 60th anniversary convention, this time in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be the first time the whole industry has had the opportunity of getting together in one place for three years: the 2020 event was online only and last year it was a hybrid of online and in-person as many people were unable to travel owing to COVID restrictions. The team at IAM are looking forward with excitement to the opportunity to get back to business as usual.
Brian Limperopulos, IAM Vice President, said that registrations, even at this early stage, are on target. “If the current trend holds, we will be in a really great position for a positive year,” he said. But, although attendance looks to be back to normal, many other things will have changed as the IAM conference has evolved to meet the needs of the industry.
Many will know that the venue had to be switched at short notice from Seattle as COVID had affected the building programme and the facilities were not ready. Although Brian said Atlanta is a very good venue in many ways, it has one drawback in that the Expo Hall is smaller than usual so exhibition space is at a premium. “It’s almost sold out already,” he explained, so if you have not yet booked, you better get your skates on.
The theme of the conference is ‘The Next 60 Years’ in acknowledgement of the organisation’s 60th anniversary. “We will be both commemorating our past as well as thinking about helping the industry succeed in the future,” said Brian. There will be some regular features, but also more of a focus on education as the needs of attendees shifts.
Brian said that the Hall of Honor will recognise Eric Lim from Asian Tigers, Adam Lowy from Move for Hunger and Lucrecia Sikora from SIRVA. He also explained that IAM will be recognising the 2020 and 2021 inductees to the Hall of Honor as well so that the industry can celebrate their achievements.
IAM will also be paying its respects to former IAM Chairman Rick Curry, who passed away recently. Rick was the chair of the IAM Ethics Council, a member of the Hall of Honor, and the leader of the IAM Looking Back initiative, which catalogues and shares IAM’s history. “We will be remembering Rick of course and some of the other people the industry lost this year.”
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Photo: Brian Limperopulos.