The FIGT conference has changed everything for me! Will it do the same for you?

I attended my first Families in Global Transition conference was in 2016, since then I have never missed a single conference. If fact, that is probably the only one trip that each year I know I’ll be taking for sure despite the long distance.

I remember the day I arrived to Amsterdam to attend my first conference, I have to admit I was a little skeptical. I was wondering if I had done a huge mistake with this major investment for me to fly all the way from New York to be there. The conference had of course been highly recommended to me by some peers, but still, it was quite a leap of faith to decide go.

My initial motive to go was simply to research my market and grow my network as I had launched a podcast show and was looking for interesting guests and experts to interview.

However, from the moment I entered the room of the reception and attended the first keynote it suddenly felt as if I already knew these people, they were my people!

Everyone was so welcoming and felt so familiar, despite the huge diversity of people, coming from all origins, ages and backgrounds. Also, it was such a relief to not have to go through the exhausting explanations about where I come from, where I lived, where I was going, and what is my mother tongue…

Little did I know that this was just the beginning for me… After those three days, I left with a family and friendships with emotional and intellectual ties that are beyond explainable. But I also left with so much knowledge and understanding of everything I have been going through in my life, my career and my identity while living on the move since childhood, belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

I also discovered the wide range of great experts and resources that are designed to help expats and global nomads make the best of their experience on the move. My thought then was “why did I not know about these things before? I would have saved so much energy and time figuring it out on my own!”

Therefore, since then I have been so passionately spreading the word to make sure that every global nomad in general and every expat spouse and expat parent in particular that I meet knows about this amazing platform.

I am always impressed by how professional is the organization of this platform and by the high level of each conference I attended (Bangkok is going to be my 4th conference in a row, and the distance is twice as long!).

All of this is made possible by a small team of amazing volunteers who generously offer their precious time, skills and energy. I honestly now can’t imagine a world for global nomads like us without the existence of Families in Global Transition.

This was my personal experience with FIGT and why I keep going every year.

However, in few words, here is how I think you should consider if you should join this conference and if it will make a difference for you:

• If you want to connect with like-minded people who understand the whole complexity of your lifestyle, you will find your tribe of people who understand you at first glance and know how to build relationships that last beyond borders and time.

• If you encounter identity, cross-culture, career, business, or legal challenges that you or your family struggle with due to your nomadic life and global transitions, you will find there all the expertise and guidance you need to make the best of your experience!

• If you are an expert, coach or entrepreneur who has services or products that can truly help global nomads and expats, this is the perfect place to contribute with your expertise, grow your network but also find a community of entrepreneurs to stay in touch with and find potential partners.

• Also, know that if you have participated to the conference and get to understand the spirit of FIGT, you will have a good chance to be selected to speak at the following conference.

As a business coach, I always invite my clients to make sure to have at least one regular event or platform to belong to and attend on a consistent basis, but this has to be done from a place of true curiosity for other members and authenticity.

That is one of the things I love most about the FIGT conference and why I feel so comfortable going each time, I do not have the feeling that attendees (or even sponsors) are there to just sell! Although a lot of attendees and speakers have indeed services or products to promote, everyone is so curious to learn from others and everyone supports each other beyond the business aspect. That, is for me the most mindful way to actually grow your business.

As each year, it looks like I am going to have such a hard time choosing between all the great sessions. But here is just a small glimpse of topics that I find really interesting:

• Prevention is Always Better Than Cure: How This Applies to International Family Law Issues with Lucy Greenwood and David Hodson

• Cultivating Stillness in a Fast Moving World with Jody Harris

• How To Prevent Your Relationship From Being Put to the Test When Your Life Is in Transition with Sundae Bean

• Is Online the Future of Therapy for the Globally Mobile? With Sonia Jaeger and Vivian Chinoa

• Strategies to Support Families in Global Transition with Gender Expansive and LGBTQ Youth with Lauran Anderson

And I also hope to meet you at the concurrent session I will be presenting on April 27th at 11.30am! It is entitled How To Grow a Portable Business That Will Create the Impact You Want To Make.

Whether you join this concurrent session or not, I still hope to have the opportunity to meet you there and get to know you if I do not already ;)

See you in Bangkok!

Amel

Amel Derragui is a business and marketing coach and the founder of Tandem Nomads, a podcast show and entrepreneurship platform designed to help expat partners and global nomads grow a successful portable business and create the impact they want to make, even when living on the move.

After a career in advertising, she joined her husband abroad and launched a marketing consulting business cross three continents. Six years later, discovering a real need for expat spouses to find their own source of fulfillment and financial freedom, she launched Tandem Nomads. Featured in Forbes Magazine, Global Living Magazine and other media, Amel speaks at various events for corporate companies and organizations such as the UN or the World Bank.