Why the ARP Matters at EuRA’s Seville Conference
After many years of delay due to Covid, the relocation world finally came together at the stunning city of Seville, with EuRA members from around the globe catching up with each other on what has been happening in their market.
Not only was this a great event individually but also allows for some wider narratives to be understood, which directly & indirectly supports the aims and ambitions of the ARP.
At face value, this seems a possible contradiction. EuRA is perhaps the world’s leading event for relocation companies & the wider mobility industry to meet, form strong relations and identify trading opportunities. For those who attended who are UK based, this may seem seems to offer limited value from the viewpoint of the ARP.
However, this is far from the case. For example:
State of the Housing Market
It’s very easy to consider the current difficulties with the housing market faced in the UK as a British problem. This is far from the case, with many, if not all major markets globally seeing and feeling the impact of reduced housing options and increasing demand.
As our company data can show, overall housing stock levels in the UK have reduced by over 60% over the course of the last 6 months across Britain, however this is a common narrative across much of Europe, the US and Asia.
Whilst shared pain is far from ideal, this does allow clearer and strong representation back to the UK Governments and Majors of our cities that housing is a factor they need to address to ensure the best talent in the world can move to and within the UK.
Best practice
The ARP is working hard for Government to revisit areas such as the £8,000 tax relief and how this could and should be updated to ensure the UK can remain competitive with other sort after locations globally.
Discussions with partners around the world allows us to consider what best practice could look like and how other locations processes could be considered and introduced to our wider lobbying conversations. From the Governments point of view, ensuring the UK remains competitive is central and this is one area where common areas can be shared
Visibility & increased Profile
Where the ARP & EuRA have very common visions is over increasing our profile to the highest levels of Governments and wider media.
For an industry worth over £7b to the UK economy and multiples higher across Europe and the world, the fact that many key departments in this country and abroad still are not aware of our industries presence is nothing short of a scandal. The key work we all undertake to bring in, support and manage the world’s top talent when they come to the UK is not a secondary aspect but vital to the wider economy
The common ground of all the worlds relocation companies and domestic relocation organisations is around adjusting this problem. The ability to share ideas and concepts is central to build our profile to the level that it doesn’t just deserve but is in the interests of the Government as well.
Togetherness
Perhaps, lastly for an industry that is based on individual competition between ARP & EuRA members, the ability for us all to come together and discuss common ground and truly look to support each other for the sake of the wider industry is perhaps as aspect that we can never take for granted.
Am proud that leading voices in the UK relocation, mobility and moving industry are comfortable to discuss and share ideas that move the wider industry sector forward, learning and debating with our partners around the world.
The ARP has a core and central place in the global relocation industry. It’s aims may be focused on the UK but the common ground between us and our industry friends around the planet allows for something even greater. Togetherness in our belief that the relocation sector truly matters.