IFMA President and CEO Honored by FMA Australia
  

HOUSTON – (Oct. 28, 2009) – David J. Brady, president and CEO of the International Facility Management Association and IFMA Foundation trustee, has been awarded Honorary Membership in the Facility Management Association of Australia.  

The award was presented by FMA Australia’s CEO David Duncan at the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. The honor was bestowed following a special resolution by the FMA Australia board of directors to recognize Brady as a person of distinction who has made significant contributions to the facility management profession worldwide.

Brady joins John McCarthy, AO, who was awarded Honorary Membership in FMA Australia in 2006 for service to the industry as chairman of the Australian government’s FM Action Agenda initiative. As an Honorary Member, Brady will be recognized on the FMA Australia Web site “honour roll” and have the right to attend and be heard at any general meeting of the association.  

“Dave is a worthy recipient of this rare and prestigious honor,” said Andrew McEwan, chairman of FMA Australia. “He has been a great friend to FMA Australia, having been involved in every partnership initiative since 2003 and earlier this year in our adoption of the CFM® and FMP® designations. We warmly welcome Dave as our newest FMA Australia member.”

Apart from achieving Honorary Membership in FMA Australia, Brady is held in high regard by IFMA and the IFMA Foundation alike.

 “I am elated to learn Dave has been bestowed Honorary Membership by FMA Australia; he has been a tireless ambassador for the cause of magnifying the importance of the facility management profession worldwide,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “FMA Australia and IFMA enjoy a positive and long-standing relationship because of Dave’s desire to collaboratively work toward achieving mutually beneficial objectives. His selection to receive this award is reflective of the respect our Australian partners have for the work he’s done to help ensure FMA Australia is the preeminent voice of facility management in Australia.”

“I can't think of a finer tribute to Dave than being bestowed this award by FMA Australia,” said IFMA Foundation Chair Pat Turnbull. “Over the years, Dave has provided extraordinary leadership in advancing facility management and contributing to a more productive, sustainable built environment. He has been a champion of education and research, with the understanding that a global perspective and collaboration are essential to making our industry and our ability to make a difference stronger.”

For more information about FMA Australia, visit www.fma.com.au.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,500 members in 60 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

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World Workplace 2009 Brings an Estimated US$7.2 Million to Orlando

“World Workplace was a perfect example of how the FM community — professionals, associates and our other global stakeholders — continually demonstrates a collective commitment toward advancing the profession,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “I had an opportunity to meet and speak with many of the attendees, and the overall feedback I received from their involvement with the educational sessions, expo, networking opportunities and IFMA Foundation events was extremely positive.”

As the “youniversal” workplace experience, World Workplace 2009 marked IFMA’s 30th annual conference. Industry leaders, authors, educators, government representatives and students joined 264 international exhibitors from companies including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM and Lowe’s to focus on the future of the built environment.

The pride of the expo floor was once again the World Workplace Green Zone — an exclusive section of the expo hall reserved for exhibitors offering environmentally-friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors were featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, Bentley Prince Street, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.

This year’s expo also featured an appearance by former Harlem Globetrotter Tommy Mitchell, father of the IFMA chairman. The former basketball star signed autographs and posed for photos with attendees.

Complementing the expo were the conference’s educational sessions. Session topics included strategies for greening the office, the impact of new legislation on sustainable building design, pandemic preparedness, sustainable building operations, commercial real estate purchase negotiation and more. Representatives from AOL, ARAMARK, Duke University, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, and others presented.

Globally recognized author, speaker and expert on green business Andrew Winston delivered the conference’s keynote presentation, “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his latest book. Winston stressed how going green during an economic slowdown saves money to help companies survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.

At the conference, the IFMA Foundation unveiled a new publication detailing how facility professionals can immediately cut operating costs, institute sustainable building practices and gain a voice in the strategic facility decisions made by their organizations. “Cut it Out: Save for Today, Build for Tomorrow,” an 11-chapter quick reference guide focused on efficiency, features authors from organizations such as Jones Lang LaSalle and SCAN Health Plan. It was produced in partnership with Steelcase, JohnsonDiversey and other industry leading companies.

Conference attendees had the chance to see Orlando firsthand by attending any of six different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring were the Walt Disney World® Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants corporate headquarters and JetBlue University.

Reaching out to the communities that host the conference is one of the many traditions that have become hallmarks of World Workplace. This year, IFMA worked closely with the OCCC to make sure the event’s excess food and supplies went to help those most in need in the Orlando area.

Surplus pens, pads, attendee bags, signage and more were donated to the local charity A Gift for Teaching, which supplies these resources to lower-income schools and students. Excess food was donated to Hubbard House, which provides low-cost room and board to families with relatives in critical care at local Orlando-area hospitals. Exhibiting company The Fruitguys also donated fresh fruit to the Hubbard House.

Following in the tradition of previous conferences, this year’s World Workplace again received Cleaner & Greener® certification from Leonardo Academy, a non-profit environmental consulting group. Organizations seeking Cleaner & Greener certification make a commitment to gather emission reductions, offsetting the emissions caused by events. Eighteen percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the conference were offset, in addition to 32 percent of the nitrogen oxide emissions and 100 percent of the sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions.

With this year’s conference and expo complete, momentum is building for World Workplace 2010, to be held Oct. 27-29 in Atlanta, Ga. For more information on World Workplace 2010 call for presentations, booth registration or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.worldworkplace.org.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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IFMA Names 2009 Awards of Excellence Winners

“I am continually amazed and impressed with the caliber and accomplishments of our IFMA award winners,” said Thomas L. Mitchell, Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of IFMA’s board of directors. “The Awards of Excellence program was created with them and many others in mind as an opportunity for the FM community to honor these leaders throughout the profession as well as positively recognize their successes with the goal of inspiring others to achieve the same level of excellence.”

Winners were announced in 19 categories, with judging panels comprised of industry experts evaluating nominees individually and scoring them in a number of specific areas. IFMA recognizes companies and individuals for achievements that advance the facility management profession as well as chapters and councils for outstanding performance in key areas such as sustainability, research, education and participation.

The Sheila Sheridan Award of Excellence for Sustainable Design and Energy Efficient Projects went to Curtis Slife, CFM, AIA, NCARB, president of FM Solutions. FM Solutions and Arizona Public Service Co. partnered to evaluate two sites for overall facility efficiency and to explore Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® certification. The three-phase implementation process developed by FM Solutions realized substantial energy, water and cost savings.

Diane Coles, MCR, was this year’s recipient of the George Graves Award for Facility Management Achievement. As the director of workplace services for SCAN Health Plan, Coles spearheaded a workplace strategy known as the AWESOME Project — “Alternative Workplaces Engaging Staff and Office Management Efficiencies” — which demonstrated how facility management can contribute to corporate strategic initiatives.

The Distinguished Author Award of Excellence for an Article or Research Paper was presented to Peter S. Kimmel, IFMA Fellow, for his research paper titled “Energy-Savings Survey: What Building Professionals are Doing to Save Energy and Which Best Practices Work the Best,” which summarizes survey results that identified successful energy-saving practices.

The Distinguished Educator Award went to Dean T. Kashiwagi, Ph.D., P.E., for his numerous accomplishments in education and research. His many achievements include receiving a Fulbright Scholar award to share state-of-the-art facility and project management research and practices with the people of Botswana, Africa. Kashiwagi also put his groundbreaking FM Model of the Future graduate program into practice at Arizona State University and was instrumental in the investment of US$100 million in the institution.

Ted D. Webb, CFM, was awarded the IFMA Distinguished Member of the Year Award for his tremendous involvement and positive impact throughout the association. He has held leadership positions in the Tulsa Chapter of IFMA since its formation in 1987, was one of IFMA’s first Certified Facility Managers® and is currently involved in the creation of a facility management degree program at Oklahoma State University, where he oversees the student scholarship program.

The IFMA Associate Member Award went to Cubix, Inc., for the company’s ongoing contributions of time, expertise and financial support of the Orlando Chapter of IFMA. Its efforts in coordinating and promoting chapter educational seminars and facility tours have greatly enhanced members’ learning experiences. Cubix, Inc., also funded research for the IFMA Foundation’s “The Business of Green Cleaning” publication.

The Brigham Young University Student Chapter of IFMA was honored with the Student Chapter of the Year Award.

The Council of the Year Award went to the Utilities Council of IFMA, which has been a model of leadership and innovation since 1982. The council places strong emphasis on recruitment efforts and recently attracted more than 65 new members, in spite of a down economy.

The Chapter of the Year Award, small chapter, went to the Greater Orlando Chapter of IFMA for its commitment to serving the professional development needs of members. The chapter also continues to inspire members to become involved and believes that every member is an ambassador for IFMA and the chapter.

The Chapter of the Year Award, large chapter, was given to the Denver Chapter of IFMA, which measures its success by member involvement and has demonstrated a marked increase in membership participation, resulting from its value-based membership strategy.

The Chapter Award of Excellence for Membership Marketing, large chapter, went to the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA.

The Greater Triangle Chapter of IFMA won the Chapter Award of Excellence for Newsletter Publishing, large chapter, with the small chapter award going to the Pikes Peak Chapter of IFMA.

The Chapter Award of Excellence for Web Communication, large chapter, was awarded to the Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA, with the small chapter award going to the Sacramento Valley Chapter of IFMA.

The Silicon Valley Chapter of IFMA won the Chapter Award of Excellence for Professional Development, large chapter, with the small chapter award going to the Louisville Chapter of IFMA.

The Research and Development Council of IFMA received the Council Award for Excellence in Newsletter Publishing.

The Council Award of Excellence in Programs and Professional Development was awarded to the Banking Institutions and Credit Unions Council of IFMA.

For more information about IFMA Awards of Excellence categories, nomination procedures or judging, e-mail awards@ifma.org.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,500 members in 60 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

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World Workplace 2009 Powered by Green Energy through Participation in the Cleaner and Greener® Program

Madison, WI – October 12, 2009 – Leonardo Academy announced today that the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) World Workplace conference has attained Cleaner and Greener® certification through the quantification and offset of emissions related to both climate change and human health.  WindCurrent donated the renewable energy certificates (RECs) from 679 megawatt hours of wind energy in the eastern United States in order to offset the electricity used during this year’s event, which resulted in an 18 percent reduction in the event’s GHG emissions.  World Workplace 2009 was held in Orlando, Florida, from October 7-9th.

World Workplace is an annual conference that brings together active industry participants from the world’s leading business and government entities, along with educators and exhibitors, to focus on the future of the built environment.  Leonardo Academy’s Cleaner and Greener® Program calculated the emissions resulting from the energy use for the event facility, travel, meals, and lodging associated with the event.  This year’s conference hosted approximately 3,800 attendees, and, given the large event space totaling nearly 567,150 square feet as well as the energy used by attendees for hotels and meals, electricity use caused a significant portion of the event’s emissions. 

WindCurrent’s donated RECs were permanently retired to offset the emissions resulting from electricity use at the event, which included 1,143,400 pounds of CO2e reductions, or 18% of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the event.  In addition, thirty-two percent of the NOx emissions and one hundred percent of the SO2 and mercury emissions were offset.

Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy, said, “Offsetting the emissions from an event like World Workplace, which brings people together to address energy use and the environment, sends a strong message about IFMA’s environmental activism.  We thank WindCurrent and IFMA for coming together to make this a sustainable event.” 

LEONARDO ACADEMY – Leonardo Academy (www.leonardoacademy.org) is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship.  Leonardo Academy develops new approaches, methods and metrics for sustainability and also helps companies, organizations, families and individuals enhance sustainability.  Leonardo Academy provides assessments, strategy development, and implementation for sustainability including emissions, LEED, and the supply chain.

WINDCURRENT - WindCurrent is a provider of Green-e Certified Clean Source Renewable Energy, resulting from wind farms in the eastern United States.  All of the RECs donated for World Workplace are generated from wind farms located in West Virginia, and the company has plans to incorporate more renewable energy from Maryland and Virginia as it becomes available.  See www.windcurrent.com for more information.

Contact Leonardo Academy:
Tel: (608) 280-0255
Email: info@leonardoacademy.org

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IFMA Names 2009 Class of Fellows
 

HOUSTON — (Oct. 5, 2009) — The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce the 2009 class of IFMA Fellows. Oscar K. C. Chan, Ph.D., MA, CFM, CFMJ, FPFM, MCILT, of the Facility Management Development Centre, Macau Management Association; Andy Fuhrman, ICBO, of Cisco Smart+Connected Communities; John E. (Jack) Grinnalds, AIA, CFM, of Johns Hopkins University; and Teena G. Shouse, CFM, of Facility Engineering Associates, will receive the honor of IFMA Fellowship during the association’s Awards of Excellence banquet on Friday, Oct. 9, at IFMA’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla.

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, 79 other professionals have received the distinction.

“This year’s IFMA Fellow recipients have significantly influenced and represented the profession,” said IFMA President and CEO David J. Brady. “Their continuous commitment, leadership and passion to both the facility management community and the association are unparalleled. They are more than deserving of this honor.”

With a wide range of facility management experience, the 2009 class of IFMA Fellows represents multiple industries and backgrounds.

Oscar K. C. Chan, Ph.D., MA, CFM, CFMJ, FPFM, MCILT, is the director of the Facility Management Development Centre, Macau Management Association. He is responsible for the delivery of IFMA’s Facility Management Professional, China, credential and its online examination administration for the Labor Services Bureau of the Macau SAR Government as well as commercial and industrial sectors of China. Chan serves as the direct link between IFMA and Ying Biao Human Resources Ltd. — IFMA’s contract bureau and education partner in the People’s Republic of China — ensuring smooth coordination of the development and implementation of facility management programs in China.

Andy Fuhrman, ICBO, is the director, customer solutions strategist with Cisco Smart+Connected Communities. He was formerly the CEO for the Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate. Building OSCRE from the ground up, Fuhrman created a business strategy that best meets the needs of the facility management and commercial real estate communities through successful educational and marketing programming. His long-term interest in technology to advance the facility management profession is well known throughout the industry and the association.

John E. (Jack) Grinnalds, AIA, CFM, is the senior director of facility management at Johns Hopkins University, a position he has held since 1992. Grinnalds is responsible for the facility management function including maintenance and operations, design and construction, custodial services, audio/video services, security (card access), space inventory, grounds keeping, warehouse management, leases and real estate acquisitions for a portfolio of 19 properties. He has been an active IFMA volunteer on the chapter, council and board levels.

Teena G. Shouse, CFM, is the senior facility management consultant for Facility Engineering Associates where she manages facility management operations improvement including staff analysis and development, strategic planning, capital planning and budgeting, and facility management technology. She has been an active member and leader in all aspects of the association, including chair on IFMA’s board of directors during the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Shouse is the chair-elect of Global FM.

To learn more about the IFMA Fellows program, or for a complete list of fellows, visit www.ifma.org/about_ifma/ifma_fellows.cfm.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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IFMA Foundation to Award $66,000 in Scholarships at World Workplace 2009

HOUSTON — (Oct. 1, 2009) — Because supporting deserving students helps to ensure the quality of the built environment in a changing world, the IFMA Foundation will present $66,000 in scholarships to 27 facility management students during the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo, held Oct. 7-9 in Orlando, Fla.

Sixty-four graduate and undergraduate students representing 26 schools applied for the scholarships, which are awarded based on merit to students pursuing degrees in facility management or a related field. The scholarships range from $1,500 to $5,000 per student, and the winners also receive a free trip to World Workplace.

“IFMA Foundation scholarships are a critical means of bringing future facility managers together with the industry at World Workplace,” said Kathy O. Roper, CFM, MCR, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, and associate professor and chair of integrated facility management at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Building Construction Program. “With four student scholarship winners, Georgia Tech is especially proud that two international and two U.S. students will be traveling to Orlando to receive their scholarships this year. It’s a real win-win for students and future employers, providing them with a chance to meet each other at our industry’s most important gathering.”

The scholarships will be awarded on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, across from the Orange County Convention Center. The event is open to anyone who would like to attend. Scholarships are being provided by several IFMA chapters and councils, as well by companies including Sodexo and Davies Office Refurbishing.

Since the IFMA Foundation began awarding scholarships to students in 1991, it has provided a total of 277 scholarships worth $742,750. For more information about the IFMA Foundation’s education, research and scholarship initiatives, visit www.ifmafoundation.org.

To learn more about World Workplace 2009 or for a complete list of details, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost on site at the Orange County Convention Center.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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World Workplace 2009 Expo Offers Attendees First Look at 2010 Products and Services

HOUSTON — (Sept. 24, 2009) — The International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo is a multi-national, multi-disciplined discussion on workplace challenges, trends and best practices that will highlight the new products and services impacting the workplace throughout 2010 and beyond.

Recognized as the world’s premier educational and networking conference for facility professionals, World Workplace 2009 will head to Orlando, Fla., Oct. 7-9 and bring industry leaders from the world’s top business and government organizations together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of the work environment.

In addition to a conference consisting of more than 75 educational sessions and a keynote presentation by esteemed author and green business expert Andrew Winston, the event will feature an expo with more than 250 exhibiting companies, including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM, Lowe’s and UGL Unicco. This year’s expo will, for the first time, be freely open to the public and provide exhibitors and attendees 11 total hours of interaction on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7-8.  

The World Workplace expo will open at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with Winston signing copies of his book “Green to Gold: How Smart Companies use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value and Build Competitive Advantage.”

Also being held on Wednesday will be the first-ever IFMA Tweet-Up at 1 p.m. in the World Workplace Park on the expo floor. The event will allow those who have previously connected on Twitter to meet in person and learn more about the association’s social media efforts.

Taking place on the expo floor throughout the afternoons of Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7-8, will be Solutions Arena educational presentations and product demonstrations from companies including ARCHIBUS, Fellowes and Grainger. Topics will include energy efficiency, techniques for protecting your business from workplace data breaches, and methods for cutting facility costs and increasing productivity.

Thursday will also feature an appearance by former Harlem Globetrotter Tommy Mitchell, father of IFMA Board of Directors Chairman Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ. The former basketball star will be signing autographs in the IFMA Central booth beginning at 1 p.m.

Another one of the highlights of the World Workplace 2009 expo will be the Green Zone, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for companies offering environmentally friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors will be featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, Bentley Prince Street, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.

“Each year CORT looks forward to World Workplace as an excellent opportunity to connect with customers and share our ideas about how we can help alleviate the day-to-day challenges facility managers face through flexible management of furniture inventory, business continuity planning and support for a mobile workforce,” said Paula Green, vice president of national accounts for CORT. “The conference is also an important time for us to meet with our peers and learn about the latest solutions for improving the work environment.”

“World Workplace is the perfect place for us to spend time with facility managers as we work to collaborate with our customers in our product collections,” said Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street. “Customer partnerships are how we do business, and this conference is a great opportunity to hear what's important to them, what works and what doesn't, so we can deliver total solutions that perform for every environment.”

This year’s World Workplace expo will host popular attractions including Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars and Steelcase’s Walkstation. Chrysler’s GEM cars are 100 percent electric, street legal vehicles that achieve speeds up to 25 miles per hour and go 30 miles per charge. Steelcase’s Walkstation, on the other hand, is a fully integrated, height-adjustable work surface combined with a low speed commercial grade treadmill that allows users to burn calories while they work.  

To learn more about the World Workplace 2009 expo, or for a complete list of conference details, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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New Book on Cost Efficient, Sustainable Facility Practices to Debut at World Workplace

HOUSTON — (Sept. 11, 2009) — The IFMA Foundation is pleased to announce a new publication detailing how facility professionals can immediately cut operating costs, institute sustainable building practices and gain a voice in the strategic facility decisions made within their organizations.

“Cut it Out: Save for Today, Build for Tomorrow” is an 11-chapter quick reference guide focused on efficiency which features distinguished authors from organizations such as Jones Lang LaSalle, SCAN Health Plan, iNPOINT Advisors and the Work Design Collaborative.

The new book will be formally unveiled during a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m. during the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. It has been produced in partnership with Steelcase, JohnsonDiversey, Acuity Brands Lighting and other industry leading companies.

“This publication is the collaborative result of a team of experts who understand today’s economic and environmental climate in the commercial real estate industry,” said Jennifer Corbett-Shramo, ICE, IFMA Fellow, regional vice president of DCS Global Enterprise and one of the book’s authors. “It is a must-have tool for facility and property managers who need to rapidly reduce their operating costs while maintaining their sustainability initiatives.”

The new book will feature chapters outlining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® strategy; how to save money on real estate expenses; remote and mobile workplace strategies; energy efficiency; landscaping; outsourcing; and making the business case for facility initiatives, among others. It will also include specific case studies describing how companies achieved their results.

The book’s authors and other distinguished guests will speak about the new publication at its unveiling during World Workplace. The general public and members of the media are invited to attend. The publication will be available in the IFMA Bookstore upon its release.

To learn more about World Workplace 2009 or for a complete list of details, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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Pandemic Preparedness, Sustainability Highlight World Workplace 2009 Educational Sessions

HOUSTON — (Sept. 3, 2009) — Heading to Orlando Oct. 7-9, the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo will feature more than 75 educational sessions addressing issues relevant to the performance and safety of the workplace. This year’s sessions will cover topics including pandemic preparedness, sustainable building operations, commercial real estate purchase negotiation and more, and will feature presentations from representatives of AOL, ARAMARK, Duke University, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, among others.

World Workplace 2009 educational sessions will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, and Friday, Oct. 9, at the Orange County Convention Center. Sessions will follow educational tracks such as Benchmarking & Best Practices, Sustainability, and Trends & Innovation, and conference attendees can earn continuing education units for each session they attend.

With the global health threat posed by the recent outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, workplace professionals need to take proactive steps to protect employees, property and profits through a business continuity plan. Larry D. Riley, compliance consultant with the Workplace Safety Awareness Council, will present “The Swine Flu Pandemic: Urban Myths and Real Solutions for Your Facility” on Friday, Oct. 9, from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

“As business owners and facility managers we need to be aware. What protective measures are we taking?” said Riley. “Across the country I get the idea from people that it’s over — the little outbreak we saw was no big deal. I want to keep people in the loop and let them know it’s not over. I want people to leave the presentation with the idea that this is something that can really happen and can affect their business and company, and they need to take protective measures. The simplest way to do that is cleanliness.”

In recognition of the continued importance of environmental responsibility, World Workplace 2009 will also feature more than a dozen sessions on sustainability. On Thursday, Oct. 8, Bill Conley, CFM, CFMJ, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, and Laurie Gilmer, P.E., CFM, LEED AP, will host “Sustaining Sustainability: How to Create Long Term Sustainable Operations in Your Facility” from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Conley and Gilmer will cover the five core areas that contribute to sustainable operations and help attendees learn how to implement smart, effective initiatives that will facilitate continual measurement and improvement.

Other World Workplace sustainability sessions will focus on topics such as sustainable design legislation; integrating social responsibility and green thinking into the workplace; hybrid building power; reducing energy costs; evaluating the sustainability of green products; climate change and facility management; and indoor environmental quality.

Given the volatility of the real estate market, many built environment professionals find themselves second guessing their purchases or negotiation strategy. With this in mind, Brian Woolsey and Frank Sherwood, MBA, commercial real estate consultants with Colliers International, will present “Broker Reveals All! Get the Scoop on How the Commercial Real Estate Game Works from an Insider” on Friday, Oct. 9, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Woolsey and Sherwood will outline a 10-step process for making a great real estate transaction, helping attendees learn how real estate companies price their services and how to effectively negotiate with them.

Additional World Workplace educational sessions will cover a variety of topics, including energy management in federal facilities; workplace violence response and prevention; distributed work strategies; the impact of the economy on workplace design; and natural and man-made disaster preparedness.

For a complete list of World Workplace 2009 educational sessions, click here. To learn more about the conference or for a complete list of details, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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World Workplace 2009 Facility Tours Offer Behind-the-Scenes Look at Orlando’s Premier Facilities

HOUSTON — (Aug. 6, 2009) — As the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo brings the latest workplace trends and innovations to Orlando this year, the city’s own rich architecture and cutting edge facilities will be on full display. Workplace professionals from around the globe will meet in Orlando Oct. 5-6, 2009, to experience the city firsthand during exclusive tours of Walt Disney World Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants Corporate Headquarters, JetBlue University, Lincoln Plaza and the Orange County Convention Center.

The International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace conference annually offers attendees the opportunity to see the facilities that help define the conference’s host city, and there is no more iconic area of Orlando than Walt Disney World Resort.

During a three-hour tour, Disney institute facilitators will take attendees through a variety of locations for an up-close look at the park’s innovation. Tour sites are scheduled to include Disney’s Central Shops, where the “can-do people” create everything from parade floats to Audio-Animatronics figures; Main Street, U.S.A.; and the “utilidor” system of tunnels housing support systems underneath the Magic Kingdom.

Lockheed Martin’s Lake Underhill Facility in east Orlando contains 15 separate buildings totaling more than 1 million square feet. The campus serves as the global headquarters for simulation, training and support, providing strategic logistics systems and flight, ground, maritime and civil training solutions to customers worldwide.

The Lockheed Martin tour will feature a common area of the campus known as “the spine” — a nearly one-quarter mile long, climate controlled thoroughfare connecting all the facility’s major buildings. The Lake Underhill Facility has been selected as a showcase for energy, water and overall operational efficiency, and Lockheed Martin is currently pursuing ENERGY STAR® labeling and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® certification.

Headquartered in Orlando, Darden Restaurants is a Fortune 500 company that owns and operates more than 1,700 restaurants, including Olive Garden and Red Lobster. The company is relocating from multiple buildings to a new 470,000 square foot, three-story restaurant support center and separate data center located on a 57-acre site.

Tour attendees will be some of the first to see the new structures, which features multiple test kitchens; employee fitness and wellness centers; a single stream recycling program; and bioswales to collect water runoff into five retention ponds.

“One of the most exciting elements of the new Darden Restaurants Corporate Headquarters LEED Gold certified building is that we have been able to decrease our carbon footprint by 23,000 square feet with a move from 11 buildings to one state-of-the-art facility,” said Darden Restaurants Maintenance Coordinator Kevin Lemay, who will help conduct the tour. “To support our focus on sustainability, other elements include Summit HVAC systems, ILC lighting controls and non-potable waste water. In addition to enjoying the tour, conference attendees are certain to come away with new ideas and best practices they can incorporate into their own facilities.”

JetBlue University, which is responsible for the orientation and training of all employees of JetBlue Airways, will offer a tour of facilities including the simulator center and hangar. Tour attendees will be able to review the building control systems — including fire, high expansion foam, lighting and HVAC controls — as well as flight simulators and aircraft TV installations. A limited number of tour attendees will be allowed to ride in a flight simulator.

Orlando’s Lincoln Plaza, another facility available for touring, is a prime example of energy and water efficiency. The LEED certified property initiated a sustainable purchasing program to include materials such as paper, equipment and low-mercury lamps. Lincoln Plaza has increased its ENERGY STAR score from 69 to 84; instituted a multi-pronged recycling program; and reduced overall water consumption through low-flow aerators and sub-metering.

Playing host to this year’s conference is the Orange County Convention Center. Owned and operated by the Orange County government, the convention center was awarded a US$2.5 million grant from the state of Florida to help install a 1-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system, which uses solar cells to convert light into electricity. It is the largest photovoltaic system of its kind in the southeastern United States.

Tour attendees will visit key locations such as the exhibit hall, meeting rooms, back-of-house service areas, mechanical rooms and control locations, including the climate change education center, which will address the convention center’s solar project.

World Workplace 2009 facility tours will be held prior to the conference, on Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6. Members of each facility’s engineering, operations or facility management team will conduct the tours and be available to answer questions.

To learn more about World Workplace 2009 facility tours, or to register, click here. For a complete list of conference details, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media interested in attending World Workplace may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page. 

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World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo Brings Latest Workplace Trends and Innovations to Orlando

HOUSTON — (June 22, 2009) — Workplace professionals from around the world will meet in Orlando, Fla., to analyze the trends and new products impacting today’s built environment during the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo, Oct. 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center.

Recognized as the world’s premier educational and networking conference for facility managers and those in related fields, World Workplace brings industry leaders from the world’s top business and government organizations together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of the work environment. Now in its 30th year, the conference will feature more than 75 educational sessions and new product demonstrations by manufacturers from around the globe.

“World Workplace is regarded as the single most informative facility-related event in our industry for good reason — it’s the ‘one-stop shop’ for the solutions facility professionals need today in preparation to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, incoming chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “It’s more than just a conference and expo providing education, new products and services, and peer networking. It’s a professionally and personally rewarding experience, and holding it in the 'land of entertainment' this year will enhance what will already be a memorable event.”

In a year when many people are focusing on less, World Workplace is offering attendees more. This year’s conference will feature an opening keynote presentation from Andrew Winston — esteemed author, speaker and globally recognized expert on green business — as well as presentations from four concurrent power speakers, who will replace the conference’s traditional closing keynote session.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Winston will deliver the presentation “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his upcoming book. He will make the case that going green — especially during an economic slowdown — saves money to help you survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.

The conference will also offer attendees a glimpse into the future of the workplace, as they get the first look at the new products and services debuting in 2010. The World Workplace expo floor will feature more than 200 exhibiting companies — including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM, Lowe’s and UGL Unicco — and will be freely open to the public this year. Additionally, expo hours have been extended, giving exhibitors and attendees 11 dedicated hours of interaction on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7-8.

Another highlight of the World Workplace 2009 expo will be the Green Zone, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for those companies offering environmentally friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors will be featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.

Complementing the expo will be World Workplace 2009 educational sessions. Organized into eight different tracks, these sessions offer facility professionals the continuing education courses they need to meet the challenges posed by today’s workplace. Session topics include strategies for greening the office, the impact of new legislation on sustainable building design, and how to deal with workplace violence and natural disasters. Representatives from AOL, Duke University, and the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, among others, will present. World Workplace educational sessions will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 8-9.

Conference attendees can add to their Orlando experience by attending any of six different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring will be the Walt Disney World® Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants corporate headquarters and JetBlue University. Facility tours will be held before the conference begins, on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 5-6.

Following in the tradition of previous conferences, this year’s event has again received Cleaner & Greener® certification from Leonardo Academy, a non-profit environmental consulting group. Organizations seeking Cleaner & Greener certification make a commitment to gather emission reductions, offsetting the emissions caused by events.

Early registration for World Workplace 2009 is available through July 17. To learn more about the conference or to register, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.

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IFMA Announces Keynote Speaker Andrew Winston for World Workplace 2009 Conference in Orlando

HOUSTON — (March 30, 2009) — The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce the selection of Andrew Winston — esteemed author, speaker and globally recognized expert on green business — as the keynote speaker for the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo. Held Oct. 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., World Workplace 2009 will bring industry leaders from the world’s top business and government organizations together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of the built environment.

Winston will deliver the conference’s keynote presentation, “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his upcoming book, on Wednesday, Oct. 7. He will make the case that going green — especially during an economic slowdown — saves money to help you survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.

Through his presentation, Winston will demonstrate the importance of environmental strategy in hard times and show how conference attendees can help their own companies get lean by stepping up energy and resource efficiency to survive the downturn; get smart by using environmental data about products and value chains to save money, innovate and generate a competitive advantage; get creative and rejuvenate innovation efforts; and get people engaged and excited by enlisting them to help solve environmental challenges.

“The forces driving the greening of business and society have not gone away because of the economic downturn,” said Winston. “Going green isn’t just something you have to do — it’s something you should embrace and want to do.

“At its core, being green is about doing more with less, getting lean and saving money, and making your business more resilient and relevant to customers and employees. By getting lean and green, you can play a critical role in freeing up capital to survive the downturn and invest in the business for future success. Think of facilities not as a cost center, but a strategic asset.”

Winston is also the co-author of “Green to Gold,” the best-selling guide to what works — and what doesn’t — when companies go green, as well as the founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, a consulting firm dedicated to helping companies use environmental strategy to grow, create enduring value and build stronger relationships.

In addition to Winston, World Workplace 2009 will feature four power speakers in place of the conference’s traditional closing keynote presentation. World Workplace power speakers will speak on topics outlined in the conference’s educational tracks and will complement the 80 educational sessions offered.

Early registration for World Workplace 2009 is available through July 17. To learn more about the conference or to register, visit www.worldworkplace.org. Members of the media may register at no cost here.

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org.

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