Calling for Integrity
International Association of Movers
The global champion for the moving industry, advancing the professionalism and operational excellence of our members.
This article has been written for IAM by the Chairperson of the IAM Ethics Council, Charles (Chuck) Bailey
The purpose of this article is to initiate a discussion about a particular matter of ethics. Each year, the International Association of Movers (IAM) stages the industry’s largest business development and networking event. Instead of visiting all of your partners face to face at their offices or trying expand your business through in-person visits, IAM brings the world together in one place to make connecting with your partners and growing your network as efficient as possible. Roughly 2000 of our industry colleagues pay for this privilege annually.
For many years though, it has been fairly common to see IAM Members “attend” the event without registering by setting up in the bar or camping out in suites. Perhaps more alarmingly, the use of “badge-swapping” has increased as well. Badge-swapping is where one person will purchase a full registration or exhibitor-only pass to the IAM Annual Meeting & Expo and share it with another person who did not purchase a badge in order to give that person access to the conference and expo.
To express it more clearly, some of your fellow members are taking advantage of people like us who pay our hard-earned money to
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register properly for the conference.
The IAM Annual Meeting & Expo exists as a forum for all of us to meet, network, learn, and see friends. If some continue to attend without registering or “badge-swap,” everyone must realize that these individuals may make the meeting more expensive for all of the people who are playing by the rules.
I want to challenge my fellow members to recognize the importance of the IAM Annual Meeting to their business and register in order to support this valuable event. Not only will you have unfettered access to all IAM events and registrants, you will also learn more about the big trends and new products revolutionizing our business. Most importantly, I want to highlight the ethics of benefiting from investments other have made. If you are a fully-paid registrant for the IAM Annual Meeting, please ask those who are attending without registering or “badge-swapping” why they are taking advantage of the investment you have made and how they can justify this behavior.
While we all compete to provide the best service at the lowest price possible to our client, there are some areas where cooperation makes sense. Supporting IAM and its Annual Meeting is one such place. If you are going to be in Las Vegas this year, register for the conference and ensure that this tremendous business development and networking event remains viable and benefits from your full participation
Business Owner specializing in Shipping, Crating and Relocation Worldwide at Pacific Crating And Shipping
8 个月Well said, Mr. Chairperson. Integrity is absolutely essential in this business. Upholding high ethical standards ensures trust, accountability, and long-term success. Your emphasis on integrity is a reminder of the values that guide our actions and decisions.
CEO, Nellions Moving & Relocations Limited
8 个月Thank you very much Chuck. I didn't know that this happens and to me is completely unthinkable. I will be on look out at Las Vegas and I support IAM on this mission. We all need to be honest
Global Mobility Professional- Assisting (moving) companies with Quality Management-Certifications. Projectmanager @EMG Executive Mobility Group
8 个月Good article, fully agree. Pay or stay away.
Transforming Corporate Travel | Simplifying Complexity, Saving Time & Money | Strategic Leader | Champion for Emerging Artists
8 个月As a client I’d worry that people without integrity probably also operate their business that way, so what else do we need to worry about ?
Enabling international movers to leverage their data for smarter decisions through analytics and unified data solutions
8 个月This is indeed a tricky issue. I fully agree on the need for fairness and ethics. Badge swappers: stop that! It’s embarrassing! Even for yourselves. Having said that, as someone who isn't registered for this event (and wasn't planning to intrude either), I suggest IAM consider engaging with non-registered individuals to understand their perspectives. Maybe even create a virtual pre-expo room with a different tariff (or free) so people interested can get a taste of the event or the core ideas and values, and be encouraged to join next time? There’s also a benefit for the industry: By being inclusive and open to new ideas, we can ensure the industry stays dynamic and innovative. If someone is unethical, they'll be spotted easily. But if you listen to these voices, you could explore how we can benefit from diverse perspectives instead of excluding them with financial (or even physical in this case) barriers. This approach can help both the organization and individuals grow, while also reducing unethical behaviors around the event and in the hotel. What do you think? I hope my humble point of view spark a thought or two.