DIV ERS I FI C AT I O N Ido Barner, of AGS Worldwide Movers Lefteris Regkos, of Orphee Beinoglou lifetime jobs of relocating Greeces national library; relocating the home of the former Greek royal family, the Tatoi palace; installing a national gallery; and the relocation of the Onassis family from Skorpios, the private island previously owned by wealthy shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. According to Regkos, diversifying into this rewarding sector is part of the companys strategy of becoming a one-stop shop. Although our company was established in 1923 offering moving services, over time it has developed other special services including exhibition logistics, fine arts, courier services, logistics, freight forwarding, special projects, relocation and immigration services, he says. Diversification is a strong tool for navigating through turbulent times, and also gives you the advantage of offering customers a full range of services. Tabuenca, meanwhile, says the fine art business gives multiple benefits including maximising use of resources, smoothing seasonal fluctuations and boosting the companys reputation for quality. Benefits for moving companies that specialise in works of art begin with the use of the same infrastructure that is used for both activities and company personnel that can be trained to work in both parts of the business, she says. Another very important benefit is that the work seasons for moving art are usually different from those of removals. In this way, the company is occupied 100 per cent of its time. And the corporate image [is strengthened] because clients prefer a company that deals with fragile and valuable objects daily. This gives you prestige of another level. Italian mover Bliss gains prestige of a different kind with its clients who use its dedicated international pet moving services and consider animals as precious a cargo as any work of art. Founded in 2011, this part of the Bliss portfolio offers services from smart pet planning which helps clients prepare the veterinary and documentation needed to relocate a pet; pet insurance plans; and its world gateway, where clients can see transport information and pay bills online. It also offers customs clearance support. Taddei says: The decision to expand in this specific area stems from the companys awareness that transferring a dog, cat, ferret, or any other species abroad is a complex and rather lengthy bureaucratic process for families and individuals who, while relocating, are already in a very complex phase of their lives. Documents for travelling animals often vary from one nation to another, so having the support of highly competent professionals is necessary to prepare the mandatory documentation for the journey and entry into the new country, correctly and quickly. International air transportation regulations, for example, require those planning a trip with their pets to have documents including passports, vaccination certificates and import permits. Taddei adds: This sector is growing tremendously, as more families moving around the world have pets in their homes. FIDIs own diversification journey FIDI Secretary General Jesse van Sas says the organisation is proud of its historical efforts to respond to developments in the industry by becoming an industry pioneer in the diversification of its organisational activities. These have included starting: l an Academy, using voluntary trainers from FIDIs membership l a payment protection fund for members (FASI) l a quality certification programme, and making it mandatory l an arbitration process for disputes between members l a club for the young professionals in our industry (FIDI 39 Club) l plus developing Professional Cooperation Guidelines (PCGs), now used all around the world. All of these initiatives were copied by others in time, of course, which shows the value of these services, he says. But we keep on diversifying, within the services we offer. More recent examples of FIDIs broadening of its offer to help its Affiliates to adapt to the business demands of today include: 36 FIDI Academy: lG oing online with EiM and MiM2 seminars l Developing online training outside FIDIs direct scope, in areas such as data protection, cyber security, sustainability, and risk management FAIM: lF inancial Assessment, data protection, digitalisation, background checks, anti-trust management, cyber security, and sustainability A new membership category: l Jesse van Sas says: As our Affiliates change, so must FIDI. With an increasing number of Affiliates active in DSP, and very often through new legal entities, FIDI has created a FAIM DSP membership category, along with the newly developed FAIM DSP standard. New industry initiatives: l Business Cycle Barometer l Sustainability Coalition, with FIDI starting the conversation around this topic, and being one of the founders.