This October, I had the pleasure of attending the FEM EMEA Summit 2026 in London. For those not in the know, Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) is a leading community for global mobility professionals, bringing people together through conferences and summits around the world. The conversation at this most recent summit covered a lot of ground, but three themes remained consistent: a more complex relocation industry, the practical role of technology and the weight of security, risk and compliance.
Challenges in the industry
The industry is facing increasing complexity, changing client expectations and pressure to deliver better solutions for relocations.
It was evident from the discussions that some businesses are reconsidering physical relocation, moving local employees vs. international, or are adopting more remote working and other alternative strategies.
The pressure is not felt equally everywhere. For the Middle East and Africa, a 56% decline in the relocation industry was mentioned, which can be attributed to the war. It is a reminder of how quickly external events can reshape demand.
High volume, low research requirements are also proving difficult for some providers, particularly where processes rely on manual work or have single points of failure.
Technology simplifies, but there are still hurdles
Technology was a recurring theme throughout the event, and there is a clear appetite for smarter systems, better integration and more efficient processes. The main message that stayed with me was that technology should simplify the process, not create additional barriers.
This matters because some corporate clients have strict security policies that prevent assignees from accessing certain technologies, such as Meta platforms and WhatsApp. A solution that works in theory, but not in practice for the assignee, isn’t a real solution.
Integration is the opportunity
Around 60% of corporate clients were reported as looking for integrations that simplify their processes, although they may be unwilling to pay the additional cost. Relocation management companies (RMCs) want better data connectivity, but many are unsure where to start. Providers who can offer a clear, practical route into integration will be well positioned.
AI and data hygiene
The discussion on AI was grounded. It can help with data storage and analysis, but figures and outputs must be checked carefully before they are shared with clients. All of this depends on good data. Data needs to be accurate, consistent, current and properly managed; otherwise, AI will simply produce faster versions with the same problems.
At TheSquare, we are already working on data connectivity and integration with one of our RMCs. I see it as a practical starting point for a repeatable solution that we could offer to other relocation management companies and their corporate clients.
Security, risk and compliance
Risk and compliance featured repeatedly in both the presentations and the discussion groups. Three points stood out.
- Assignee security is critical, but access still matters: Technology solutions must meet corporate security requirements without preventing employees from accessing the services they need.
- Compliance is client-specific: Requirements differ from one corporate client to the next. It isn’t enough to rely solely on an RMC’s own compliance processes. We need to consider the unique requirements of each client and show that we understand those differences.
- Importance of duty of care: Regular communication and clear records through case updates help ensure that assignees receive appropriate support throughout their relocation. At TheSquare, we already have this in place through our case update tools.
What I’m taking away
The industry has real challenges, but the direction is clear. Clients want simpler processes, better-connected data and confidence that risk is being managed properly. The providers who do well will be those who build technology around how assignees and corporate clients actually work, and whose compliance thinking goes beyond the minimum.
If you are an RMC or corporate client thinking about integration, data quality or client-specific compliance, we would be glad to talk.
Email our relocation team at relocation@thesqua.re or corporate services at corporate@thesqua.re to discuss the specific needs of your global mobility programme.
