The EuRApean Summer 2023

The EuRApean

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Contributions on all aspects of mobility are welcomed for publication in the EuRApean. If you are a member of EuRA and would like to contribute news about your company please get in touch. Please contact Dominic Tidey, Managing Editor dominic@eura-relocation.com or Maria Manly, Editorial Consultant maria@eurarelocation.com

Disclaimer:

Opinions expressed in the EuRApean are not necessarily those of the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Published by: EuRA Diss IP22 1NH UK

Notes from the Editor

Another EuRA Conference has come and gone and yet again we have had so many amazingly kind emails to thank us for the event. But without false modesty, it’s the members and delegates who need to be thanked. The loyalty and support of our members mean we are here and able to celebrate EuRA’s 25th anniversary and we did that in style in Dublin.

What’s great about the event is how it has evolved over the years and as we point out later in this edition, how it is changing for the future. But one new tradition that seems set to be a EuRA Conference staple was the incredible contribution made by the members of the Mobility Light Orchestra who made our Gala Dinner such a special night! We are talking with them about next year and about how we can incorporate a Gala Dinner After Party like

Member Hello Housing

Save the Dates!

that every year. To have a band of members who gave their time and great skill to really create a night to remember is just fantastic and I feel unique to our incredibly creative industry.

But EuRA is more than a conference and as Tad outlines in his CEO Report, we are working hard with our Board to secure the next 25 years of the association as we look at the succession planning that needs to be in place as well as at every aspect of what we do.

It was a great pleasure in May to welcome our four new Board Members, Jeremy Berthoux, Markus Demuth, Marie O’Neill and Johanna Lennartson to their first meeting. Lots of constructive discussions took place on a range of subjects but our primary focus for the top down review was events. We looked at all aspects of the major conference and made some changes which are laid out in this edition.

I’m also delighted to announce that in 2024 we will be running our Global Conference in India so watch out for

EuRA USA Reception 2023 Boston October 19

EuRA International Relocation Congress 2024 Vilamoura Portugal

29 April - 2 May

details! It’s very exciting that we’re looking again at representing our members outside Europe at a dedicated event.

But with welcomes came goodbyes and it was a very poignant moment to have to say goodbye to our past President Michèle Bramstoft who steps off the Board after serving her maximum two terms. Michèle has brought so much to the Board over the past years in her considered and kind manner. Her enthusiasm for EuRA and what it represents has driven us forward and her positivity and kindness kept us all upbeat during the dark days of lockdowns.

But it was also terrific to welcome Alistair Murray and Isabel Cudell to their new roles as President and VP respectively. They are both passionately committed to EuRA and we’re lucky to have their expertise and leadership. Here’s to the next 25!

Dom Tidey Managing Editor

Letter from the CEO

Another EuRA Conference has come and gone and it was an amazing atmosphere that greeted our 750 delegates from 60 countries as we gathered in Dublin.

What a fantastic city! In the years we’ve been running the event, it has been difficult to compare Dublin to other places for the sheer kindness of its people. Wherever we went, from our hotel and conference venue to the party night venue, nothing was too much trouble for the teams we worked with even given the extraordinary numbers that we had in attendance. You can see from Doms’ feedback article that this presented us as organisers and delegates with challenges but nothing like the challenges that were faced by the venue who coped with calm efficiency.

After Covid we crunched the data to approximate what we thought would be our conference numbers. We were confident that after Seville, where 99% of delegates were holding credit notes from 2020, we would see a reduction in delegates as costs increased and the industry adjusted to a new reality. We were wrong. In order to accommodate 150 of the 250 people on the waitlist for the event, we had to expand the Gala into two spaces which you told us you would prefer we did not do again. However, the reality of delivering a conference to this number of delegates means one of two things; we are severely limited to the venues we can use, or we have to look for a balance which means seeking compromises.

Last month in an undisclosed (!) location, my team and our Board spent a day going over the

feedback and updating our event process. If you joined Dom, Alistair and Isabel in last weeks’ Briefing, you will know that we have made some significant changes to the conference.

We will now start on Monday with afternoon symposia, opening the conference proper on Tuesday and ending on Thursday with our party night. This will allow people to attend more of the event and still be able to return home for the weekend. However for those who wish to stay on, we will still have a EuRA discounted hotel rate for the Friday and weekend.

We are now limiting the maximum number of delegates from any company to four. There will be exceptions for sponsors, but the idea is that this will ease some of the pressure on numbers.

We will be running only one session at a time. Delegates made it clear that multiple sessions running concurrently is counter productive when trying to draw a balance between networking and taking part in the programme. Depending on the venue we use, we will do our best to set aside a dedicated networking area so people can meet there and not just in the common areas of the hotel.

We will also make it easier for Newcomers to be identified and make further efforts to make sure they feel included. We talk about the EuRA family and it is a truth that the organisation is like a huge extended family, but joining for the first time can be intimidating and can make people feel like they’re

not yet part of the group!

All that said, we are delighted by how many comments we received on another successful event. The feeling at the conference is incredibly special and different to other events that we take part in. Our goal for the future is to continue to innovate and improve, but to never lose what we have. At our recent board meeting, President Alistair Murray made the point, that in all of the planning we do to secure the future of EuRA, one essential goal is to never lose the soul of what EuRA has become over the past 25 years.

I need to send out profound thanks to so many people who made the event what it was, from my team to our marvellous volunteers who work so hard. To the venues who delivered amazing experiences. To all the speakers and moderators who gave so much time and made such an effort to bring the event to life. To our Production Designer Mini, our Conference Host Frances, our SC for Content Peggy; your work and brilliance make the conference amazing. And of course to the members of the MLO Band who brought our 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner to such a fantastic conclusion. But most of all to the 750 people who take time from their work to be with us, to continue to support EuRA and who make the family what it is. Here’s to Vilamoura 2024!

Letter from our President and Vice President

We always listen intently to our members and act on suggestions where we can identify clear room for improvement. This was presented during a recent webinar.

Watch it Here

• Complete the top-down review, including working with a Design Thinking specialist to help provide structure to the strategy and objectives set for the future of EuRA.

• Continue to listen to and act upon member feedback and data analytics in all EuRA matters.

Hello to all fellow EuRA members,

I hope you’re enjoying a busy summer (possibly not quite as hectic as last year) and managing to work in an air conditioned office from time to time. There are definitely significant advantages and disadvantages to occasionally working from home during the sunny summer months.

Now that the dust has settled and hopefully all the follow-up has been completed on the wonderful EuRA conference in Dublin, the Executive Group has had time to reflect on the areas we thought went well and identify particular areas for improvement. Two weeks after the conference the EuRA team met in person to analyse the feedback gathered from the app and from the survey –thank you for taking the time to evaluate.

As with this particular update, or anything else EuRA related, if you have any suggestions or comments, please feel to get in touch with us anytime.

Our post-conference board meeting also included a chance to welcome new members (Markus, Jeremy and Johanna, as well as our first ever global representative Marie) and an emotional farewell to our outgoing President Michele.

We continued our top-down review, including the strategic look for the next 25 years of the Association.

So the remit for Isabel and I over the next year is clear – to influence the strategic direction of the Association, protecting everything that makes EuRA the success it is today whilst it continues to evolve and flourish for another 25 years and beyond.

Our aim is to achieve the following:

• Continue to collaborate with all industry associations –namely on The Coalition for Greener Mobility project (member’s participation is welcomed!)

• Maximise the time and expertise of the EG members by working in subject specific groups.

• Add and update the MIM programme modules.

• Look to make tangible progress when discussing Artificial Intelligence and APIs.

• Outline the succession plan of the Association’s executive leadership and EuRA team.

We’ll also update you regularly on the progress we make and ensure that the EuRA members remain at the heart of everything we do.

Hope to see you soon.

Alistair and Isabel

Alistair Murray - COO Packimpex Isabel Cudell - Moving-ON Professional Mobility

MIM Update!

As you’re no doubt aware, access to the MIM modules has so far been free to all EuRA Members with a charge only being levied if you’d like to get your credits as a result of passing the Module’s quiz.

From February, we have been charging a nominal amount to access the Modules themselves. Access to each module now costs €50. Access to the quiz also costs €50 so each module will cost a total of €100 to qualify.

However we are developing a licence scheme for members to access the Academy which will reduce those costs, so if you have several team members that you would like to put through the programme, please just contact us and we can work out a year long licence at a discounted rate. Full details to follow.

So if you are planning to put your team through MIM and or MIM+ and CAM Certifications, contact us so we can create a licence for you to enable your teams to participate at lower costs.

The Sustainability in Mobility Module is now live in the Academy and we have had great feedback.

Our Legal Guru Gordon Kerr has also developed a MIM+ half module on Anti Money Laundering. This important topic has wide ranging impacts on our industry and staying compliant with the rules across Europe will be key for all members. Gordon will be following up with two Zoom webinars in April and May.

Martina Scharwey our Consultant for Quality has developed an entirely new “Introduction to the EuRA Global Quality Seal” which is 100% free for all members to certify and gain 50 credits towards MIM and MIM+ certification.

Online Now!

You can also just check the EuRA Academy where you will find all the courses. Don’t forget you need to create your identity and in order to get to the discount access codes you need to go to the EuRA Training page and log in. If you have any problems just contact us.

All the amazing content in the Academy is accessible for just €50 for modules and €50 for Quizzes. Non-members pay €250 to access a Module and a Quiz.

Our current MIM+ Programme consists of:

• Legal Compliance in Mobility

• Achieving Business Growth

• You are Your Brand

• Collaboration in the Next Normal

• Coaching Approaches in Mobility, four modules

• Sustainability in Mobility

• Introduction to the EGQS

• Anti-Money Laundering

• Duty of Care

Coming Soon!

Duty of Care

Our Primary Trainers Tracy Kautzmann and Lucy Foster have been working on a brand new module dissecting Duty of Care in our industry and how members can best be aware of both the obvious and not so obvious duties owed by companies to their relocatees. This is now live!

We are working on the creation of two new Modules; Working in the Supply Chain looking at how we work with RMC’s and ESG, an exciting series of six live sessions which will become an MIM+ Module next Spring.

The Coaching Approaches in Mobility (CAM) course is made up of four programmes each consisting of three fascinating modules. We developed this programme 10 years ago in conjunction with Oxford Brookes University and our Strategic Consultant for Education has fully renewed it.

“I completed the Sustainability module today and it was excellent. Thank you so much, opened my eyes wide” - Rohit Kumar Ikan India.

Primary Trainer Paul Barnes brings the topic to life and interviews people across the industry to get a sense of where we are going with this important topic. We’d like to say a special thank you to Paul for donating his development fee entirely to charity.

The topic remains at the fore of what we’re doing with the Coalition for Greener Mobility which you can read about later in this issue.

Managing International Assignments

Jacqueline Biersma has worked with Susie Goodall to update and refresh the Managing International Assignments module which is now live. If you have already taken this module and would like to do an update, there will be no charge, just contact us for an access code.

Don’t forget you can mix and match modules to suit your learning needs and gain your credits to get your qualifications. Below are downloadable guides with everything you need to know;

• Guide to Qualifying with EuRA

• Routes to Qualifying Explained

The Coalition for Greener Mobility Update

Tad Zurlinden

I’m delighted to say that the Coalition for Greener Mobility has made steady progress in the last three months. Individual Associations have taken responsibility for various tasks;

1. The creation of a Glossary of Terms for the Mobility Industry to ensure that we are all speaking the same language. This was led by Steve Cryne for the CERC and was supported by a number of individuals from various different sectors within our industry. The full Glossary and a list of legislative terms will shortly be published on the Coalition website.

2. How to be a Sustainable Mover – Magali Horbert of FIDI is leading a group of movers who will create a Road Map of the Moving Industry on how to move forward. Magali was supported by FIDI Members around the world in developing a report on this. As soon as this is complete the results will be published on the Coalition website.

3. How to be a Sustainable DSP – Here EuRA has taken the lead. Working with Members around the world we are putting together a Road Map for DSPs. Our first meeting took place a couple of weeks ago, in fact it was two meetings – one involving Asia and then another involving the Americas, with the Europeans spread across both. These sessions examined most of the environmental issues facing DSPs and there will be a further session in late July looking at the other aspects of Sustainability.

4. How to be a Sustainable Corporate Housing Provider – this is being led by Mary Ann Passi at CHPA and they are working with the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) in the UK to ensure that the results of their Road Map reflect the industry internationally.

There are of course other areas that need to be addressed including how Sustainability will affect Relocation Management Companies and how it will be

addressed in RFPs from Corporates moving their employees around the world. The main reason for developing the various Road Maps is to be able to share our findings with Corporates to ensure that they focus their attentions on what is possible for providers in practice, rather than adding random requests that cannot be attained.

To promote our activities we have also added more material to the website www.greenermobility.org including a promotional video made during the EuRA Conference in Dublin. If you want to support this initiative, you can click on the ‘Take Action’ button on the home page and let us know how you can help.

The Coalition is looking for partners to work with and to help fund any future projects we may take on in our objective to make the Mobility Industry more sustainable.

I should also thank CERC for all the work they have done on developing the website for the Coalition.

More recently we set up a Coalition page on LinkedIn please support us by joining and watch out for any of our posts.

We are also launching an ESG training programme “Sustainability for DSP’s” which will be MIM+ accredited and run over 5 live sessions starting in September and ending with a face to face workshop in Vilamoura so watch your inbox for bulletins announcing the dates and how to sign up.

Finally, though we are a relatively new initiative we are sad to be losing Lynn Shotwell who has worked with us in her role as President and CEO of WERC. However, Lynn is moving on to a new role in a totally different sector, we wish her well. We will also see Chuck White, CEO of IAM leave our group in the autumn when he retires. His successor Brian Limperopulos has already joined our regular meetings and we look forward to working with him.

“The new challenges of international mobility ”

Digital nomad visa triggers a revolution in the global labour landscape

In the digital age, advanced technologies have had a significant impact on several aspects of our daily lives, including work. People can finally enjoy new professional horizons, which are increasingly free and flexible, allowing them to work remotely and move freely to different countries without being restricted by geographical ties. Within this scenario, a phenomenon that is gaining more and more attention is that of the 'digital nomads', professionals who only need a highspeed Internet connection to be able to communicate with colleagues, participate in virtual meetings, complete projects and much more, without the need to have a traditional workstation in a physical office. Taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the latest technologies, digital nomads can continuously move between different locations, manage their time autonomously and work according to their own needs and preferences. The benefits of being able to work from home, a café, a tropical beach or wherever they prefer are manifold. This flexibility gives them the freedom to explore the world by adopting a more adventurous and rewarding lifestyle, to have more hours to devote to the activities and people they love, sports, travel, family, friends, while maintaining a quality of life where the balance between the personal and professional spheres is absolutely preserved. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the relocation sector has been severely impacted, but it has also initiated a process of change and transformation of the professionals involved, which in turn has led to a shift in the relocation trends of company employees and collaborators, with a trend towards shorter assignments and

the movement of smaller volumes of furniture and household goods. In the past, international relocations mainly concerned companies based in Europe or the US, which moved employees and collaborators for medium to long periods (2 to 5 years). Subsequently, with the emergence of new markets, there has been a significant growth in demand for global mobility, with the advent of a new generation of mobile workers. This led to shorter postings and increased mobility of personnel from emerging markets. Today, with increasing globalisation, personnel transfers are becoming more fluid. We see the use of more flexible approaches, such as short-term policies, business travel, immersive experiences and commuting patterns. Some companies are also outsourcing staff mobility management to specialised companies, called Relocation Management Companies, which offer integrated and streamlined services to ensure a smooth and comfortable transition for expatriates. Moreover, with the advent of digital nomads, professionals who work remotely using technological tools such as laptops, tablets and cloud storage services, the way people do their work is changing even more. These professionals can stay in touch with colleagues and clients through communication tools such as

chat, video calls and e-mail, overcoming all time and geographical barriers. The pandemic of COVID-19 has accelerated the process of change in the relocation industry, pushing towards shorter transfers, more flexible approaches and the adoption of technological tools to facilitate remote working. Despite the many advantages highlighted, this new generation of digital nomads also faces some very complex challenges. First of all, that of working in environments with little or no structure, which require discipline and careful planning to avoid distractions and ensure a certain level of productivity. In addition, digital nomads must be able to adapt to different time zones and work cultures. Communicating with colleagues or customers in different parts of the world may require good relationship management, a factor not always taken for granted and easily achieved. However, these new trends have triggered a real revolution in the global work landscape and in many sectors. Perhaps this is precisely why many countries have begun to ask questions about how to meet the needs of this growing community of professionals, and governments around the world are beginning to introduce new legal structures to allow the entry and stay of this type of traveller. One of the first achievements aimed at answering some of these questions has been the introduction of the recent concept of the “digital nomad visa”, a

regulatory innovation through which these professionals can work and live in the host country while complying with the labour and immigration regulations of the foreign nation.

What is the digital nomad visa?

The digital nomad visa is a special residence permit offered by some countries to allow digital workers to settle temporarily in their territory. Unlike traditional work visas, which require a job offer from a local employer, the digital nomad visa is based on the flexibility of working remotely. This type of visa is designed for those who work online as freelancers, digital entrepreneurs, digital marketing professionals, software developers and other workers who are not dependent on a physical office.

Who can get it?

The specifications for obtaining a digital nomad visa vary from country to country. However, there are some common characteristics that are usually required:

1. Proof of income: In order to obtain a digital nomad visa, it is necessary to prove a stable and sufficient income to support oneself during one's stay in the host country. This proof of income can be provided through tax declarations, employment contracts, invoices or other financial documents.

2. Health insurance: Some countries require applicants to have health insurance valid for the duration of their stay. This is to ensure that digital nomads have access to the necessary health care during their stay in the destination country.

3. Documentation: As with any visa, applicants must submit the required documentation, such as a valid passport, completed application forms and any other information specifically requested by the host country.

4. Purpose of stay: Digital nomads must prove to enter the host country that their purpose is work.

5. Period of stay: Most digital nomad visas are granted for a limited period of time, usually three months to one year. However, some

countries also offer renewal options to extend the stay.

How does Italy respond to global labour mobility?

In Italy, a visa for digital nomads was introduced at the regulatory level in January 2022, which will allow them to work and live in the country while respecting labour and immigration laws. At the moment, however, the implementing decree that will make this type of visa operational has not yet been issued in our country. The government and the relevant ministries have yet to establish how to submit the application, the requirements, the minimum income needed and how work activity will be verified.

To obtain a visa for digital nomads in Italy, applicants must:

• be non-EU citizens,

• be highly skilled workers capable of working remotely,

• be self-employed or employed by a company based outside Italy.

This means that not all workers will be eligible for this permit, as some specific requirements will have to be met. The application process for the digital nomad visa in Italy could be simplified, with exemptions from prior authorisation and limitations on the number of applications. In any case, this visa will represent a very interesting opportunity for those who wish to benefit from the favourable tax regimes for foreigners in Italy. On the other hand, as far as the international scenario is concerned, obtaining this permit will translate into greater freedom of movement for digital workers from all over the world, who will finally be able to immerse themselves in new cultural and professional contexts, enriching the many host countries with a highly qualified workforce that will benefit a huge number of sectors.

Bliss Corporation: the new challenges of international mobility Relocation, or the moving of people and families from one location to another, is a complex and stressful process that

requires careful planning and highly qualified professional support. What makes Bliss Corporation the best partner in the provision of Global Corporate Relocation services is its ability to offer customised solutions to suit the specific needs of each client. Every relocation is unique, and Bliss understands the importance of creating a tailor-made plan that meets the needs of the individual or family that comes to the company to use its services. From support in finding temporary or permanent accommodation, to managing visas and paperwork, the Group takes care of every detail to ensure a smooth and serene relocation. It should be emphasised that when we talk about International Mobility, we are first and foremost talking about people; therefore, in addition to the technical aspects, it is necessary to approach the concept of movement in a human and empathetic manner. People who move around the world for professional reasons represent a source of wealth, growth and development. It is on the strength of this awareness that the company aims to involve all stakeholders in the emotional depth involved in moving people around the world. Today, modernity requires us to reflect on changes that embrace every sphere of daily life, including the workplace. Bliss Corporation cannot therefore disregard the need and desire to address as soon as possible the practical and bureaucratic management of new professional figures, such as those represented by digital nomads. The Group's experience in the field of Relocation and Immigration, its partnerships with governmental and consular bodies, and its knowledge of the laws and regulations of the various countries will allow it, as soon as the decree is officially issued, to simplify the process of obtaining a visa for this type of worker, guaranteeing them a positive experience that will allow them to make the most of new professional opportunities and new life balances on a global scale.

Bliss Corporation

Newly Certified and Re-certified Members

Congratulations to our newly certified and re-certified EuRA Global Quality Seal Members

Newly Certified

Wilde Relocation - Dec-22

Newly Recertified

Eurohome Relocation Services - May-23

Moving-On International Mobility Consultants - Mar-23

Helma International - Mar-23

Palladium Mobility Group GmbH - Feb-23

Relocation Services Strohmayer - Feb-23

EER - Jan-23

Global Relocation Services InternationalJan-23

Icon Relocation - Dec-22

Finland Relocation Services - Dec-22

Prime Relocation - Nov-22

Clapham Relocation Services - Nov-22

EuRA Global Quality Seal Online Training Introduction to the EGQS

There is a full module in the EuRA Academy

Free to all members. This module of five components covers everything you need to know about setting up a process management system. You'll learn how to build your Quality Manual and how to implement all the required policies to ensure you're completely compliant for the future. The Quality Standard has just been updated and all members holding the Seal will have now received their copy of the updated standard. There is a full module in the Academy which will take you step by step through the changes. Even if this isn't the right time for you to go forward to your official audit, it's a great time to learn how to implement a process management system across your organisation. Following these three (free to EuRA Members) modules will simplify the process, led by a true expert in quality management.

To access the full training module, click here.

Feedback from Dublin 2023 “You spoke, We listened” Dom Tidey

Each year we look carefully at the feedback we are given on the conference. This year as part of the top down review of all things EuRA, we changed the way we collect that data, splitting for the first time between using the App for session evaluations, and our online survey asking about the conference more generally.

Some meta themes emerged!

Delegates rated all three of our keynotes very highly. Frances Edmonds always scores at the top of the scale and this year was no different. You also very much enjoyed the opening keynote by David McWilliams and really loved our closing keynote Ken Nwadike. Unfortunately due to copyright, we can’t put either David or Kens addresses on our YouTube channel but you can find the irrepressible Frances on there along with all the filmed sessions with the exception of Ignite which faced a copyright issue which led YouTube to ban it! It has now been edited to comply and is now on YouTube!

One big theme was numbers. Some delegates felt that the venue was too small for the numbers we had and we agree. Having discussed this issue at length over the years, we have always agreed as a team and Board that

limiting to 650 is the optimum way for delegates to get the most from the event. However, we have now decided that the 750 figure we were at in Dublin will become the new limit, and as a result we will source larger venues. As Tad says in his CEO Report, when we planned for Dublin, we were looking at maximum numbers of 600 based on a variety of factors. We felt strongly that conference demand would wane in our post Covid economies, but we were wrong. Not only did we get to the 750 delegate number, but we still had over 100 people on a waitlist who could not attend. The Welcome Reception was crowded and noisy and that feedback was valuable for the venue as it was the largest group they had accommodated and the point was well taken. So from now on, we will be limiting the maximum number of delegates from a single company to four with certain exceptions for sponsors whose financial contribution allows us to not increase delegate prices. We will also only allow bookings from EuRA Members until November 1st so get in EARLY!

One other big change will be to when the conference is held. We will now begin the conference on Monday afternoon with four, four hour symposia from 13:00 to 17:00. Tuesday will be the Conference Opening, plenary sessions and Welcome Reception. Wednesday will be plenary sessions and the Gala Dinner and Thursday will be plenary sessions, the closing keynote and destination reveal and the Party Night. This will enable people to travel home on Friday without missing out. The Symposia and Party Night will remain add ons.

We will wherever we can, have a dedicated networking lounge. We will no longer be running concurrent sessions, we will concentrate the programme on plenary and workshop

sessions running only one at time. Delegates have told us that planning networking around multiple session choices leaves them feeling spread too thin.

We will make more efforts to introduce Newcomers to seasoned EuRA Conference delegates by having a specifically coloured lanyard and encourage people to identify and reach out to newbies.

We have been asked many times about how the Gala Dinner works and no, we will not be re-introducing a table plan, the event will remain free-seating. However the reality of 750 delegates does mean that in some venues we will have to split the dinner into two rooms. What we won’t do again is split it between two buildings as this caused massive FOMO for delegates and an unseemly crush in Dublin to be in the bigger ballroom. The alcohol service at dinners and parties is fully included while seated and in some places, an after dinner bar can be provided at no cost. But in other places such as Dublin, which was extremely expensive, this was not possible so the after dinner bars were on a paid basis. This will be the norm going forward as we can see already that costs for the next two conferences are at least 20% higher than pre-Covid and we do not want to raise prices.

The debates we have around the boardroom table on where to locate the conference always take into account the desire for us all to be somewhere sunny and warm and we hope that will be the case in Vilamoura. But again, the decision must be venue specific and when we find a great venue with the space for 750 people to be able to network effectively, then this does become the driver for where we will be. This is of course along with a myriad of other considerations such as and not limited to, the desirability of the place itself, transport links, party and dinner venues, new locations,

hotels and not big congress centres, hotels with a big bar and networking areas, the quality of the hotel and staff team, the logistics of enough meeting rooms for sponsor meetings and a hall large enough for plenary sessions, networking lounges and of course crucially, price. We have excluded many many great cities on the basis of costs, one in particular where the only venue large enough was literally double what we paid in Dublin both for delegate rates and rooms. You can work out where we will be unlikely to go if we keep delegate prices at €700!

We held a briefing to outline the changes at the start of June and it’s available on our YouTube channel.

The most important thing for our brilliant members to do is BOOK EARLY! The bookings will open on Monday, September 25th. If we have a waitlist, we will refund your place if you realise you can’t make it at the last minute, so get that booking secured, get your hotel room booked and join us in fabulous Portugal for EuRA by the sea 2024!

Dublin Picture Gallery

Thank you to the 750 members and friends who joined us in Dublin for this year’s conference. Looking forward to Vilamoura 2024!

Dublin Picture Gallery

Dublins Session - Posted Workers

By Sophy King, Envoy Global

The Posted Worker Alliance was delighted to have the opportunity to present to the EuRA members in Dublin 2023. We were blown away by how many people filled the room for our session, and impressed with the engaging and interested questions our audience asked.

Our panel comprised Posted Worker Alliance founder members Johanna Lennartson (Sweden; Nim.Mersion), Caroline Treuillard (France; Mobility Compliance); Jordi Roca (Spain; GD Global Mobility), Nihat Kurt (Netherlands; Expat Management Group) and Andreea Gheorge (Romania, Nestlers Group), and was moderated by Sophy King (UK, Envoy Global).

We looked at the varied and diverse aspects of posted worker compliance, namely:

1. What is a posted worker? Caroline started us off by discussing when a simple trip within the EU can actually be defined as a “posting” and therefore require action in order to be compliant

2. How do posted workers fit into the relocation world? Johanna talked about the relocation aspects of posted workers, including accommodation search, allowances, and more

3. Employment aspects –Jordi looked at employment law and social security considerations of posted workers, including how “equal pay for equal work” should be applied in practice

4. Nihat led an engaging discussion about immigration compliance, both for non-EU nationals and EU nationals, and how to avoid falling accidental noncompliance

5. Tax! Andreea magically helped us to understand the tax requirements associated with the posting of workers

in the EU, and even made it sound quite simple

We also discussed, in general, the opportunities that posted worker compliance can offer professional service providers our industry : too often, this crucial compliance issue is overlooked; as global mobility professionals, whether we are tax, immigration, employment specialists or not, we have the ability to see and to flag potential compliance problems, and to connect our clients with the professional support they need to avoid the very real financial penalties that otherwise may ensue.

We could have spent a whole day examining each of these concepts in much more detail, but sadly only had an hour or so at our disposal. The Posted Worker Alliance remains available and interested to support EuRA members!

Dublin Session - Assignment Types and Changes

By Dima Lorenz, VP Account Management, Dwellworks APAC

The global mobility industry responds to the complex and changing needs of the business world. At the EuRA Conference in Dublin, I had the honor of sharing some of my observations from an APAC perspective on a panel alongside two of my favourite industry colleagues, Remco Rehberg, Managing Director of Professional Organizing Relocation Consult in Germany, and Jennifer Elsby, Client Services Manager of WHR based in Switzerland.

In APAC, we are observing a desire for more individual, flexible mobility policies as the region emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and is dealing with an ever-changing geopolitical landscape. Employees want to balance work, personal time and security by seeking shorterterm assignments or commuting to one location but living in another.

Singapore is a good example where assignees continue to choose to live and work (despite the increase in rental) but have increased their commute within the region. Similar seems to take place in Greater China, where many assignees voice a preference to reside in Hong Kong, but commute extensively to the Mainland. Another trend: the expat base overall has grown

smaller in many key locations, and we are seeing significant growth in short-term assignments and business travel.

In Germany, companies are also watching trends. Remco shared the following statistic: in 2016, 75% of moves of key clients were long term assignments, in 2022, 75% were local international moves. This points to the trend of corporations shifting away from sending executive talent on global long-term assignments and instead inviting up-and-coming local talent from multiple locations to Germany to absorb the company culture at headquarters. This change in policy and practice saves money while building a stronger, more connected organization.

From a global mobility program design and RMC perspective, Jennifer Elsby explained that DEI is guiding assignment types overall. With the intention to be more inclusive comes the desire, often from more junior employees, to make selfnominated moves to global locations. They are interested in learning and growth and willing to move where the opportunity is. Jenny noted there are typically limited ‘core

flex’ benefits for these international rotations. This means employers and RMCs must guide employees to the best use of available benefits and remind them that no policy allows them to ‘opt out’ of tax and legal compliance. Jenny also noted an accelerated pace in the authorization-to-arrival cycle, thus an increased need for early expert guidance.

Each point made by the panel shows that Destination Services Providers must be more agile than ever. By addressing how assignment policies can align with personal interests, employees are more likely to be retained. As Jenny noted for all of us, this can only be done if global mobility leaders, RMCs, and local consultants work together for the best solutions.

• Remco Rehberg, Professional Organising

• Jennifer Elsby, WHR

• Dima Lorenz, Dwellworks APAC

Watch the session on our YouTube Channel

Dublin Session - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – Being a Valued Player in the Talent Mobility Ecosystem

By Susan Ginsberg, Founder/Managing Principal at SRG ADVISORY

Becky Woods, Senior Director, Global Mobility at ADP; Karen Rehn, Director, Consulting Solutions at Equus Software and Susan Ginsberg, Founder/Managing Principal at SRG ADVISORY led an interactive session that weaved together EuRA’s new mission, “Collaboration, Inspiration, Education, and Joy,” as shared by EuRA President, Alistair Murray. The session objectives were:

• Attracting, influencing, and retaining the interest of HR/Mobility decision-makers

• Maintaining service providers’ hardearned trust and credibility with their corporate clients

• Being a consultative part of a client’s supply chain

The speakers talked about unconventional thinking as critical to adapting to changing expectations of mobility partnerships.

Transformational work and digitized environments play key roles in how partnerships change. All the attendees agreed that digitization plays a role in their business processes and represents what their clients and customers expect from them in service delivery.

Becky and Karen highlighted the speed of change and shifting business priorities. The shift encompasses the demand for work flexibility to attract and retain talent which strengthens the adaptability of a company to operate sustainably. Employees’ increasing demands include enhanced collaboration and broader workplace benefits which support their well-being. As such, Global Mobility professionals must navigate the turbulence and change sparked by employee expectations and anticipate new ways in which work is performed.

At the same time, mobility teams are being asked to do more with less: smaller budgets, fewer people on their teams. Human Resources and Mobility leaders are being asked to find more flexible ways of doing business. Becky commented that, “The role of mobility is expanding. They are having to support assignments and permanent transfers, plus business traveler and remote worker compliance.” Karen added that, “Our corporate clients are being asked to handle complianceonly immigration case for foreign local hires.”

The three panelists introduced the emergence of provider ecosystems. An ecosystem in business is the network of organizations – including suppliers, customers, competitors, and corporates – that is involved in the delivery of a specific service. That service is delivered through collaboration, cooperation, and competition. To be successful and deliver meaningful outcomes, the ecosystem needs to constantly evolve – flexibility and agility are key to thriving. Ecosystems in mobility are becoming more prevalent and rely on cooperation across all providers. Karen added that, “This cooperation fuels the need for access to data and real-time information updates to drive efficiency and an enhanced customer experience.”

Becky talked about her core service providers as trusted advisors. From her point of view, being a trusted thought leader means, “Identifying trends and proactively recommending them, sharing relevant data in a timely manner and anticipating a client’s needs before being asked.”

The speakers clarified how to get started being a valued player in the Talent Mobility ecosystem:

1. Assess the current state of your business and adopt digital tools with purpose. Establish strategic partnerships and be a trusted partner.

2. Explore whether your operating model is flexible and responsive.

3. Get aligned with your clients’ purpose. Find the right balance for the delivery of the human touch with technology.

4. Fully engage in the ecosystem, including sustainability and corporate social governance.

The speakers believe that by implementing these action steps, all the players in the Talent Mobility ecosystem can help bring the industry to the talent table.

Susan concluded the session by reminding the attendees that, “By opening the aperture and doing business unconventionally beyond industry boundaries, we will all be more adept at fulfilling client and customer needs. We can create more value than what each of us can achieve alone.”

Watch the Session on our YouTube Channel

Dublin Session - Talent Management

By Anne Robert, Executive Relocations

With Aakanksha Bhargava, CEO of P.M. Relocations Pvt Ltd, Misty Gregarek, President & COO of National Corporate Housing, and David Gilmartin, Head of Operations at Packimpex Ireland Ltd., we explored the Essential Need to Know for Mobility Providers of Talent Management.

A highly dynamic session showcasing different service lines, cultures, company sizes, and initiatives. Such topics as leveraging benefits to enhance team loyalty, pro-active incentives for work-life balance, DE&I policies as a talent retention metric, initiatives for creating a sense of purpose and belonging, geographical flexibility, and overall company culture buy-in were discussed at length.

We were delighted to hear of each company’s initiatives, fun facts, and original twists on each subject.

For example, Aakanksha shared of dancing celebrations & events in her organization, as well as a close accessibility with her team, at all levels of the organization. This is not a small feat for a 700team member organization. Misty shared in National Corporate Housing’s initiatives such as the implementation of a Chief Wellness Officer to ensure the team is well cared for and energized for the busy season ahead. With the possibility of being able to bring the teams

together once again through team building events, the team’s cohesion has never been stronger.

David’s perspective expanded on how Packimpex manage their various European offices for a resilient team management culture, made up of unity and a common goal : ensuring a successful service experience. This includes team building events, but also leadership visits to the various country offices bringing everyone’s cultural backgrounds together.

Dublin Session - Immigration, The Voice of the Experts

Session participants: Anastasia Malikova, Audrey Lustgarten, Sarrah Sammoon, Tom Marsom, Ana Garicano Sole

SUMMARY

The goal of the session was to provide an update on news in the expert’s jurisdictions and discuss about two key points: best practices and IT impact on immigration process management.

- The experts and moderator represented not only key jurisdictions for immigration practitioners (USA, Canada, EU and Asia) but also the different types of providers managing the Global Mobility Practice: boutique law firms, multidisciplinary firm and Global immigration and Relocation Firms.

- In terms of news regarding the jurisdictions, the experts highlighted the following points:

USA – Pandemic backlogs unfortunately continue in the US, together with a political climate that is not terribly pro-immigrant. The big news currently is the oversubscription of the H-1B work visa category. The government employs a lottery system to select

applicants whose H-1B applications will be processed. This year the government reports that 780,884 applications were received for just 85,000 quota slots. This is an increase of more than 60% over the prior year, likely due to the fact that applicants figured out how to submit multiple applications, even though this is not supposed to be allowed. The bottom line is that although there are some alternatives to the H-1B for work visas, employers in the US still struggle to access the immigrant talent that they need in a timely manner.

Canada – Post-pandemic some delays persist in in-country immigration adjudications but most consular backlogs have cleared. However, many government workers have recently gone on strike, so there are concerns that the backlogs may return if the strike continues for a significant amount of time. In substantive news, the government now requires that many types of foreign workers have employment contracts with their Canadian employers, which can be difficult for those who seek Canadian work permits for intermittent and/or client site work. Finally, in a welcome move the government has recently expanded post graduate work permits to allow many graduates to work in

Canada without sponsorship for longer.

UK. - Since the end of Freedom of Movement between the UK and the EU from 1 January 2021, the UK has greatly expanded the number of roles which are eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa. New routes were introduced for those looking to open new business in the UK and for existing business to expand into the UK. All routes were streamlined to reduce the amount of documentation required and to speed up processes.

However, the Investor route was closed in February 2023 and the UK government is tightening the rules on which family members can come to the UK – particularly for Student Visa holders. The UK remains a relatively quick and certain jurisdiction with greater emphasis on using digital technology to apply for and receive visas, but fees remain high.

Germany

The new immigration bill that is currently being discussed in the German Bundestag, was a proposed bill aimed at attracting international talent to Germany at the time of this year’s conference. The bill essentially opens an immigration route to Germany to a larger pool of individuals. Some of the most prominent points in it include: 1) lowering of the

‘Immigration - The Voice of the Experts’

minimal salary threshold for the Blue Card EU residence permit type (one of the most advantageous ones), 2) introduction of a job seeker residence permit type based on a points-system, 3) shortening the eligibility period for permanent residence permit and, finally, 4) potentially allowing applicants to keep their original citizenship after having been granted a German one. Further steps to digitalise and streamline the immigration process in Germany are planned. Persistent issues with backlogs on the side of immigration offices all over the country, paired with, in some cases, insufficient number of workers at immigration offices in Germany to deal with the sheer number of applications create challenges for applicants who are forced to wait for their residence permit application to come through for weeks or months. The proposed bill, however, conveys the government’s understanding that Germany does need foreign workers and that the country should future-prove its immigration strategy to become an even more attractive destination for international talent.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a strategically located island nation in the Indian Ocean, with a population of 22 million people. The country is currently undergoing a major development project, the Colombo Port City, which is being built by China. The Colombo Port City is a $1.4 billion project that is expected to be completed in 2025. The port city

will be a special economic zone, which means that it will have its own set of regulations and tax laws. The port city is expected to create 800,000 jobs. The visa changes that Sri Lanka has made are part of a larger effort to attract foreign investment and talent. In addition to the Colombo Port City project, Sri Lanka has also recently made changes to its visa policy. The country has now started issuing longer-term visas, from 2 to 5 to 10 years, for certain categories of professionals. This is a significant change from the previous policy, which only allowed for 1-year residence visas. While Sri Lanka does not currently have a digital nomad visa, there are other visa categories that may meet the requirements of digital nomads. For example, the Investor Category visa allows for a stay of up to 5 years, and the Business Representative visa allows for a stay of up to 2 years. And even the tourist visa has options.

Spain

The new regulation for digital nomads and family dependents visas and permits through fast track and flexible requisites together with the modification of the Immigration Act with stronger benefits for freelancers’ initial applications, foreign students facilitating their access to right to work, simplified and faster process related to the Labor Market Test, and longer duration of renewed work permits, 4 years instead of two, as well as the right to work as employee but also as freelancer.

Regarding best practices in global immigration management, Audrey gave key tips about clients’ needs from vendors and best practices for managing vendors successfully. She highlighted the importance of the communication, trust, and proactivity.

Sarrah, from her side, highlighted the importance of the Immigration Due Diligence Profile for all corporate assignees that should take into account the Rankings of passport, and immigration history both at recruitment point and applications preparation process. Sarrah and Audrey, both agreed that clients expect a holistic approach to manage the international mobility process. They expect to receive advice not only about immigration, but also on other legal aspects linked to the international mobility process: social security tax, employment matters.

In connection with the increase of IT tools use in immigration process, Tom explained how are governments and commercial organisations using digital technology as part of the immigration process and its impact. Anastasia went through the trends and challenges in this field in Germany.

All participants felt that it is required to have in place an agile and less burdensome regulation involving procedures and digital tools.

Watch the Session on our YouTube Channel

Dublin Session - Multicultural teams, Mergers and Acquisitions and the importance of Intercultural skills

By Andrew Scott, Dwellworks

For those who were fortunate enough to attend this session, I am sure they would agree it was a fact packed and at times amusing look at how our panellists Isabelle Prémont (Anywr), Alex Neale (Silverdoor) have navigated their way through both differing international and corporate cultures, following recent acquisitions and mergers as part of their organizations strategic growth plans. We were also fortunate to have Cheryl Obal (Cheryl Obal & Associates) on the panel who is a seasoned intercultural expert and well known trainer. Cheryl shared some of her experiences from when she has been involved in an advisory capacity to organizations who had either recently gone through a merger/acquisition or where about to, she also provided some great hints and tips on what to look out.

The main focus of the session was to demonstrate how important cultural awareness

is when acquiring or merging businesses, and how often it gets overlooked as the focus

tends to be on the strategic/ financial benefits of such a transaction. Having been fortunate myself to be involved with several acquisitions, one actually being the acquisition of an intercultural training business, I learnt very quickly how the future success of any such transaction is critically dependant on genuine corporate culture awareness as well as understanding those key national cultural differences that can play a major factor in a transition and future shape of an organization.

This subject matter and the engagement of the audience was such that the session could have probably run for

several hours, and the audiences open interaction was great to see and provided further insights, ideas, thoughts and anecdotes, which has become very much synonymous with a EuRA conference session. Finally, many thanks to Isabelle, Cheryl and Alex for taking the time to be part of this session and their willingness to be open and transparent with their experiences.

I very much hope this subject matter will get further airtime at conference and wish all those companies who will be involved in a merger or acquisition before we all meet again in Vilamoura every success.

Kindest regards

Andrew Scott Dwellworks

Dublin Sessions - Direct Client Symposium & Direct Client Break Out

By Sophie Rehberg Professional Organizing Relocation Consult & Simon Robins TTH Curzon

As part of the conference, the topic of working with Direct Clients was revisited. Both a Symposium and a Break Out session were centred around this theme. The Symposium was attended by 80 delegates and was one of the first EuRA Sessions to involve an external speaker. The Business Development Specialist Noel Dillon was hired to provide practical insights to the group and discuss options in B2B sales. The expert panel was set up with a range of DSP providers from different regions interacted with the audience in a workshop type setting. The final part of the day was a Q&A with a corporate attendee, which added a lot of detail and insight to the Symposium for the attendees. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive which was great as it was the first time the combination of a panel, expert speaker and corporate was tried in this format.

While the Symposium was focused on Business Development, the Break Out Session was focused more on the operational aspects of working with Direct Clients and the differences there are in working with Direct Clients in the different parts of the world. The panel consisted of four industry experts from India, South America, Ireland and the Czech Republic. It was very interesting to examine that working with Direct Clients is fundamentally different in the EU in comparison to other countries. Along with payment terms and negotiations, RFP Processes and operational onboarding were discussed. The panel touched topics with differentiating opinions which added an educational angle to the presentation.

The session was attended by a large audience which does represent that this topic is growing in interest to the larger audience and attendees of the conference.

Sophie Rehberg and Simon Robins are grateful for the support, enthusiasm and expert knowledge from our two panels.

Symposium – Simi Sujith, Martina Meinhold, Marco Previero, Michael Deane, Ben Jones & Noel Dillon

Break Out Session – Diego

Enriquez, Brian Kelly, Dana Pick & Renold Varghese

Watch the Session on our YouTube Channel

Dublin Session - Sustainability – Who Cares?

By Isabel Cudell, Founder & Director Moving-On & EuRA Vice-President

EuRA’s first Sustainability Symposium at the Dublin conference was a successful initiative aiming at helping our members in their first steps towards implementing sustainable business practices.

The expert panel, with presentations from Magali Hobert, Rene Stegmann, Becky Woods and Ben Ivorymoderated by Johannes de Kam – helped participants look into the principles of sustainable development.

Sustainability “seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future”, as stated in Our Common Future Report.

ESG is for Environment - the carbon footprint we leave; Social – caring for people’s progress - and Governance –promoting healthy economic growth. Even if this general concept is widely accepted as an alarming subject, service companies are still at a very early stage of endorsement and implementation.

Participants of the Symposium were given the exercise of a Materiality Assessment – which is essentially a risk assessment of ESG driven impacts, designed to help companies identify and understand the relative importance of specific

sustainability topics for their business.

Why is this important for the Global Mobility Industry?

Today, there are approximately 30 ways on reporting on sustainability and over 100 ESG rating agencies – so our industry soon acted upon the need to agree on common parameters that will ensure we share common terminology, ratings, standards and norms.

In September 2022, six leading employee mobility associations from around the world launched a global effort to ensure the industry is playing its part on environmental sustainability with a roadmap and common actions.

The Coalition for Greener Mobility’s charter – whose leaders’ Dublin session is available in EuRA’s Youtubesets the objectives to

• Promote a common understanding of good practices and actions to improve sustainable outcomes across the mobility industry

• Facilitate learning, collaboration, and improved ESG practices in the management of global mobility

• Provide the mobility community

with the tools to help improve transparency on environmental sustainability

• Facilitate meaningful measurements that track and report on environmental sustainability progress The symposium was wellreceived by participants, with many indicating they would appreciate further initiatives and training towards the learning and implementation journey of corporate sustainability – and survival of their business.

This is why EuRA will be soon announcing a series of further training sessions that will address several areas that are core to developing sustainable businesses, including environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and building a company culture and strategy to sustain such efforts. Your experience, contribution and expertise is crucial to the project and Dublin’s symposium was hopefully a great kick-off to our call for action!

Dublin Session - Working with RMC’s

By Alistair Murray, COO Packimpex & EuRA President

This year we decided to stick with the same format as the previous year and have a panel comprised of three RMC representatives (Daniel Danko – Altair, Fiona Redford – Cartus and Jason Parry – Sirva) and three DSP representatives from markets that have faced some interesting challenges over the past twelve months (Markus Demuth – Blue Relocation, Germany, Frank Morley –Corporate Care, Ireland and Raman Narula – Formula Group, India).

The objective of this session also remains the same – to discuss the relationship that RMCs and DSPs experience, to look for ways of improving and to leave the room with some ideas to take back to the office for how we can all work more collaboratively for everyone’s benefit.

We began by asking everyone to give an idea of the current activities levels they are experiencing, and there was definitely a theme. Last year was the busiest anyone had experience for a very long time but there remains some uncertainly in 2023. The panel agreed that there had been a slower start to the year but there was no shortage of optimism that

volume would rebound by Q4.

In such an unpredictable and volatile market right now, the

panel discussed how they really add value to their clients. The message was clear – take a consultative approach with clients and spend the time analysing data, benchmarking policies and allowance, and coach them on real word, tangible examples of what is currently happening in the market. This is only possible when DSPs share their experiences and discuss their interpretation of the scope of work based on what is currently realistic to deliver. This has to be done quickly, consistently and in a format that is easy to digest and share.

It was also interesting to learn how the panel felt now we have not only come through the pandemic but also experienced all of that much talked about “pent up

demand” in 2022 when volumes soared, and activity levels almost reached breaking point. Frank Morley mentioned that during such a busy time last year, the RMC-DSP relationship improved considerably almost out of necessity. Everyone had to take the time to listen to each other to fully understand what was actually possible and how it was going to be achieved. This led to a greater level of trust and understanding.

And of course, we talked about technology. There’s always a sense of frustration that we aren’t making progress quickly enough but we still all agreed we are making small steps in the right direction. Some RMCs have a fully-functional API with some of their network –the next challenge is to have as many providers as possible enjoy the benefits that we have spoken about for so long. Added to that, it was agreed we must discuss the opportunities and threats to our industry of Artificial Intelligence, and this will form the centre point of our workshop discussion in Vilamoura.

IGNITE 2023!!

Michèle Bramstoft

CEO Copenhagen Relocations

According to consistent conference feedback over the last 7 years, the Ignite session has a special place in the hearts of our EuRA members!!

At my very last EuRA Executive Group meeting [in Brussels � � ], we reviewed the general 2023 conference survey as well as the individual session surveys. Ignite came up a winner - again!!

But let me tell you that taking the Ignite challenge is tough. It pushes your presentation skills to their limit!! Just ask a former ‘Igniter’ about how challenging Ignite really is. To refresh your memories, here are the basics:

IGNITE is a presentation style. It requires 20 slides in PowerPoint. Each slide automatically advances every 15 seconds. That equals 5 magical minutes of grabbing audience attention and holding it hostage!! Letting go of the control of the slides is only one of the challenging aspects of Ignite. This year’s Ignite line up did a jubilantly jazzy job presenting subjects that are close to their hearts.

The following is a short summary of our speakers and their topics.

Imagine the average marriage age of 16. Imagine an arranged marriage. Now imagine our 1st Intrepid Ignite presenter dressed in a strikingly colourful wedding sari. Preeti

Roongta, Owner/Director @ Lexagent – India, gave new meaning to “4350” years of marriage. Regaling the EuRA audience with personal wedding tales and cleverly clarifying how she successfully straddled the traditional Indian ways. What are the 3 key reasons why Indian Weddings have transformed and given way to ‘an ocean of opportunity’? Preeti postulates that gender equality, freedom of choice and the advent of technology are the main drivers that have transformed Indian weddings and marriages.

Is failure the key to innovation? The CEO of Packimpex, Damian Aebisher, thinks so. He proves his theory with solid stories, decisive data, & a proper personal plunder. Damian advocates taking risks. If failure is the result, then fail fast, learn from it and move forward. He encourages us to create a company culture where failure is celebrated. That requires leading by example, staying open minded, and daring to fail. These elements are instrumental to innovation. Damien concluded his presentation by challenging us to go home & fail!! He would love to hear about how you celebrated it!!

Jane Riley, Gen. Manager at Grace Corporate Services Australia, created lively, yet laid back images in our minds of her adoptive home. We came to understand more about Jane’s adventures ‘Down Under’ when she did a ‘kangaroo hop’ onto the EuRA stage!! In her presentation entitled: Far Far Away, Jane shared the ‘S’ things, the Helen Keller quote

she lives by: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” and great learnings to inspire the audience to come visit her!! Christmas ‘barbie’ on the beach, anyone?

Is it ever too late to change directions? Altair Global's VP of Finance & Destination Services, Simon Scott, explains his views on the subject. In his presentation about CHANGE, Simon looks at the ‘great resignation’ post Covid as a way to adapt to change. He compared it to his conscious decision to change jobs some 16 odd years ago. Simon gave numerous examples of famous personalities that had successful career moves later in life. Life forces us to change constantly. In order to become stronger and weather change, it’s necessary to adjust your sails and make conscious decisions to help affect change.

What does the acronym SEN stand for? Our 5th intrepid Ignite presenter shared her 1st hand knowledge on the subject of Special Education Needs. The Director Corporate Client Relations EMEA, Samantha Davidson, at Bennet International let the EuRA Ignite light shine on ‘Learning Needs’. Explaining that SEN is a challenging, stigmatized subject, and how she struggled upon repatriation to navigate England’s school labyrinth. There were concrete examples of actions to take to be more inclusive. Often international schools lack resources to support children with SEN. The true light was on Samantha’s upcoming university graduate, and SEN child, her daughter, Ella.

Do U manage work & life balance w/out guilt? The Director of Global Client Solutions @ IOR Diana Melbourne, admitted her struggle as working mom to a 2 year old –with another ‘bun in the oven’ [translation: baby #2 due in Aug.!!]. Tips were shared explaining how to overcome the working parent ‘guilt trap’ in her presentation entitled: Mom Guilt. Focusing on the positive is key

among other things like remembering to give yourself grace. When all else fails – day drink!!

The VPE of Strategic Solutions at Owl is good at noticing unexpected cultural twists. For example, does a pint of Guinness taste different in Ireland than it does in the States? In her presentation entitled: Adapting 2 Cultural Differences, Kim Krollman, looks at her 30 some years as a Brit in the USA. How smell, taste, sight & touch play a strong role in our cultural journeys. Stay open minded, embrace the differences and take Cross Cultural Training if it is offered is Kim’s advice!!

Our last intrepid Ignite speaker to take the EuRA stage was BiCortex Languages & Translations CEO, Inigo Lopez. Authenticity was at the heart of this presentation as Inigo described the gestation and eventual birth of their first CSR policy. The journey in ‘The Camper Car’ was long, emotional & overwhelmingly rewarding. It challenged, it changed, it inspired Inigo as well as everyone on the trip. What a ride!!

Thank you to those that attended our Ignite session.

Thank you to those that took the time to evaluate the session.

Thank you to those who are planning to step out of your comfort zone in Vilamoura by taking the Ignite Challenge!! Look for the session submission EuRA email towards the end of September.

You can watch the Ignite sessions on our YouTube Channel

How I became an IGNITER

By Inigo Lopez, CEO – BiCortex Languages & Translations

For those who don’t know what an Ignite presentation is, please read this carefully: an Ignite presentation is an activity in which each presenter has exactly five minutes to present on the basis of 20 slides that move automatically every 15 seconds.

The biggest challenge is to mention the right things to match each slide. If you speak too fast, you may have an uncomfortable silence while you wait for your next slide to come. If you speak too slow, the next slide will appear, and what you are saying won’t have anything to do with the slide. It is indeed a challenge. The perfect recipe for putting yourself out of your comfort zone.

CHOOSING THE SUBJECT

The Ignite session has always been my favorite one of the EuRA conference. I decided I was going to give it a try at the recent EuRA conference in Dublin. The first challenge was to decide the subject of my Ignite session. Speakers at past conferences usually spoke about something related to work or to our industry, about how to improve doing business, about their life or a personal situation. I could have easily chosen a subject that brings together both my work and my personal life, that was fun and easy for me to present: my “holiwork” trips with my family

in a campervan. However, as this was about getting out of my comfort zone, I pushed that to the limit, and I decided to speak about something that is not easy at all and in fact very emotional for me: my trip to the Ukrainian border to support Ukrainians.

WAS I GOING TO CRY DURING MY PRESENTATION?

Preparing my slides and my speech was hard. I had to go deep in my mind to get the memories of that 2022 trip. I had to check all the pictures of the trip, and select the ones that I wanted to use for the session. Every time I worked on this, I ended up in tears. Was I going to be able to actually deliver the presentation without being an emotional wreck? What might happen if I cried during the presentation? I asked these questions to myself, and also to

Michele Bramstoft and Peggy Love, who were very kind and professional in their guidance of me during the whole process. The good thing about Ignite is that you have to prepare it very well, and you have to rehearse many times. That means that my speech became less and less natural, and I knew it by heart. I was going to be fine. No chances of crying during the presentation.

Michele organised a rehearsal during the conference that took place the day before the session, and included all eight of the Igniters. Honestly, I did it perfectly, if I may say so myself! No mistakes, no shaking and no crying.

THE WORST WAS STILL TO COME

Then the REAL Ignite session took place. I was very confident. I started the presentation

How I became an IGNITER - cont’d

By Inigo Lopez, CEO – BiCortex Languages & Translations

without hesitation. Everything was going well, until I got to the first slide that spoke about Ukraine. Then my mind went blank. I didn’t remember anything about my speech. Nothing. Zilch. Silence. Hundreds of people in the room. More silence. It felt as if that silence went on for hours, but it was probably about 10 seconds. Finally, I started to speak again, even if it included things that were not part of my original speech. Eventually, I managed to get back to my speech and finish the presentation.

If you managed to read till here without getting bored, you are probably now eager to go back to your EuRA emails to watch the session. You must be curious to see me in a shaky situation. I will make your life easier. You can watch the entire session here (and if you smiled at this paragraph, writing this article was worth it to me).

All the Igniters are there. I recommend you watch the whole video, not just my tenseconds-of-silence part.

At Bicortex, we didn’t stop supporting Ukrainians when my trip came to an end. We provide free online Spanish lessons for Ukrainian refugees. We’ve been doing this since April 2022, and we have taught more than 700 hours so far. At

the moment, we are a little bit desperate to get some funds to continue this project, as the cost is quite high of a company of our size. If you wish to support our cause, feel free to donate here

Inigo Lopez CEO – BiCortex Languages & Translations

All Things Legal … July 2023 Gordon Kerr

everyone who got involved and came up with so many great questions.

Are you worried – or excited - about ChatGPT? It has the potential to become the next big thing in legal advice (and relocation support?), but I’ve come across an American court case that shows just how badly things can go wrong if you place too much faith in this technology!

If there is a particular legal topic that you would like me to cover in a future edition of The EuRApean, please let me know.

Mega fine for Meta!

Today I’m raising my glass in celebration of the 5th anniversary of the GDPR. It may not be universally loved, but it’s a good excuse to enjoy a glass of Glenfarclas!

One company which is definitely not celebrating the GDPR is Meta, the parent company of Facebook. It has received a 1.2 billion euros fine for GDPR violations arising from its transfers of personal data from Ireland to the US. I explain below why this judgement should be of interest to RMCs, but it is unlikely to cause any immediate headaches for our industry.

Apart from a GDPR update, I’m also picking up on some of the issues that came up in my two legal clinics at the recent conference in Dublin. These clinics are a great opportunity for me to learn about the legal issues which are causing most concern for EuRA members. Thanks to

Meta, the owner of Facebook, has been fined a record €1.2 billion for breaching EU data privacy rules, and given a six-month deadline to stop transferring data to the United States. EU courts ruled that Meta had violated GDPR rules when it moved the personal data of European Facebook users to the US, where it is hosted, without protecting them sufficiently from American data surveillance practices. The fine is the biggest issued for a breach of GDPR rules.

The previous highest fine was €746 million issued to Amazon in 2021.

The ruling raises yet again the

question of how companies in the EU can transfer data to the US in compliance with European law. Like most organisations, including many relocation companies, Facebook has relied on EU Standard

Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as the legal basis for transferring personal data to the US. This latest EU ruling raises doubts about how safe it is to rely on SCCs.

One lawyer has described the situation as a “doom loop”, because the standard seemingly cannot be met by anyone. A proposed new EU-US Privacy Framework, which should resolve the problem of transatlantic data transfers, is currently bogged down in EU bureaucracy.

The consolation for RMCs and others currently relying on SCCs is that the decision and fine are specific to Facebook’s particular data gathering. Despite all the protective measures which Meta put in place, including SCCs, the court ultimately found that those measures could not compensate for the “inadequate” legal protections when personal data is processed in the United States. In particular, the court highlighted legal powers contained in an American law known as FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) which can compel Meta to share personal data with US security agencies.

In essence, the view of the court was that internet platforms which fall under FISA legislation are unlikely to be able to comply with the strict GDPR requirements on international data transfers. Meta plans to appeal but, whatever the final outcome, the case stresses the need for the proposed new EU-US Privacy Framework to become a reality as soon as possible. In the meantime, relocation companies should continue to rely on SCCs for their EU to US data transfers – even with these latest question marks over their effectiveness.

Can you rely on ChatGPT?

When the ChatGPT bot was launched last year, lawyers and other professional advisers were warned that it could soon take over large parts

of the legal profession and start drafting documents.

Now a lawyer who used it to carry out research has had to apologise to a judge after compiling a brief full of case law that the bot had supplied. Unfortunately – for the lawyer and his client – the cases did not exist. They were a figment of the bot’s “imagination”!

Steven Schwartz, a New York lawyer, had been hired by Roberto Mata, who alleged he had suffered “crippling” injuries on board an airliner in 2019 when a metal trolley struck his knee. Schwartz consulted ChatGPT to help with his legal research. Big mistake! The bot supplied several cases that looked relevant, including Varghese v China Southern Airlines Co Ltd, from 2019. Lawyers for the airline complained that they could not find the cited cases. Schwartz submitted eight further documents detailing lawsuits against airlines. However, according to Judge P Kevin Castel, “Six of the submitted documents appear to be bogus decisions with bogus quotes and bogus citations.”

At this point our shellshocked lawyer was required to submit a transcript of his conversation with the chatbot. It’s clear that he harboured some doubts about his robotic assistant:

“Is Varghese a real case,” he asked the bot. “Yes,” it replied.

“What is your source,” he asked. The bot said that “upon double-checking, I found that the case Varghese v South China Airlines . . . does indeed exist.”

“Are the other cases you provided fake,” the lawyer continued.

“No, the other cases I provided are real and can be found in reputable legal databases,” it said. They were not. Steven Schwartz has now been summoned to appear in court to defend

himself against violations including “citation of non-existent cases”.

The moral of the story: do not believe everything you are told by a chatbot!

Happy 5th Birthday to the GDPR!

A recent comment in The Times newspaper summed up the view of many European businesses:

“Four letters have over the past five years become the dream excuse for countless bureaucrats to say “no” to what used to be perfectly legitimate requests for information. Those letters are GDPR and they stand for the prosaic label “General Data Protection Regulation” — an EU rule implemented in 2018 by Brussels. The legislation has a laudable aim — protecting individuals’ personal data from abuse by governments and private corporations. But few people at the coalface of daily life — including many lawyers — seem to understand the provisions. Therefore, those petty functionaries wheel it out as a way of avoiding work and having another cup of tea”

A cynical view perhaps, but there is no doubt that the absence of detailed guidance in certain areas of the legislation leads many organisations, across all business sectors, to feel overwhelmed and criticise the GDPR for being unnecessarily bureaucratic. Despite that confusion, the legislation is making an impact. Last month, the EU’s Court of Justice ruled in a case involving the Austrian

post office. Officials in Vienna had used an algorithm to define “target group addresses” that were based on selected sociodemographic features — and then sold that data to organisations engaged in political advertising.

The case involved a claim for compensation for breach of the data protection rules and the landmark decision is likely to significantly increase data privacy litigation across the EU. This is because the Luxembourg court ruled that the right to compensation is not limited to damage that reaches a certain threshold of seriousness. Effectively, the ruling lowers the requirements for compensation claims in a cyber incident scenario where thousands of individuals may be affected.

In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued 13 fines totalling about £65 million. The ICO has a policy of preferring to issue reprimands or public disclosure of companies having breached the rules. Over the past 18 months, it has named 32 organisations, 26 of which were public bodies.

A potential problem looming is that in postBrexit Britain, reform to the legislation is being proposed. The Government wants to amend the UK GDPR, which is currently similar to the EU GDPR, with the aim of cutting “red tape” for smaller businesses. But any changes could actually come at a high cost to UK businesses if the EU withdrew Britain’s “adequacy” status. This would mean that the current free flow of data between the EU and Britain would be threatened.

The other potential area of conflict between the UK and EU is Britain’s desire to give adequacy status to countries such as the US, Australia and Dubai. These countries do not have EU approval, so if the UK goes alone with approvals this could also threaten its own adequacy status with the EU. It’s complicated and a far cry from the “take back control” argument which was heard so loudly at the time of the Brexit vote.

To end on a positive note, there is no doubt that those international businesses, including

relocation firms, which have worked hard to implement the GDPR, are receiving an unexpected benefit. This arises from the fact that there is now a torrent of new data privacy laws across the world, mainly based on GDPR principles. This global trend means that the GDPR has gold-standard status and that’s likely to be a real bonus for European businesses. Something to celebrate at an otherwise muted birthday party!

Legal Chat at the Dublin Conference

This year I ran two legal clinics at the conference – one on relocation contracts and the other on data protection law. These are always a great learning experience for me, as I try to get to grips with the variety of legal issues causing most concern for EuRA members. Here are some of the topics that came up most frequently:

•Slow payment of invoices – this is a continuing problem for many relocation firms, particularly where a firm has paid out costs in advance. Wellwritten financial clauses in a contract can ensure that there is clarity on how and when payments will be made, avoiding the need for difficult conversations with a client at a later date.

• Indemnity clauses – these can trigger large liabilities which are out of proportion to the value of a contract. It all comes down to the wording of the indemnity. This should be checked carefully and, ideally, be subject to a cap on the maximum compensation payable to the client.

• Limitation of Liability and Insurance – it’s important to ensure that your financial liabilities are capped in the contract and that your insurance cover is no less than your maximum liability.

• Long contracts – we discussed the importance of building in fee increases for later years of the contract.

• Data transfers – the continuing question of how best to be compliant when sharing data with partners outside Europe.

• Document security – the practical challenges around using encryption and passwordprotection.

We had some great discussions and I’m very grateful to everyone who contributed so enthusiastically!

If you need advice on these or any other legal issues affecting your business, please feel free to contact me.

For further information on either of these new legal services, please contact me at gordonkerr@gklegal.co.uk or call +44 (0)7850 080170

New Member Focus: Hello Housing

With Hello Housing we are very proud and delighted to be a new member of the EuRA.

Hello Housing is a pro-active partner in letting of (fully) furnished housing for expats. We assist international companies in finding suitable housing for their staff. Hello Housing has an expat mindset. We see things the way expats do; we think and reason like them. Thanks to our years of experience in the top segment of the market, we can anticipate expats’ needs and wishes, and we understand your interests as an employer and those of your temporary foreign employees.

Hello Housing

offers top-quality residences in the best locations in The Hague and Rotterdam. Our staff have years of experience working with expats from all over the world and their many different cultural backgrounds. It is possible to rent a residence for a period of just one month or multiple apartments for extended periods of time.

We offer expats intensive guidance, from before their initial check-in until

their final checkout. Our quality of service is second to none and your employee will feel at home with Hello Housing. What can you expect of fully furnished apartments?

We understand that an expat doesn’t have time to spend a long time looking for the right furniture or decor. That’s why Hello Housing doesn’t just offer housing, we go further. The apartments we offer are fully furnished. An expat can move in right away. A fully furnished apartment from Hello Housing contains everything you should expect. Fully furnished is fully equipped with inventory. In addition to furniture, for example, electrical household appliances are included, such as a washing machine, a dryer, a coffee maker, an iron, a kettle, etc. Furthermore, the house is equipped with the necessary linens and a complete set of dishes.

An expat feels right at home and can use the precious energy for work and getting to know the city and its culture.

What temporary housing does Hello Housing offer?

At Hello Housing you can rent apartments for temporary periods. We make a distinction between short stay and long stay. If you are looking for a temporary apartment, then Hello

extensive experience with long and short-stay housing, specializing in expats looking for semi-furnished or furnished housing in The Netherlands.

What are the benefits of working with Hello Housing?

The benefits of using Hello Housing compared to other housing solutions are obvious: there is no risk of vacancy, no need to invest in furniture, there are no unexpected expenses, and you can save on hotel costs. Our digital renting process allows you to access our portfolio anywhere, any time and rent a residence whenever you need one.

Hello Housing

Housing already has apartments available for a period of just one month. A longer stay is also possible, some of our tenants stay in our properties for several years.

Hello Housing has a lot of experience in rental housing market

Hello Housing takes care of all your concerns regarding the housing of expats. We have years of experience and know exactly what expats need. We have been housing expats for Shell in The Hague and its surroundings for twenty years. In succession to Shell, we have also taken on the housing of expatriates for many other companies. We have

“Unlocking Opportunities: The Rising Appeal of Saudi Arabia for Companies ”

By KRISHNA Prasadd Nair , CEO & CO-Founder 6thMove relocations – Middle East

Introduction:

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has become a highly sought-after destination for businesses aiming to explore new avenues and experience growth. The country's strategic location, thriving economy, ambitious Vision 2030 initiative, rich cultural heritage, and favourable immigration policies have positioned it as an attractive hub for companies across various industries and sizes. This comprehensive article explores the reasons behind the increasing migration of companies to Saudi Arabia, the investment opportunities it presents, the cultural landscape, and the invaluable support provided by 6thMove Relocations in facilitating

seamless relocation and company setup.

Vision 2030: Pioneering a Future of Possibilities

Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 initiative is propelling the nation's

Arabia's transformative journey.

Strategic Location and Business-Friendly Environment

economic, social, and cultural diversification. This groundbreaking vision encompasses a wide range of projects and investments in sectors such as infrastructure, entertainment, tourism, education, healthcare, and technology. These initiatives not only offer opportunities for local businesses but also attract global companies aiming to be part of Saudi

Situated at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, Saudi Arabia benefits from a strategic location that provides unparalleled access to key markets. The country has established a business-friendly environment, focusing on streamlining regulations, reducing bureaucracy, and fostering entrepreneurship. This supportive ecosystem appeals to companies seeking stability and growth-oriented markets.

Thriving Economy and Investment Opportunities

Saudi Arabia's economy is experiencing rapid growth and diversification, with a

focus on sectors beyond oil and gas. The government has implemented various measures to stimulate private sector investment, including privatisation programs and the opening up of new industries. There are abundant opportunities in sectors such as energy, real estate, healthcare, technology, tourism, mining, and manufacturing, making Saudi Arabia an attractive proposition for companies looking to expand their operations.

Cultural Landscape and Business Values

Saudi Arabia's rich cultural heritage blends tradition with modernity. The Kingdom has made significant strides in promoting cultural initiatives and preserving its historical sites. The local population embraces a strong work ethic, hospitality, and a spirit of collaboration, creating a conducive environment for business partnerships and growth. Understanding and respecting Saudi Arabian culture is essential for companies operating in the

country, and it offers a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse market.

Favourable Immigration Policies

Saudi Arabia has implemented progressive immigration policies to attract foreign talent and expertise. Initiatives such as the "Privileged Iqama" and "Green Card" programs offer long-term residency options, allowing skilled professionals and investors to contribute to the country's development. These policies make it easier for companies to attract international talent, fostering innovation and diversity within their organisations.

Your Next Move with 6thMove:

When it comes to navigating the complexities of relocating to Saudi Arabia and seizing lucrative investment opportunities, 6thMove Relocations is the trusted partner businesses

can rely on. With their extensive expertise in the Saudi market, they provide comprehensive relocation services, immigration assistance, and tailored company setup solutions. From guiding companies through the visa application process to facilitating office space acquisition, ensuring legal compliance, and providing cultural orientation, 6thMove Relocations offers end-toend support. As global companies seek new avenues for growth, Saudi Arabia has emerged as an enticing destination due to its transformative Vision 2030 initiatives, cultural richness, favourable immigration policies, and abundant investment prospects. With the assistance of 6thMove Relocations, businesses can unlock the full potential of the Saudi market, positioning themselves for success in this dynamic and promising business landscape.

www.6thmove.com

Your Middle East Relocation

“Housing market rental situation in Bengaluru in India”

By Shiivani Aggarwal - Formula Group India

Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore, is a bustling city in southern India, with a booming economy and a vibrant culture. It is considered one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, with a rapidly expanding population. This growth has led to an increased demand for rental properties, and as a result, the housing market has become increasingly competitive. In this article, we will discuss the current state of the rental market in Bengaluru, the factors influencing rental prices, popular neighborhoods for renters, and the legal aspects of renting in the city.

Overview of Bengaluru's Housing Market

The real estate market in Bengaluru, much like the rest of India, has traditionally been focused on ownership. However, with more young professionals opting for renting instead of buying a home, the rental market has seen a significant surge in demand. According to a recent report by real estate consultants, the rental market in Bengaluru has experienced a 15-20% increase in demand in the last few years,

with prices following a similar upward trend.

Growth and Development of the City

Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore, is the capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka. The city has a rich history and is known for its pleasant climate, beautiful gardens, and vibrant nightlife. Over the years, Bengaluru has developed into a major economic and technological hub, earning it the nickname "Silicon Valley of India".

The city's growth and development have been attributed to its thriving IT industry, which has attracted a large number of young professionals to the city. This has led to a steady increase in demand for housing and rental properties. The development of infrastructure, including better transportation, has played a significant role in the growth of the rental market in the city.

Bengaluru is also home to several prestigious educational institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Management, and National Law School of India University. The presence of these institutions has contributed to the city's reputation as a center of excellence in education and research.

Demand for Rental Properties in Bengaluru

The demand for rental properties in Bengaluru is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, driven by the city's booming economy and young, affluent population. The influx of migrants from other parts of the country has also contributed to the demand. It is estimated that rental properties

account for around 25% of the total real estate market in the city.

The rental market in Bengaluru is diverse, with a range of options available to suit different budgets and preferences. From high-end luxury apartments to affordable studio flats, there is something for everyone in the city's rental market.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards coliving spaces in Bengaluru. These are shared living spaces that offer a range of amenities and services, including housekeeping, maintenance, and social events. Co-living spaces are particularly popular among young professionals who are new to the city and looking for a community-oriented living experience.

Overall, the rental market in Bengaluru is dynamic and evolving, with new trends and opportunities emerging all the time. Whether you are a young professional looking for a place to call home or an investor looking to tap into the city's booming real estate market, Bengaluru has something to offer.

Factors Influencing Rental Prices

Several factors influence rental prices in Bengaluru, including location and accessibility, property type and size, amenities, facilities, economic factors, and job opportunities.

Location and accessibility

Properties located in prime areas of the city, such as Indiranagar and Koramangala, are generally more expensive than those in outlying neighborhoods. This is because these areas are popular for their proximity to transportation hubs and amenities like malls and schools. For instance, Indiranagar is known for its bustling nightlife, with a range of restaurants, bars, and cafes that attract young professionals and expats. Similarly, Koramangala is home to several IT companies and startups, making it a popular choice for techies looking for a convenient location to live. However, there are also several up-and-coming neighborhoods in Bengaluru that offer affordable rental options. For example, HSR Layout and Sarjapur Road are becoming increasingly popular among young professionals and families due to their proximity to tech parks and good schools.

Property type and size

The size and type of property also play a significant role in determining rental prices. Larger properties or those with additional amenities like swimming pools and gym facilities command higher rental prices. However, it's important to note that the size of the property isn't always the only factor that determines the rental price. For instance, a small but welldesigned studio apartment in a prime location may be more expensive than a larger apartment in a less desirable area.

Amenities and facilities

The availability of amenities and facilities within a rental property also affects the price. Properties

with features like air conditioning, parking, and 24/7 security are generally more expensive than those without these amenities. However, some renters may be willing to compromise on certain amenities if the property is located in a desirable area or if the rental price is within their budget. Additionally, some rental properties offer additional facilities like a clubhouse, sports facilities, and children's play areas, which can be a major draw for families with kids.

Economic factors and job opportunities

The overall state of the economy in Bengaluru and the availability of job opportunities can also influence rental prices. A booming economy and a thriving job market can drive up rental prices, as tenants are willing to pay more for the convenience of living closer to their place of work. On the other hand, a slowdown in the job market can lead to a

Koramangala

Koramangala is one of the most upscale neighborhoods in the city, with a vibrant nightlife and a thriving food scene. The area is home to a diverse range of rental properties, from spacious villas to high-rise apartments.

One of the main attractions of Koramangala is its bustling restaurant scene. From trendy cafes to fine-dining restaurants, the area has something to suit every taste and budget. In addition, Koramangala is home to several popular shopping destinations, including malls and boutique stores.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, Koramangala has several parks and green spaces where residents can relax and unwind. One of the most popular parks in the area is the Koramangala 6th Block Park, which features a jogging track, a children's play area, and a basketball court.

Indiranagar

Indiranagar is another popular area for renters in Bengaluru, known for its tree-lined streets, bustling cafes, and trendy shops. The area is home to a mix of spacious villas and high-rise apartments, with options to suit a range of budgets.

decrease in rental prices as landlords compete for tenants.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the rental market in Bengaluru, with many tenants opting to move to more affordable areas or downsizing to smaller apartments to save on rent. As a result, landlords are having to offer more flexible rental terms and negotiate on rental prices to attract tenants.

Popular Neighborhoods for Renters

When it comes to renting in Bengaluru, certain neighborhoods are more popular than others. Below, we discuss some of the most sought-after areas for renters in the city.

One of the biggest draws of Indiranagar is its vibrant nightlife. The area is home to several popular bars and clubs, making it a great spot for young professionals and party-goers. In addition, Indiranagar is home to several cultural landmarks, including the Jagannath Temple and the Indiranagar 2nd Stage Park.

For those who enjoy shopping, Indiranagar has several boutique stores and high-end shops, as well as a popular street market that sells everything from clothes to handicrafts.

Whitefield

Whitefield is a rapidly developing area in Bengaluru, with a growing number of tech companies setting up shop in the region. The area is characterized by its modern apartment

complexes and is popular with young professionals looking for affordable yet stylish rental options.

One of the biggest advantages of living in Whitefield is its proximity to several major IT parks, including the International Tech Park and the Export Promotion Industrial Park. In addition, the area has several popular shopping destinations, including the Phoenix Marketcity mall and the Inorbit Mall.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, Whitefield has several parks and recreational areas, including the Whitefield Lake and the Brigade Metropolis Sports Complex.

HSR Layout

HSR Layout is a well-planned neighborhood located towards the south of Bengaluru. The area is popular with renters due to its close proximity to several multinational companies and its excellent connectivity to other parts of the city.

One of the biggest advantages of living in HSR Layout is its excellent transportation links. The area is well-connected to other parts of the city via buses and trains, making it easy for residents to get around. In addition, HSR Layout has several popular shopping destinations, including the HSR Layout BDA Complex and the Central Mall.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, HSR Layout has several parks and green spaces, including the HSR Layout Park and the Agara Lake. The area is also home to several popular restaurants and cafes, making it a great spot for foodies.

Legal Aspects of Renting in Bengaluru

Before renting a property in Bengaluru, tenants need to be aware of the legal aspects of renting. Below, we discuss some of the key considerations.

Rental agreements and contracts

Rental agreements in Bengaluru typically last for 11 months and must be registered with the subregistrar's office to be valid. Both parties must sign the agreement, and any additional terms or conditions must be agreed upon beforehand.

Tenant rights and responsibilities

Tenants in Bengaluru are entitled to certain rights, including the right to quiet enjoyment, the right to basic amenities like water and electricity, and the right to receive their security deposit back at the end of the tenancy period. Tenants also have the responsibility to take care of the property and pay their rent on time.

Landlord rights and responsibilities

Landlords in Bengaluru have the right to receive rent on time and to evict tenants in case of nonpayment. They are also responsible for maintaining the property in good condition and providing basic amenities like water and electricity. Landlords must also return the security deposit to tenants at the end of the tenancy period, provided there is no damage to the property.

Conclusion

The rental market in Bengaluru is becoming increasingly competitive, as more young professionals opt for renting instead of buying a home. The high demand for rental properties has led to an increase in rental prices, with location, property type, amenities, and economic factors all influencing the cost of renting. Renters in Bengaluru should be aware of their legal rights and responsibilities before signing a rental agreement.Communication channels and time zone differences were clarified. For example, Intermark managed client expectations that apartment visits were possible on weekends, when, if fact, local landlords are out of town .

“How the Mobility Light Orchestra was Born ”

By Inigo Lopez, BiCortex Languages

HOW THE MOBILITY LIGHT ORCHESTRA WAS BORN

It was in June 2022 during the EuRA conference in Seville, when Maximiliano Cao from CSM Globals and myself, Inigo Lopez from BiCortex Languages & Translations, started to imagine a band made of people from our industry that would play at Global Mobility conferences. We didn’t know then that The Mobility Light Orchestra (MLO) had just been born.

But what about the musicians? What about the instruments? What about rehearsals? What about sponsorship? There were far too many “what abouts” at that time!

We decided we should target the ERC conference in Vegas for our first show. We started to look for

musicians in our industry. We found many that were going to attend ERC. However, nobody knew MLO (we didn’t even have a name at that time), and we couldn’t prove that we were any good! Timing didn’t help, as it was only a few months away from the conference date. Alas, it didn’t happen.

EURA TRUSTING MLO

However, someone did listen to us: Sophie Rehberg, who was and is still on the EuRA board. We discussed a little bit at the marketplace of the ERC conference, with a glass of wine in our hands. A few weeks later, the email came: EuRA wanted us to play at the Gala dinner of the global conference in Dublin. This email felt even better than winning an RFP. Max and I were so excited!

“I immediately thought it was a great idea for the conference,”

Sophie told me, saying it was unanimously supported at the EuRA EG Meeting. “The

coordination of the venue, the band, necessary instruments were a true team effort and we are thrilled it worked and can’t wait for next year.”

“The guys were so amazingly enthusiastic about it,” COO Dominic Tidey said. “The work that they put into making the evening such a special event was phenomenal from meetings and rehearsals to the night itself. The collaboration with our Production Team, the work they did to bring in other member volunteers just made for a great live experience. The feedback was amazing and we all really hope we can make this happen again in Portugal.”

FINDING THE MUSICIANS

We had the drums covered (Max). What about the rest of the band? Easy, I thought. Let’s just contact the musicians we had identified for ERC. That was a natural step. However, many of them were not going to attend the EuRA conference. It was late November, and we were missing a number of key instrumentalists. We asked many people from our industry if they knew any musicians in Global Mobility - it seemed like a long shot. As a last resort, we thought about one of the LinkedIn gurus, Ken Nickel-Lane. He made a post asking for musicians that reached

many people and one of our key players was recommended.

We finally had a band. The next step was to choose the songs and make everyone feel comfortable with them. This was a long process, many discussions, but with 110% involvement of all members. The “must have” song was Sweet Caroline. No doubt about it. A few weeks before the conference, the band got a name: The Mobility Light Orchestra, and a few days after, a logo and then a LinkedIn page

REHEARSALS: ONLINE VERSUS IN-PERSON

What about the rehearsals? Well, with people in MLO based in the UK, USA, Argentina, Spain and Germany, we couldn’t rehearse online, due to the sound delays over the internet. Each person was going to rehearse on their own, and we would have some time during the conference to do a proper rehearsal. It wasn’t easy - the proper rehearsal was very limited, as the room was used for the conference, and for each rehearsal (two in total, 2 hours each), we had to spend at least 30-60 minutes setting up the instruments and do sound tests.

“I probably sounded like ‘Dr. No’ on the zoom calls, and honestly I was a little worried,” confessed our keyboardist John D’Ambrogio. “No team practice; I knew no one; we didn’t know our abilities....and then BAM! at our ‘real’ practice 24 hours prior, everything gelled. I think it worked out better than anyone had hoped.”

“I must confess that I was in two minds about whether to commit to being a guest vocalist for the Mobility Light Orchestra,” our guest

singer, Stuart McAlister explained. “I have sung in bands but not for more than 20 years. However, after meeting with Inigo and the band I realised how professional everyone is and whilst that didn’t make the prospect of singing in front of several hundred people any less scary, I felt confident that the band would be very strong and my only job would be to sing well. As it turned out I nearly lost my voice during the day of the concert, but I made it and absolutely loved the experience! Would I do it again? Just try to stop me…”

Our guest drummer, Alistair Murray, also felt under pressure: “I honestly can’t remember the last time I was that nervous when making my guest appearance with MLO. I’m absolutely fine with public speaking but that felt completely different. And yet, as soon as it was over, I just wanted to do it all again. A fantastic experience and one that I’m incredibly grateful to Inigo, Max and the band for. Such great fun.”

Max, who was our main drummer, said that innovative projects like this can provoke mixed emotions, “I believe that being a little insecure is normal. However, right after the first real rehearsal, I felt very comfortable with my colleagues. We went to an Irish bar and a lot of good vibes came to us... plenty of songs playing there, musicians on stage performing part of our set…, like a confirmation that we all were on the right path. It was amazing!”

The final result? Well, it took the crowd 10 seconds of the first song to be on the dance floor, non-stop, for the full duration of the performance, “I felt like I was a kid again, with big striped hair and

parachute pants, playing the college bar scene,” said John.

FUTURE OF MLO

EuRA has shown great trust in us, and they have kindly confirmed that MLO will play at the next Global conference in Vilamoura. We really appreciate the support. We are already working on a few surprises for an epic performance!

Written by: Inigo Lopez

Bicortex Languages & Translations

MLO team (Dublin 2023):

• Inigo Lopez, BiCortex Languages & Translations (EMCEE)

• Diego Vozza (lead singer)

• Maximiliano CAO, CSM Global (drums)

• Christian Ward, Missing Link (bass)

• Gavin Carruthers, K2 Corporate Mobility (guitar and backing vocalist)

• John D'Ambrogio, Properties Chicago (keyboards)

• Luciano Basilico, virtually from Argentina (technical support and backing tracks)

• Stuart McAlister, Inter Relocation (guest singer)

• Alistair Murray, Packimpex (guest drummer)

“Global Employee Programme: A Journey of Growth and Inspiration ”

By Edit McAlister

When I first stumbled upon the Global Employee Programme in 2019, I had no inkling of the incredible impact it would have on my professional and personal growth. As the head of marketing at Inter Relocation, I initially believed this program was exclusively reserved for relocation experts.

Marketing Meets Global Mobility

To my surprise, Blue Relocation was looking for someone with experience in global mobility marketing. I was proud to be one of the earliest participants in this cutting-edge initiative, and I had the opportunity to work directly with the program's visionary founder, Markus Demuth.

Power of Teamwork in a Digital World

Amidst the rising tides of digitalization and groundbreaking technologies, one timeless truth remained: a cohesive team of skilled individuals is the key to success. This program brought that reality to life, showcasing the power of collective expertise and the unique contributions each team member brings to the table.

Collaborating with Visionaries

One of the highlights of my Global Employee Programme journey was the opportunity to collaborate with visionaries like Markus Demuth and the incredible team he assembled.

I had the pleasure of joining forces with the insightful Steffen Keller, whose fresh perspective on development opened new doors for me.

Cultural Kaleidoscope: A Global Affair

One of the most inspiring aspects of the Global Employee Programme was the opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures and connect with a diverse group of talented people. It felt like I was embarking on a delightful adventure, with each encounter adding a vibrant hue to the tapestry of my experiences.

Growth Beyond Boundaries

In my opinion, the Global Employee Programme has the potential to go beyond professional development and encompass personal growth. It offers a delicate equilibrium, empowering individuals to enhance their professional skill set, gain valuable insights into diverse cultures and practices,

and reignite their passion for the industry. Moreover, it serves as a refreshing antidote to the grasp of professional burnout.

Unforgettable Memories, Lifelong Connections

Looking back on my Global Employee Programme journey, it was truly transformative, leaving an indelible mark on my professional path. The memories made and connections forged during this remarkable initiative continue to shape my approach to work and life.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this exceptional program and eagerly await the chance to participate again in the future.

Edit will be taking part in a Briefing on the Global Employee Programme on September 26th, watch your mails for details.

Members’ News Advertorial

Arpin International Group of Germany GmbH, a Company Focused on Providing Exceptional Moving & Storage Services, Marks its First Fifteen Years

Arpin International Group of Germany

GmbH is celebrating its 15th anniversary in May! Our German office has achieved remarkable success over the years thanks to the capabilities, dedication, and passion of its phenomenal staff and the loyalty of its valued clients.

As a leading provider of international moving and storage solutions, Arpin International Group of Germany proudly offers exceptional services to clients moving from or to Germany and the EMEA region. Our expert team, with an average tenure of ten years, is committed to making every move a smooth and stress-free experience.

“We continue to leverage our core competency of providing exceptional full-service global moving and storage solutions to help our clients grow their business,” said Sebastian Sommer, managing director. He added, “Our fundamental values of quality, trust, professionalism, and accountability are engrained in our culture and are the standards by which our business choices and decisions are made, allowing us to become a top performer in the industry. Moreover, we are a vital partner in the region, contributing significantly to the communities where we live and work through donation and deed.”

To read more click here

Arpin Charitable Fund, Inc. d/b/a Arpin Strong Commemorates The Charity’s Tenth Anniversary

More than 30,000 participants hit the streets of Boston, MA, USA, on April 17, hoping to make history by completing the grueling 26.2-mile marathon. This year marks the 127th marathon; however, top of mind for the athletes and spectators are the victims of the horrific bombing that occurred a decade earlier. However, it was in response to the marathon bombing that Arpin Strong was born. As with many tragic events, it fueled a desire in Arpin's employees to band together and help. And what started as a grassroots effort to support those impacted by the events of that day evolved into a global campaign engaging Arpin’s employees, customers, supplier partners, and other non-profit

organizations. Today, Arpin Strong supports charities ranging from homelessness and hunger prevention, veteran and first responder support, healthcare and medical research, wildlife and animal rescue, sustainability and green initiatives, disaster relief, human services, and diversity and inclusion causes.

"Positive change does not happen by accident. It takes the collective actions of people worldwide committed to empowering impoverished and marginalized populations to achieve social, economic, and healthcare equality," said Karen Bannon, Arpin Strong's vice president.

At Arpin Strong, our humanitarian commitment is inclusive, permanent, and global in scope. Our team has perfectly synchronized hearts and are always supportive and welcoming to everyone who want to be a part of something bigger.

To read more click here

Members’ News Advertorial

Homelike announces significant investment from QIG Holdings, set to dominate the monthly rental markets. We are excited to share this news in The European, as EuRA members and professionals we share a common interest in global mobility and the betterment of the relocation industry service provision.

The merger between Homelike and Q Global Network (QGN), an existing company under the QIG umbrella will bring a significant sustainable, diverse and innovative temporary accommodation services solution to the industry. This partnership leverages Home like’s success in the B2C market while tapping into Q Global Network’s strong position in the B2B sector providing tech enabled accommodation solutions to the industry.

Homelike, established prop-tech company, announces QIG Holdings, an expert hospitality investment group as a significant shareholder. Following an extensive market review, QIG

identified Homelike as the ideal prop-tech company to elevate its brand portfolio, thanks to Homelike’s cutting-edge technology, established market presence, and exceptional user experience; the brand perfectly aligns with QIG’s vision to drive the alternative accommodation sector forward, from serviced apartments and aparthotels to co-living and pods, acquiring, creating and developing brands that are transforming the industry. With QIG’s substantial eight digit investment and strong financial backing, this partnership positions Homelike to support the global mid-long stay market and drive innovation forward.

To read more click here

Arpin International Group Receives 2023 Partner in Quality Award from WHR Global

Arpin International Group, a full service moving and storage company specializing in relocating government, corporate, military, and private-residential customers, has received a 2023 Partner in Quality Award from WHR Global (WHR). WHR is a global employee relocation management company known for its whiteglove service delivery and for relocating thousands of its clients’ transferees worldwide each year.

To be considered for the Award, a partner must complete at least 20 transactions in the previous year and receive performance rankings within the top one percentile of their service category. Award recipients must also exceed WHR’s expectations in cost management, customer satisfaction, quality, and supply chain management.

“We are honored and humbled to receive the Partner in Quality Award from WHR Global. This recognition reflects our commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration in delivering value to our customers and stakeholders. We are grateful for the trust and support of WHR Global, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership in the future,” said Arpin International Group’s Vice President of GSA, Matthew Somweber.

WHR believes part of its success is due to its worldwide partnership network. Arpin International Group is honored and proud to be a WHR 2023 Partner in Quality Award Recipient.

To read more click here

Members’ News Advertorial

The Future Skills Report

EDUCATION FOR A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY Introduction

Cleveland.com and the plain dealer name Dwellworks, LLC a winner of the Northeast Ohio TopWorkplaces 2023 Award

Dwellworks, LLC is a winner of the Top Workplaces in Northeast Ohio for 2023 honor by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, joining a list of several other local companies. Since 2007, Dwellworks has been a top provider of global workforce mobility support solutions around the world, and is proud to be headquartered in downtown Cleveland, right in the heart of the bustling Playhouse Square theatre district.

“We wanted our global headquarters in Northeast Ohio because of the talent here,” says Dwellworks’ CEO Bob Rosing. “Dwellworks employees are caring and curious, doing whatever we can to best serve our customers. This was masterfully demonstrated by our flexibility, adjustments, and responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic, through to today. We’re grateful for the institutional knowledge of our long-term and tenured staff, coupled with the valuable and fresh perspectives of new team members. The ability to attract, hire, and embrace new talent in a truly inclusive way has sustained our culture over time.”

The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology specialist Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few. At Dwellworks, these pillars are not just paramount to the company’s success, they are important because they foster a friendly work environment.

“The Dwellworks team is amazing. All credit for this award goes to the people who work for our company, not only in Cleveland but around the globe,” says Shana Zollar, Dwellworks’ Chief Human Resource Officer. “Our team is made up of professionals who care about the company and the work that they do. They have helped us to build a culture where people love to work well together, support each other, and truly care about their coworkers. There is nothing that this very special team cannot achieve.”

To read more click here

How can education prepare students for, arguably, one of the most crucial and defining steps into the workplace and adult life? Over the last five years, students have witnessed a global pandemic, learning behind screens, isolation, a growing climate crisis, wars and political events that have global impact. Worldwide industries, communities and societies are constantly adapting and evolving to meet new sets of challenges, so it is imperative for education to be at the forefront of this change. This will help ensure that today’s students are prepared to face not only our current challenges, but are able to pre-empt, identify and effectively plan to tackle issues that are yet to arise.

This research, Education for a World of Opportunity, has been conducted collaboratively by ACS International Schools and the IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA) in the UK. Through YouGov polling, it surveyed senior decision makers from British Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) representative of British business sizes.

In 2022, there were 5.5 million private sector businesses accounted for in the UK, of which over 5.47 million were SMEs. They are the backbone of the UK economy; driving growth, playing a vital role in providing employment opportunities, and opening new markets. SMEs also help create competition and further encourage innovation across a range of sectors. Qualitative research has also been undertaken with leading global companies and organisations, including: McKinsey & Company, Amazon Web Services, Royal College of Arts, Schlumberger, and more.

ACS International Schools has been aligned with the International Baccalaureate (IB)’s educational philosophy for more than 50 years. Together, ACS International Schools and IBSCA believe that every student can rise to meet academic and personal challenges and fulfil a potential that they might not even know lies within them.

To read more click here

Members’ News Advertorial

Intermark Homes

We are excited to present, Intermark Homes, customized and vetted temporary accommodations services to fit your needs and budget. Why Intermark Homes?

Given the ongoing geopolitical turbulence during the last 18 months, we saw a void in emerging markets for temporary living accommodations. As a women-owned company with a 30-year history of award-winning excellence, our customercentric approach offers personalized support and curated options for corporate relocation, globally mobile families, and business travelers.

“Our company is distinguished by our resilience and agility, so Intermark Homes is another transformative step we have taken to enhance the customer experience,” – Irina Yakimenko, Managing Partner. There are over 200 accommodations available in 10 cities located in 8 countries including – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Romania, Serbia, and Uzbekistan. Personalized services are provided by an English-speaking single point of contact. Accommodations are poised to expand worldwide. Our corporate housing consultants have unparalleled local market expertise. They also listen, provide unbiased guidance with real-time technology, and unwavering commitment to the duty of care.

What Is the added value of Intermark Homes?

Flexible housing options are available to meet varied housing needs, including pets. Our experienced housing consultants have local market expertise and will take care of you throughout your temporary home search journey. Services include access to negotiated rates and flexible payment options for every client.

“As a full-service Relocation Management Company, we can also help you with long term home searches, immigration for families, and shipping your personal goods,” – Marina Semenova, Managing Director. Because Every Journey Deserves a Home!

Dublin by the numbers

752 delegates

943 pints of Guinness served in the bar

€12,522

Raised for our charity the Alice Leahey Trust working with the Dublin homeless

4.7 out of 5

Weighted average overall satisfaction score

15,782

Number of attendee profile views on the App

97% Delegates reported the conference met their expectations

5582

Number of private messages sent through the App