Gerson Relocation are attending this years Global workforce Symposium in Chicago, Illinois, USA from 27-29 September 2017. ERC identify this year as being one of surprising and dramatic changes that are influencing the way we work together to manage the world’s global workforce.
Day 1 – Wednesday 27th September
Workforce symposium really got into gear today with Mike Bentley, Head of Relocation at Gerson Relocation visiting the Exhibition Hall and attending the immigration and global compliance forums before a series of meetings with our supply chain partners.
- 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Global Forum
- 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. GMS® Training Module 3: The Intercultural Challenge
- 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Immigration Forum
- 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Regulatory and Compliance Forum
- 30pm – 7.30 Market Place
We asked Mike about his first day, and he said, “It’s Great to be at ERC and to catch up with so many old friends and agent partners. The sessions around immigration and compliance were particularly informative. The fact that the meeting room was packed just shows how important compliance has become in the global mobility world. The exhibition hall is truly vast with well over 100 stands and booths – quite a turn out in the Chicago autumn sunshine!”
We’re looking forward to hearing about tomorrow!
Day 2 – Thursday 28 September
Today Mike Bentley, again visited the main exhibition Exhibition Hall and attending a variety of educational sessions before completing review meetings with our supply chain partners.
- 8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening General Session, with Keynote speaker: Chris Tarbell
- 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. Has Tech Replaced Service
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon with guest speaker, Mitch Joel
- 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Education and Development Sessions
- 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Cyber Data Security
- 4:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Reception in the Marketplace
- As part of the Gerson Relocation membership of EuRA, Mike attended their evening reception connecting with other members of the European Relocation Association
An exciting and busy day at the ERC started with ERC President Peggy Smith encouraging the 1800 delegates in the audience to “boldly embrace change” followed by ex FBI cyber crime investigator Chris Tarbell encouraging us to be super careful. After hearing about the murky world of tech crime, Mike commented “I’m certainly updating all my passwords and buying a second secure router for my home!” The tech theme continued throughout day and amongst much of the new information Mike learnt, one of the stand out facts was – that making phone calls is not one of the top ten things people use smart phones for! The message for our industry being the importance of making our products and services quickly and easily accessible to assignees via their smart phones.
Day 3 – Friday 29th September
Today was the last day of the workforce symposium with Mike Bentley, catching up with more of our supply chain partners, also taking copious amounts of notes at the educational sessions available.
Day 4
- 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Walk for the Foundation
- 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Education and Development Sessions
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Extreme Insights
- 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch in the Marketplace
- 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Closing Session: Second City
- 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Farewell Reception
In summary we asked Mike to give us a brief synopsis of his time in Chicago, he said, “As the end of the ERC Global Workforce Symposium draws nearer I find myself reflecting on the current suppliers I have met, new suppliers I have connected with and mobility professionals and key note speakers that have provided an insight into their programmes and initiatives. I’m looking forward to taking back to Gerson Relocation to share with our client facing teams and pass onto our local customers and supply chain partners to continue our role in influencing the way we work together as a global service provider to the mobility marketplace.”
About Worldwide ERC®
Since 1964, Worldwide ERC® has been committed to connecting and educating workforce mobility professionals across the globe. From Europe, the Middle East and Africa, to Asia and across the Americas, we are the source for talent management and global mobility knowledge—driving innovation and success. A global not-for-profit organization, we are headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London and Shanghai.
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