Welcome to Re:locate Extra – the newsletter that keeps you informed of the latest developments in the world of relocation.

It’s been a busy month for the Re:locate team. On 12 May, after a terrific build-up, the winners of the Re:locate Awards 2010/11 were presented with their trophies at this year’s fabulous Gala Awards Dinner. Full report below.

Don’t miss the Summer 2011 issue of Re:locate (out June). As well as coverage of the Gala Awards Dinner and our wonderful winners, we’ll look at cross-cultural considerations affecting mergers and acquisitions, the growing importance of providing health cover for international assignees, and the impact of recent world events on security and policy. Asia-Pacific is our regional focus, with more European countries also covered. Our education features look at boarding schools plus the single-sex versus mixed schools debate.

The winners of the Re:locate Awards 2010/11, which celebrate talent from across the relocation spectrum, received their awards at a prestigious black-tie event held in the elegant surroundings of the Institute of Directors, in London’s Pall Mall, on Thursday 12 May, before a capacity crowd of their peers. Read all about it, and see photographs of the evening, here.

In her introduction to the awards presentation, Fiona Murchie, Re:locate’s managing editor, said, “It’s wonderful to have full capacity at our dinner tonight, with more overseas guests than ever before, confirming that these awards are now firmly established in the international arena.

“Relocation is a growth industry. There is no going back. With economic recovery underway, and the world shrinking almost by the day, companies are reaching further afield in search of new opportunities and new markets. Having the right people in the right place at the right time is key to this, making the role of HR and relocation professionals more important than ever.

Celebrity guest speaker and host Floella Benjamin, broadcaster, actress, writer, cultural ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games, international children’s campaigner and member of the House of Lords, entertained and inspired in equal measure.

Her infectious enthusiasm and lively style perfectly captured the mood of an evening dedicated to celebrating success and innovation, and her tour de force of an after-dinner speech – which included a heartfelt rendition of Smile Though Your Heart is Breaking – won a standing ovation from the enraptured audience.

With three brand new categories, this was a record year for entries, and there was a real buzz of excitement in the air as guests from across the relocation spectrum – including both HR professionals and suppliers – networked the night away as they awaited the announcement of the winners.

Describing the Re:locate Awards as "an established date in the diary for the relocation industry", Stella Savage, of sponsor Fully Furnished, praised the way in which the awards bring the industry together and celebrate high standards of service.

And the winners are …

Best Relocation Strategy/Policy
Sponsored by Interdean International Relocation
Winner: Save the Children
What the judges said!

Technological Innovation in Relocation
Sponsored by MoveAssist International
Winner: Move One Inc
What the judges said!

Special award for creative application of technology
Winner: Pickfords Moving & Storage
What the judges said!

Inspirational HR Team of the Year
Sponsored by Cartus
Winner: BP and the Pricoa Intercultural Team
What the judges said!

Relocation Service Provider or Team of the Year
Sponsored by Newland Chase
Winner: HCR (UK)
Winner: ICUnet.AG (International)
What the judges said!

Best Property Provider or Solution
Sponsored by Fully Furnished
Winner: SACO
What the judges said!

Rising Star in Relocation
Sponsored by Roomservice by CORT
Winner: Anthony Gallo, London Relocation Ltd
What the judges said!

Green Achievement
Sponsored by Connells Relocation Services
Winner: Crown Relocations
What the judges said!

Excellence in Employee & Family Support
Winner: FOCUS
What the judges said!

Best International Destination Services Provider
Sponsored by NatWest Global Employee Banking
The Relocation Bureau - Ireland
What the judges said!

Relocation Personality of the Year
Sponsored by SIRVA Relocation
Winner: Tad Zurlinden, ARP and EuRA
What the judges said!

Said Re:locate Awards judge Sue Shortland, "The winners of the HR categories most certainly deserved their awards. The team at BP had to manage staff relocation through a very difficult year, while Save the Children ensured management of staff resources and geographical mobility to some of the most difficult places in the world.

"It was great to be part of an evening celebrating the commitment and leadership qualities that are supporting employees around the globe as managing international assignments becomes more complex and demanding. HR professionals and suppliers working together achieve optimum success, and there was a tremendous sense of partnership and finding solutions, cemented by the good relationships fostered by this prestigious event, which is growing year on year."

“It’s a terrific honour to have been recognised with the Technological Innovation in Relocation award for the second year in a row,” said Jon Harman, of Move One. “To be singled out by an independent panel of judges and recognised in front of the best in our business is not only gratifying to all of us who have contributed to developing this feature in our system, it is also good for business. 

“The Re:locate Awards help to keep our name out there in the industry and validate to our clients, and potential clients, the value of partnering with Move One. The publicity is a huge step forward in building our brand and our reputation.”

Speaking about the evening, Barbara Rees, of FOCUS, which won the new award for Excellence in Employee and Family Support, said, “There is always great energy, and Re:locate always manages to find engaging and entertaining speakers. Baroness Benjamin was inspirational in her own personal story of relocation. She reminded us why we are in this industry, to benefit others and make transition a positive experience.”

You, too, can be a winner! Raise your organisation’s profile – and your own – by entering the Re:locate Awards 2011/12. Click here to learn the secrets of our winners’ success and get the inside track from our expert judging panel.

If you’re interested in promoting your brand alongside these prestigious awards and reaching HR and decision makers across the world of relocation and international mobility – beginning in September 2011 – please call +44(0)1892 891334, or email awards@relocatemagazine.com

Making a difference…

Pursuing the theme of making connections, Fiona Murchie announced the launch of Making a Difference, a new Re:locate charitable initiative for the relocation sector. “With a growing number of organisations committing to corporate and social responsibility projects, and in view of recent natural disasters and world events, now is the perfect time to put the wealth of relocation industry experience to good use.”

Explaining the choice of charities for 2011, Fiona said, “This year, as Baroness Benjamin is president of Barnados, and as homes and the support of children are so fundamental to relocation, we will be fundraising for this charity, which is devoted to providing support and stability for children without the support network of families.

“Our second charity for this year will be VSO, which works with so many companies and organisations to bring expertise where it is most needed.”

VSO was represented at the Gala Awards Dinner by Helen Hambleton, HR director, consumer marketing, at GSK, who described to the audience a fascinating project she had undertaken for the organisation.

For further details of Making a Difference, click here.

OTHER TOP STORIES

China continues to grow as destination for international assignments

Cartus, the provider of global employee relocation services, has published the results of a new survey into relocation to China. An overwhelming 96% of companies sampled said that they saw increased or stable relocation assignment activity within China in the past two years.

The survey was produced from a sample of senior executives at 68 multinational corporations based in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, representing a total employee population of more than three million.
Read more...



Expat Explorer 2011 survey launched

HSBC Bank International has announced the launch of its 2011 Expat Explorer Survey. Now in its fourth year, the survey allows expats worldwide to have their say about their experiences of working and living overseas.

Over 4,100 expats from 100 countries participated in 2010, and HSBC Bank International hopes that even greater numbers will take part this year, to ensure that their country of residence makes it into the 2011 survey and features in the league tables published in the Expat Explorer reports.
Read more...

Brits abroad - what do they miss?

New research from Aviva UK Health highlights the main things that Brits miss when they move overseas. The British sense of humour, our favourite TV shows, and even our cuisine, rank among the top ten things people would miss the most if they moved abroad.

Aviva conducts this research on an annual basis to understand the motivations people have for moving abroad and the challenges they face.
Read more...

New labour market survey released by CIPD and KPMG

The impact on the overall labour market of a slight rise in private-sector recruitment is still being cancelled out by large-scale public sector job losses, according to this quarter’s Labour Market Outlook from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and KPMG. 

The survey forecasts that pay inflation may pick up in the next 12 months, with average pay award expectations across all sectors rising to 1.7% from the 1.3% recorded last quarter.
Read more...

IB overtakes A level in top university honours

Students in the UK studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme are more likely to achieve a first-class honours award at degree level and go on to more highly-paid jobs after graduation than their contemporaries taking A levels or equivalent qualifications, a new study has revealed.
Read more...

Google News coup for Re:locate

At Re:locate, we are proud of our commitment to embracing the latest technological developments and bringing our readers the most up-to-the-minute news in the most effective ways possible.

We are, therefore, thrilled to announce that Re:locate has been named an official provider for Google News. This means that our news pieces now appear in the top search rankings, often within minutes, so our web traffic is set to soar over the coming months.
Read more...

Jobs

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