Day two of the Annual Meeting began at 8:30 am with a buffet breakfast and the IAM General Session and State of the IAM Address in the convention center. IAM Chair John Burrows (DeWitt Move Worldwide) kicked off the session and gave special recognition to all of our valued sponsors and exhibitors, welcomed participants and noted our record-breaking attendance.

John introduced Angela DeConti, Director of the Alan F. Wohlstetter Scholarship Fund, who talked about the history of the organization, the impact that the scholarship fund is making in the industry to advance the professionalism and viability of our workforce, and foster a culture of accessibility, excellence and continuous improvement, then introduced Terry Head as Chair of the board of directors. Angela introduced the 10 awardees for 2024, a new application deadline of March 31, and a new award coming in 2025 for trade school and industry certification.

She also thanked donors from the past year and major donors from 2024 were recognized with big checks: The Cartwright Companies, Container Freight Station, Delight Foundation (in honor of Sahara), DeWitt Companies (in memory of Richard DeWitt), Intermove Limited (in memory of Kenneth Mercado), Island Movers, National Van Lines Inc. – International, Tri Star Freight System, Inc (in memory of Kenneth Garrison), True North Relocation, LLC (in memory of Jackie Agner), Wohlstetter Giving Fund (in memory of Alan F. Wohlstetter), M. Dyer Global (in memory of Medford Dyer), The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Gridiron Forwarding Co. Inc. Memorial Day Match (in memory of Jay L. Goldberg, Hall of Honor 2009).

Next, Terry Head made a major announcement regarding the rebranding of the Alan F. Wohlstetter Scholarship Fund to the Global Moving Foundation. Along with a new name comes a broadened mission to support education, foster innovation, and promote charitable work and global knowledge-sharing within the moving industry, and collaborate with stakeholders.

Key awards celebrated exceptional individuals, with the Rising Star Award going to Luis Hulst, Gridiron Forwarding Co., Inc. Luis was recognized for exceptional commitment to mentoring the young professional community, his dedication to volunteer community service in the industry, and engagement with peers through leadership and team-building initiatives. The IAM Excellence in Leadership Award went to Charnel Francis of Africa Mobility Services, the first woman recipient, for her dedication to the professional growth of her staff and impactful initiatives—such as the “Right to Write” campaign supporting literacy in underserved communities and her commitment to mentoring a high-performing team—embody her exceptional leadership and dedication to creating positive change both within Africa Mobility Service and beyond. The Move for Hunger–Mover of the Year Award was presented to Beltmann Relocation Group for their contributions to the Move for Hunger initiative. Move for Hunger was also recognized for its impactful work in reducing food waste and aiding food-insecure communities.

IAM President Brian Limperopulos introduced Adam Lowy, CEO and founder of Move For Hunger, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Adam announced that with 267 participating members, IAM members have provided over 9,500,000 meals over the years. In 2024 alone, 56 participating IAM members have helped to feed 1,212,776 people. The winner of this year’s Move for Hunger IAM Mover of the Year is Beltmann Relocation Group, who joined in 2012 and has since delivered 440,000 meals in U.S. market areas.

Next, Brian welcomed Sheena Kiser (SEACORP), Chair of the IAM-YP group, to present the Rising Star Award. This award is reserved for an exceptional Young Professional (YP) member who embodies the group’s mission and vision and has made a remarkable contribution to the YP community and the wider industry. The recipient’s achievements span mentorship, exemplary conduct, committee contributions, and engagement with IAM’s philanthropic efforts. The honor includes the privilege of complimentary IAM-YP membership for the following year. This year's distinguished recipient, Luis Holst of Gridiron Forwarding.

Brian then introduced Georgia Angell, Chair of the IAM Leadership Alliance Program, who thanked the Leadership Alliance council members and subcommittee members, and presented the Excellence in Leadership Award to Charnel Francis of Africa Mobility Services.

Brian began his State of the IAM address by talking about the IAM Mission statement and strategic plan. The first initiative of the plan was to modernize our membership structure, which has resulted in a rise in membership at a time when the industry overall is flat.

This increase in membership allows IAM to support members better with more protections and more robust services. It also powers the IAM Issue Resolution System, which is built on the Code of Ethics. At the same time, the new Alert System keeps members informed about what is going on within the membership, from new members coming onboard to bankruptcies and other business disruptions.

The IAMTrusted Moving Company designation is the culmination of IAM’s Code of Ethics program, and presents an answer to rogue movers and companies who take advantage of customers. 250 member companies so far have become IAMTrusted. He celebrated the IAMTrusted Moving Company program for its role in enhancing industry standards. Companies acknowledged on the ITMC leaderboards included AMJ Campbell, ISS Relocations, and Atlantic Relocation Services, with notable recognition for companies like Smart Relocators and Caroline Moving & Storage for their dedication to the IAM Trusted Moving Specialist program.

Brian talked about IAM’s strategic initiatives which include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Producing a consumer video focused on ITMC;

• Expand and enhance structures that promote meaningful communication between members and customers;

• Strengthen the governance structure to enhance satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness of volunteer leaders; and

• Enhance data collection and analytical capabilities.

Next, he detailed the Green Pulse Challenge and asked the question, where do you fit in the sustainability journey? He also talked about IAM’s Data Solutions Initiative, describing how the One Record program could solve the problem of sharing data across the industry. He also discussed the U.S. DAB Mover Group as a means to create member growth with tailored investments in education, technology, advocacy and other areas.

Brian wrapped up his address with a strong call for collaboration and participation, encouraging attendees to engage in IAM’s initiatives, which include expanded membership protections and strategic industry planning. In that spirit, IAM will conduct a new Member Needs Assessment Survey in 2025. We’re conducting this survey because we need to hear from you directly. We use this data all the time to identify concerns, challenges and priorities among the membership. Please fill out the survey, which will be coming this winter.

The address closed with a video clip to build anticipation for the 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, which will be held in New York, New York, October 24-27 at the Marriott Marquis. Finally, Brian announced the winner of the $250 (USD) raffle prize, Brian Gordon of Gridiron Forwarding.

At 11:00 am, the IAM Core Members Meeting began with elections and a pair of interactive sessions led by members of the Core Members’ Management Board (CMMB). Here, attendees explored how AI can give your business a competitive edge. Discussions covered AI’s capabilities and how to harness them for daily tasks. Attendees were split into a discussion for beginner AI users, led by Christiaan Van der Ent, and one for more advanced users, led by Carlos Ferri. Members engaged in hands-on activities to create effective prompts that guide AI in producing optimal results. This session featured insights from the CMMB and real-world experiences on seamlessly integrating AI into business strategy, affording opportunities to learn new skills and stay ahead of the curve.

Voting for elected positions on the IAM Executive Committee took place during this session for the Core Member Representative positions. The winners of the election were announced at the end of the meeting.

One-to-One Networking Session

For the first time, IAM introduced a One-to-One Networking Session—an innovative concept brought to us by Patricia Jade Ooi, Founding Partner of the International Mobility Alliance (IMA). This event featured pre-scheduled, 20-minute business meetings, giving participants the opportunity to connect in a focused, impactful way during the second afternoon of the conference.

This pilot program is just the beginning of an exciting new networking approach at IAM, one we look forward to expanding in future gatherings in partnership with IMA.

ISA Membership Meeting

The International Shippers’ Association (ISA) Board of Directors and ISA Membership held their Annual Meetings during the IAM conference in Las Vegas. Read more about them in the ISA Update column on page 52.

Day 2 closed with a Learning Lab called Mastering Claims Prevention: Essential Strategies for Minimizing Claims and Maximizing Customer Satisfaction in the Moving Industry. The discussion covered key practices in shipment handling and claims reduction strategies with insights from prominent industry figures, including Kirra Floyd (TMM), Carnita Favre (Air Force Claims Service Center), Robert Wright (SGS Move Management), and Mark Edick (Center for Professional Claims Support).

A central topic was managing mold issues, where panelists emphasized that outright shipment refusals aren’t always necessary. Instead, the protocol includes immediate communication with the Personal Property Shipping Office (PPSO) to assess items, particularly when mold or water damage is suspected. In some cases, moving companies may face suspension if they attempt to clean or remediate damage independently, underscoring the importance of involving relevant authorities to mitigate risks.

The panel also highlighted documentation improvements, such as more detailed electronic inventories and enhanced photo records with geotagging, to defend against fraudulent claims. Panelists suggested that drivers and packers receive thorough training to document item conditions accurately and identify high-value goods, securing customer initials to validate checklists. When addressing damage prevention, emphasis was placed on training crews removing doors, using floor protection, and documenting any exceptions through change-of-custody sheets. A better reconciliation process between delivering and receiving parties was suggested to prevent claims from escalating.