F I D I N E WS IMPRESSIONS OF THE VIRTUAL 2020 IAM ANNUAL MEETING The IAMs annual convention was the latest global mobility event to move to an online format this year, with virtual booths, presentations, networking and socialising replacing the usual in-person experience. FIDI Marketing and Communications Manager Magali Horbert gives her overview and reaction to the proceedings T MAGALI HORBERT, FIDI MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER he annual IAM convention is undoubtedly one of the highlights of our industrys events calendar. When the IAM team announced that it was moving the 2020 convention online because of the COVID-19 pandemic just a couple of months before the date, we had mixed feelings and many questions. How would the human side of meeting business partners and friends in a tightly packed few days translate to an online setting? How would the traditional FIDI booth show its true colours in a virtual exhibition hall? Would people actually bother to log in and sit through days of networking and sessions, when actually alone in front of their screens? Now that the event has come and gone, the answer is clear: online wont ever replace the real thing; but it gets pretty close to it. The days were long actually longer than during live events, as the online setting allowed it to span the timezones of the global audience. The FIDI team was present throughout the three days of the convention, manning the virtual booth, holding one-to-one meetings and discovery sessions throughout the day and night, to talk to Aliates, partners and prospects interested in joining the FIDI community. And yes, people came. We caught up with old friends, made new ones, and had a great (and exhausting) time. FIDI SESSIONS REACHING OUT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP AND BEYOND Taking advantage of partners, suppliers and potential new members congregating for a set time, the FIDI team hosted a series of sessions on specific services, such as FASI, the FAIM Compliance Procedure, the FIDI PCGs and the new Academy MiM online module. During open door and Q&A sessions, Aliates were invited to share their views and questions with the FIDI Board directly. These sessions were very positively received and gave way to inspiring debates so much so that the FIDI Board and oce have decided to hold these type of sessions regularly throughout the year. CHECKING THE PULSE Chuck White (President of IAM) presenting the State of the IAM address 24 FF300 DecJan21 pp24-27 IAM.indd 24 One major advantage of having the space and time to connect with global partners and friends in a closed setting is that it allows us to take the pulse of how our industry and our Aliates are doing. The online experience does, of course, take away the spontaneity of having informal, personal conversations in the corridors or over a drink, which help turn business aquaintances into more meaningful relationships. But nevertheless, the online networking platform allowed us to check up on how our Aliates across the globe were handling the current crisis. Of course, experiences vary greatly and depend on many factors, including the national or regional economic situation, the eects of the COVID-19 WWW. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 24/11/2020 15:24