OPINION No, its not ok tackling bad behaviour at events FIDIs Sustainability and Strategic Communications Manager, Magali Horbert, discusses The Mover magazines recent article on harassment and intimidation at conferences and invites your comments and suggestions on this important topic L Magali Horbert, FIDI Sustainability and Strategic Communications Manager ets start off by stating an obvious fact: conferences are great fun. Of course, people come for business; of course, networking and back-to-back meetings are hard work. But conferences are meant to be entertaining, and the organisers make sure to create spaces and moments for informal networking, where people can relax and enjoy themselves. However, the definition of enjoyment can be blurry, and what one person might consider harmless fun can make somebody else feel uncomfortable or worse. In the July issue of The Mover magazine, Steve Jordan raised the delicate but oh-soimportant topic of misconduct at industry events, highlighting how women (but not only women) sometimes suffer from the inappropriate behaviour of some participants who just dont know how to behave in a professional environment or maybe just dont care. What is inappropriate behaviour? For those who dont understand what we mean by inappropriate behaviour, Ill break it down into an easy rule of thumb: if you are acting in a way that would embarrass your mother, your behaviour is probably inappropriate for a business environment. Or imagine somebody doing or saying the same thing to your daughter: if this makes you feel uncomfortable or angry, then you most probably are not behaving appropriately. If you need some real-life illustrations, Steve Jordans article gives examples based on true stories, ranging from the misplaced comment or gesture to downright sexual harassment. Of course, human interactions are complicated, and things are rarely black and white, especially within a very international context. We all have different personalities and different educational backgrounds, which can easily give way to misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Some people might have difficulties reading social cues or lack the empathy to imagine how their actions might make others feel. But for others, its a power game meant to intimidate, an insidious attitude of entitlement that some, who believe they have the power, exude, to quote Steves excellent piece. To be clear, this problem is not unique to the international moving industry; this is a recurring phenomenon whenever large groups of people come together. But that doesnt mean that we shouldnt seek to change mindsets in our sector, to ensure that everybody has fun at our conferences, without feeling threatened. The FIDI Conference is the highlight event of our year. This is where we celebrate our community in its unique variety and cultural diversity. As organisers, we strive to make this event a pleasurable and unforgettable time for all participants. Rules and regulations are in place to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all participants. When we are made aware of breaches of these rules, we enforce them. We have excluded people from conferences before and will do it again if necessary. Report the abuse The problem with rules and codes of conduct is that they can only be enforced if a breach or misconduct is reported. This is where the responsibility of each one of us comes to play: if you are the victim or the witness of misbehaviour, FIDIs rules can only be enforced if you report the abuse. Sometimes rules are also outdated, confusing or 20 FF311 Sept-Nov 23 pp20-21 Opinion.indd 20 14/09/2023 15:48