Quick Links

• IFMA’s World Workplace 2008: Highlights from Dallas
• This is the year to excel in your profession: Start with IFMA’s on-site educational courses
  
• IFMA’s new sustainability pilot course offers special discounts to participants
• Tell us about your World Workplace experience
• Three valuable events—one conference! Save the date for IFMA’s FM-3D
• Submit your presentation for IFMA’s World Workplace 2009
• Honoring IFMA Fellows: Class of 2008 named at last week’s conference
• Member benefits when you need them most: So many ways to save
• Sustainability survey results: Find out how your peers are going green
• Featured Events Calendar
  

Top Story Top

World Workplace 2008: Highlights from Dallas

IFMA’s World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo concluded in Dallas last week, attracting an estimated 4,500 attendees from nearly 40 countries. Held Oct. 15-17 at the Dallas Convention Center, the event generated about US$12,853,728 in revenue for the city, according to estimates from the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"Every year World Workplace raises the bar, and this year was no exception,” said John McGee, MBA, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “The educational tracks were excellent; we had a record number of exhibitors; and there were continuous opportunities to network. It was the complete FM experience in every regard.”

Industry leaders, educators and government representatives joined more than 300 international exhibitors from companies such as AT&T, IBM and Microsoft to focus on the future of the work environment.

Conference highlights included:

• 83 educational sessions on topics such as sustainability, emergency preparedness in a post-Sept. 11 world and global facility planning.
• The IFMA Foundation’s Gala and Recognition Reception, “Denim and Diamonds,” brought 300 supporters together to contribute to the live and silent auctions, which raised more than US$17,000 for the IFMA Foundation.
• The Foundation’s Education Reception and Scholarship Presentation also brought in the highest number of attendees to date, with more than 200 guests present.
• Back for the second year was the World Workplace Green Zone, featuring more than 100 eco-friendly exhibitors.
• The well-deserved Awards of Excellence winners were celebrated at the annual awards banquet that capped off the conference last Friday night!

Don’t forget to print your CEU certificates! If you attended educational sessions but did not visit the on-site CEU Manager kiosks, click here to print your certificates for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). You must have the code given at the session to receive credit.

Now that the 2008 conference is complete, momentum is building for IFMA’s World Workplace 2009, scheduled for Oct. 7-9 in Orlando, Fla. For information on booth registration, call for presentations or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.worldworkplace.org/2009.

OUR THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR'S YOUNIVERSAL FACILITY MANAGEMENT EXPEREINCE!  

This is the year to excel in your profession: Start with IFMA’s on-site educational courses

This November, IFMA is bringing two valuable on-site courses to the association’s headquarters in Houston, Texas. Expand your knowledge in areas that are vital to the FM community, while earning continuing education units and points toward your FMP or CFM^® credential!

Planning and Project Management Competency Course
1.5 CEUs || Nov. 18-19, 2008 || Houston, Texas
The successful completion of any facility project depends greatly on the development of a sound planning and management process. Learn to use the most effective methods to get your projects in on time and on budget.

Operations and Maintenance Competency Course
1.5 CEUs || Nov. 20-21, 2008 || Houston, Texas
Operations and maintenance functions are the source of almost all facility-related problems. Find out which best O&M practices will increase customer satisfaction and enhance the value of your facility and your department.

Click here to see a full schedule of instructor-led courses.

Questions?
Please e-mail education@ifma.org, or call +1-713-623-4362.

IFMA’s new sustainability pilot course offers special discounts to participants

Take actions to justify programs and lead efforts that will help your organization meet its sustainability goals by attending IFMA’s new sustainability pilot course.

Sustainable FM: A Practitioner’s Guide to Greening Your Facility
1.5 CEUs || Jan. 20-21, 2009 || Houston, Texas, USA

Learn to:

• Assess the organization’s current state of sustainability.
• Identify methodologies and tools for designing, implementing and operating sustainable sites.
• Develop leadership strategies for implementing sustainable changes and communicating actions and results.
• Identify sustainability goals for the next six months.

Click here to see a full outline of course events. (.pdf)

Questions?
Please e-mail education@ifma.org or call +1-713-623-4362.

FM Community ConnectionsTop

Tell us about your World Workplace experience

The IFMA team is constantly striving to meet your needs and improve your IFMA event experiences. If you joined us in Dallas last week for IFMA’s youniversal event, then you likely received an e-mail on Monday asking for your opinions on this year’s conference through a post-event evaluation survey. To help us plan for future conferences, please take a few moments to participate in the World Workplace 2008 Survey. 

All participants who complete the survey before Nov. 10, 2008 will be entered in a drawing to receive a complimentary registration to IFMA’s World Workplace 2009 in Orlando, Fla.

Your input is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your attendance at the most important event for your profession!
 
Click here to participate in the survey.

Three valuable events—one conference! Save the date for IFMA’s FM-3D

Mark your calendar for three days of education focused on FM best practices, sustainability challenges and “green” implementation, as well as leadership training. Held at San Diego’s famous U.S. Grant Hotel, IFMA’s FM-3D conference invites you to learn, network and go green when you participate in three valuable events combined into one conference.

The results of our recent sustainability survey show that 92 percent of respondents are working to make their facilities more efficient and have measurable goals related to sustainability. Held on day two of the conference, the Sustainability Summit will provide attendees with the knowledge they need to address the challenges related to going green, and implement the most cost-effective solutions. Please join us in February for this unique, valuable opportunity. See conference highlights below:

Best Practices Forum || Monday, Feb. 23, 2009

• Explore a variety of FM practices and discover how they have made a measurable impact your peers’ organizations.
• Observe facility best practices first hand with an exclusive facility tour.
• Gain insight from a new IFMA study about innovative workplace designs that increase collaboration and enhance productivity.   

 Sustainability Summit || Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009

• Learn from a panel of experts who are leading the way in the implementation of sustainable practices, and discover which practices they have adopted internally.
• Assess your facility’s capacity to implement sustainable programs.
• Discover the most effective ways to address challenges and cope with changes brought on by the sustainable operation of your facility.

Management Summit || Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

• Obtain essential leadership training focused on “Techniques for Human Capital Development Management.”
• Enhance your impact as a leader and influence your team’s commitment to long-term objectives.
• Take a behind-the-scenes facility tour of the historic U.S. Grant Hotel—winner of HotelWorld’s exclusive “Best Luxury Guestroom Design” award in 2008.

Browse the tabs on the left-hand side of the FM-3D main page for more information on registration, sponsorship opportunities, the Networking Reception, session credits and more!

Questions? E-mail events@ifma.org or call +1-713-623-4362.

Submit your presentation for IFMA’s World Workplace 2009

IFMA members are invited to submit their proposals to be considered as session presenters at IFMA’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo. Increase your visibility among the facility management community!

IFMA values your expertise on workplace-related topics, and we invite you to share your knowledge in an informative session addressing current trends and issues facing facility managers.

Submit your presentation today for one of the following educational tracks:

Please click here to submit your application online. Your application must be received by IFMA through the Web site no later than midnight, Central Standard Time, Jan. 16, 2009.

Questions? Please contact IFMA Event Program Manager, Diane Freeman, by phone at +1-713-623-4362, by fax at +1-713-623-6124, or via e-mail at diane.freeman@ifma.org.

Honoring IFMA Fellows: Class of 2008 named at last week’s conference

The 2008 class of IFMA Fellows was introduced at last week’s World Workplace conference during the Awards of Excellence banquet in Dallas. Bruce Kenneth Forbes of ARCHIBUS Inc.; Jon Eldon Martens, CFM^®, CFMJ, of Sonoma County, Calif., General Services; W. Kirtley Miller Jr., CFM, of Himes Associates; and Michael K. Schley of FM:Systems all received the honor of IFMA Fellowship.

Established to recognize members dedicated to IFMA and the facility management profession, the fellowship program creates an elite core of respected leaders who act as advisors to and ambassadors of the association. Being named an IFMA Fellow is the highest honor the association can bestow on a member. To date, 75 other facility professionals have received the distinction.

Congratulations to this year’s class! Click here to learn more about the IFMA Fellows program.

Member benefits when you need them most: So many ways to save

As an IFMA member, you have access to exclusive benefits, contacts and resources to help you lower your facility costs and improve your bottom line. Given the turmoil in today’s financial sector, reducing facility expenses are more important than ever.

As part of IFMA’s Affinity Program, APPI (Affiliated Power Purchasers International) offers IFMA members valuable opportunities to mitigate risks and reduce energy costs during these times of financial uncertainty. Gain the competitive edge you need to function most effectively in the volatile energy market. E-mail info@appienergy.com for more information.

Plus—IFMA members are invited to take advantage of special offers and incentives provided by FM Deals and Discounts participants, brought to you by IFMA’s Corporate Sustaining Partners.

Thank you for utilizing IFMA partners for all of your facility products and services.

Sustainability survey results: Find out how your peers are going green

According to the results of a new IFMA survey, facility managers are increasingly following a master plan when implementing sustainable practices and are tying their efforts to measurable goals and business strategy. The study, “Green Practices 2008,” shows that while recycling and energy conservation initiatives are being practiced by the vast majority of facility practitioners, financial challenges still present the biggest impediment to going green.

While most survey respondents say they are implementing green building concepts without a master plan, 17 percent say they are adhering to one—an increase of nine percent over similar data from 2002. The percentage of respondents who say they have not implemented any green strategies and do not plan to fell from 16 percent in 2002 to only five percent this year.

Almost all survey respondents say they are working to make their facilities more sustainable, and the same percentage say they have measurable goals related to sustainability. The results demonstrate a gradual shift toward incorporating sustainability into the overall business strategy, design and operation of the facility.

Thank you to all who contributed to the survey!

Featured Events Calendar Top

Check out the IFMA Calendar of Events for a full list of upcoming conferences, courses and networking opportunities.