Fresh thinking celebrated at Relocate Global’s Future of Work Festival and Awards

Relocate Global became the centre of the Global Mobility world on Thursday 9 June as its Kent headquarters hosted over 100 guests from countries as far afield as Australia, Singapore and the US.

keynote panel festival
Delegates representing companies including KPMG, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Santa Fe Relocation gathered to celebrate excellence across relocation and international education in an inspirational outdoor Garden of England setting, hosted by international TV presenter and journalist, Jayne Constantinis.Fiona Murchie, Managing Editor of Relocate Global, says: “We’ve long made the case that Global Mobility and good work are absolutely critical to supporting thriving communities and economies.“This past year – with the war in Ukraine, talent shortages across many sectors, the ongoing impact of Brexit, the rise in international remote working and the four-day week – this is now abundantly clear. Companies are turning to the Global Mobility community as never before to resolve their challenges and work with other disciplines across organisational development, change management, leadership and HR to find solutions to issues arising out of relentless change across the workplace and respond to new market opportunities.“This makes our festival both extra special and important as we celebrate everything our vibrant sector has to offer with our Relocate Think Global People Awards. Everyone gathered here makes a real difference to people’s lives.“The Future of Work Festival is also about how we share this knowledge, and the steps we can take in collaboration to make sense of work today for a better tomorrow. Working with other disciplines and diverse industry sectors is how we will stimulate economic recovery and support individuals and organisations to flourish. International experience, inward investment and exploring new global markets are all crucial”

‘Big tent’ thinking and practice at the Centre for Global Excellence & Leadership

After the Awards ceremony at the Future of Work Festival, among the leaders hosting a range of knowledge-sharing Hubs: Wellbeing & Engagement; Leadership; Innovation & Agility and Global Mobility, Future of Work & Workplace. Experts facilitating discussion included 2022’s most influential CEO, top HR thinker and practitioner, Vlatka Ariaana Hlupic[1]; CEO of the AoEC, Gina Lodge; artist Peter Moolan-Feroze; Kelly Noon, founder of Onno; John Rason of Santa Fe; Sarah Rozenthuler, leadership consultant and coach; leadership expert Claus Springborg; and Paul Williamson, head of talent for the Ambassador Theatre Group. Held in the stylish tree marquee Relocate’s extensive representatives from the event’s supporters, Santa Fe Relocation, KPMG, edyn, Alto Vista, the AoEC, Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP), EuRA, FOCUS, RES Forum and Next Gen GM.The Future of Work Festival has also attracted a world-renowned keynote panel of speakers, including: Marc Burrow, KPMG; diversity, equality and inclusion, author and HR consultant, Teresa Boughey, who sits on the Women and Enterprise and Women and Work all-party Parliamentary groups; Rob Fletcher of Heart Relocation; Kerwin Guillermo of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; agility expert and OD & HR Dr Linda Holbeche;In a ‘big tent’ environment, guests discussed key themes of the moment – sustainability, wellbeing, the future of work, agility and innovation – in a cross-sector collaboration that was literally a breath of fresh air after the rapid changes of the past two years.

‘An exceptional year’ for the Relocate Think Global People Awards

The Relocate Think Global People Awards get bigger every year and attract keen competition for the coveted accolades. This year, the field across all eight awards categories was particularly strong as businesses emerged from the pandemic, borders re-opened, talent shortages increased and the strategic importance of global mobility came into sharp focus.Head Judge and Professor Emerita at London Metropolitan University, Dr Sue Shortland, said: “The quality of the entries in all categories was exceptionally high. This made the judging process particularly enjoyable for the team of experienced independent judges.”Destination service and relocation management companies, technology service providers, serviced apartment operators, tax advisors, educators and schools all play a vital role supporting international employees and families on the move and their employers. The Relocate Think Global People Awards acknowledge the passion and dedication to making moves happen.

John Rason from Santa Fe Relocation, one of the sponsors and hub speakers said:

"Relocate Global is leading-edge organisation driving-thought leadership around the future of work, global mobility and wellness – this whole workspace – in a very interesting period. Global mobility and the future of work have overlapped in a fantastically interesting way in that mobility used to be a discrete thing – a programme where people were dispatched internationally for a period of time. With the pandemic, people working remotely or cross-border at their own choice means that the whole organisation has become part of a global mobility programme. The future of work is much more fluid and the balance between what the employer wants and what the employee wants is radically changing. Some aspects of that are wellness, compliance, connectivity and engagement, which we discussed in detail today."We are sponsoring the Relocate Think People Awards and Festival of Work because, while there are many events in the mobility space, we are here because of the quality of the thought leadership and the collaborative approach. Whether you are part of the supply chain or a corporate looking for ideas, this collaboration, this challenge, the people here today, and my colleagues speaking here are really and truly thought leaders. And the environment is fabulous. What a beautiful day to be here. So for me it’s like an opening of the mind. It’s an opportunity to explore -– that’s why we sponsor it.”“Our heartfelt congratulations to everyone who entered, our Shortlisted and Highly Commended entrants, but most of all to the winners,” said Fiona Murchie. “Each of them showed exemplary and inspirational practices and signposted the future.“Many, many congratulations and thank you for sharing your successes with us for the wider benefit of everyone in our sector and people on the move.”/ENDS
Notes for editors:
  1. Think Global People, Relocate’s influential quarterly magazine, and its website are valued resource hubs for everyone working across the relocation supply chain, as well as international managers, HR, international employees and their families, and businesses looking to operate across borders or employ international people.
  1. Find more information about the Future of Work Festival, its programme and speaker biographies here.
  1. A calendar of virtual and in-person events takes place throughout the year. This includes the Relocate Global International Education and Schools’ Fair, where good practice and innovation is championed on behalf of the next generation in collaboration with leading schools around the world.
  1. Relocate Global is passionate about sustainability, partnerships, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity, and thinks local and acts global. It is an active member of regional business networks and has supported many local enterprises and charities, including Bromley-based Magpie Dance, the UK’s leading charity for dancers with learning disabilities.
  1. Relocate Global is also home to the Centre for Global Excellence and Leadership. This supports our global audience and the wider international management market through collaborative community activities and cutting-edge programmes and resources to support individuals and organisations around the world.
  1. Photos will be available of the Awards ceremony and the Festival. For more information and interviews, please contact the Relocate Global team on 01892 891334 or email fiona@relocatemagazine.com or Caroline Blaxland CarolineB@relocatemagazine.com
[1] Vlatka was voted one of the Most Influential HR Thinkers in the world since 2015 by HR Magazine and Most Influential CEO in 2022. She is an activist for humanizing management and is also a Professor of Leadership and Management at Hult International Business School and an author of a ground-breaking, award-winning book The Management Shift.

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