Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth: Cirque du Mobility 2025

Step right up, step right up! The Expat Academy's annual conference has come and gone, and what a spectacular show it was. This year, we transformed our community gathering into "Cirque du Mobility" – a celebration of the extraordinary juggling acts that global mobility professionals perform every single day.

Just like circus performers, GM professionals are constantly balancing multiple priorities, walking tightropes between competing demands, and keeping countless balls in the air. Our circus-themed conference was the perfect metaphor for the skills, agility, and showmanship that make our community so remarkable.

The Ping Pong Predicament: When Priorities Fly

Our opening act was nothing short of spectacular chaos – in the best possible way! Picture this: seasoned Global Mobility professionals armed with ping pong balls, frantically trying to land their most pressing challenges into basket hats worn by brave table hosts. The sight of Mobility issues quite literally flying across the room had everyone in stitches.

But beneath the laughter was serious networking gold. From tax compliance nightmares to getting early visibility on potential moves, attendees shared their biggest headaches and collectively brainstormed solutions. It was a beautiful reminder of the power of our community – when we come together, no challenge is insurmountable. The session perfectly captured that circus spirit of turning potential disasters into moments of triumph through teamwork and creativity.

The High Wire Artists: Mastering the Ultimate Balancing Act

Next up were our fearless high wire artists – James Bowerbank from CooperVision, Carla Kerr from CMS, and Payal Khakhria from Tesco – who shared their secrets for walking the tightrope between employee experience and cost management.

The conversation was refreshingly honest about the real-world challenges we all face. Carla shared how they've reimagined tax briefings in Dubai, stripping back formal processes to focus on what actually adds value for employees. 

James highlighted the importance of building buffers into cost estimates, whilst Payal emphasised the need for fair and consistent delivery within budget constraints. The panel explored some fascinating case studies, from moves "for love" to the delicate art of managing expectations when budgets get slashed mid-process.

Perhaps most memorably, they discussed the power of small gestures – those little touches you can keep "in your back pocket" to enhance the employee experience without breaking the bank. A Netflix subscription here, a Hello Fresh delivery there, can transform a potentially stressful relocation into a smooth transition. After all, as they noted, relocation should be the last thing on an employee's mind.

The session concluded with golden nuggets of wisdom: trust your instincts (you know more than you think), lean on your network and your vendors when the pressure mounts, and remember that sometimes walking the high wire backwards is just a different skill to master.

Tales from the Big Top: Where Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Our most anticipated act featured three of our most seasoned ringmasters: Sarah Tuvey from IHG Hotels & Resorts, Ewa Kilian from GRUNDFOS, and Catherine Bryn-Hussey from Mace. These seasoned experts shared some truly extraordinary tales from the front lines of international relocation – the stories that never make it into best practice guides but perfectly capture the weird and wonderful reality of our profession.

From cultural misunderstandings that had everyone in stitches to the logistical challenges of relocating beloved pets during pandemic restrictions, these stories showcased the incredible problem-solving skills our community possesses.

Some highlights included the great chicken rehoming project (with strict no-eating clauses), creative solutions for payroll in challenging locations, and the cultural navigation required when helping employees adapt to new social norms. Each story was a masterclass in thinking on your feet and finding creative solutions to seemingly impossible challenges.

What struck everyone was how these seemingly outrageous situations highlight the deeply human side of global mobility – we're not just moving employees, we're helping people navigate completely new ways of living, working, and being.

Emma Pears: The Master Ringmaster

Our keynote speaker, Emma Pears, helped us all step into our roles as ringmasters of our own Global Mobility circuses. Her powerful question – "What does it matter?" – provided a transformative framework for managing stress and making better decisions under pressure.

Emma's "BLAST" concept resonated deeply with the audience: when you're Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stressed, or Tired, that's exactly when you shouldn't be making important decisions. Instead, she encouraged us to focus on her "Five to Thrive" basics – Safe, Fed, Clean, Warm, Loved – and her "Help Yourself" toolkit of mindfulness, community, generosity, exercise, and learning.

The message was clear: don't just endure your professional life, enjoy it. You have more control over your thinking and your choices than you might realise. We should have grace for ourselves and grace for others.

And the Award Goes To...

Our grand finale was the annual awards ceremony, celebrating the stars of our global mobility circus. Huge congratulations to all our winners:

• Global Mobility Professional Development Champion: Kaitlin Moore (Hakluyt & Company)
• Global Mobility Professional Development Team of the Year: RMIT University
• Global Mobility Content Provider of the Year: Grant Thornton
• Global Mobility Team of the Year: Siemens
• Global Mobility Key Contributor - Club 100: Petya Pavlova (ERM)
• Global Mobility Key Contributor - Symposium: Janneke Katja Modest (Beiersdorf)
• Global Mobility Community Champion: Sarah Kinnaird (Atlas Copco)

The Show Must Go On

As the curtain falls on Cirque du Mobility 2025, we're already planning our next spectacular shows. Our full programme of events for 2026 is now live on the Expat Academy website, and we can't wait to see what amazing acts our community will perform next.

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us under the big top – our speakers, partners, and all the incredible GM professionals who made this event the success it was. In the world of global mobility, every day brings new challenges, but with this community by your side, you'll always have the skills to keep the show running smoothly.

Roll up, roll up – the greatest show in global mobility continues!