Minnesota Employee Relocation Council Holds Annual Conference

The MERC Annual Conference, held 24–25 August, was themed “Full Steam Ahead.”

The Minnesota Employee Relocation Council (MERC) Annual Conference, held 24–25 August, was made possible by Conference Chair Craig Partin of Suite Home Corporate Housing. Alongside MERC President Richard Rudeen of Relocation Today, they planned a fantastic two-day experience for everyone traveling to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

The MERC Annual Conference was themed “Full Steam Ahead,” and sessions included contributions from Greater MSP Partnership’s CEO Peter Frosch, who shared insights and plans of how Greater MSP Partnership works to attract and retain business and growth within the Twin Cities. Another session hosted Ashley Miller, Quanta Services’ director of human resources, who discussed generational differences in retaining talent and what the mobility industry can do to aid companies in their efforts.

Corporate panelists Mary Mossberg of Mayo Clinic, David Monical of Amazon, Jay Wiesner of Comcast, and Charles Ameno of Intuit discussed hot topics that have been hitting the global mobility industry in an avalanche of relocating activities. This session was followed by a roundtable benchmarking session, where supplier members were invited to concentrate on their presentation skills. Mark Strong of Strong Training & Coaching took the audience through tricks and insights that allow sales teams to create meaningful, powerful presentations.

The final panel of the day included relocation management company presidents. Moderator Susan Benevides of Plus Relocation was joined by panelists Randy Wilson of NEI Relocation, Mary Lou Cohen of Relocation Today, David Dance of Sterling-Lexicon Relocation, and Steven John of HomeServices Relocation. They discussed how to tackle talent management shortages, employee and transferee burnout, rising costs, and the potential recession. They also shared valuable leadership skills that have gotten them this far in their careers, and what the last few unpredictable years have taught them. The advice emphasized the importance of routine communication, transparency, listening, caring, and trust with clients and teams.

The Charitable Causes Committee raised $1,075 and donated 75 pounds of food to Second Harvest Heartland. The Education Committee offered seven CRP/GMS and SHRM credits to attendees for continued education within the industry and the HR community.