TFM Show 2009 Recap

The 12th annual TFM Show crossed the finish line in Indianapolis last month. Exhibitors and attendees of the show, which was co-located with CONSTRUCT2009, cheered the success of the commercial building industry event. Held at the Indiana Convention Center June 16-19, 2009, in conjunction with CSI’s 53rd Annual Convention, the newly, co-located event offered hundreds of exhibits, two accredited education programs, CSI meetings and events, expanded networking, technical tours, social events and a student competition.

The TFM Show program offered 24 accredited classes designed specifically for facility management professionals. The in-depth education programs focused on the latest techniques, technology, industry solutions trends, and best practices. Session attendance exceeded 100 for classes such as “Green Specs/LEED Specs” taught by Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, CCS, LEED of Kalin Associates, Newton, MA. Additional sustainability and green topics were also heavily attended throughout the week.

Wednesday’s General Session drew a crowd of nearly 1,000 who wanted to hear keynote speaker, Mark Mulqueen, International Space Station Vehicle Director, speak about designing, building, and operating in space with zero gravity. “The entire station is an experiment in collaboration and cooperation,” tweeted Vivian Volz, RA, CST, CCS, LEED AP. “Great keynote presentation!”

The International Space Station contains living spaces approximately the size of a five bedroom home.
The International Space Station contains living spaces approximately the size of a five bedroom home.

The total number of attendees was down slightly under 12% from 2008. Still, overall attendee and exhibitor satisfaction was up. “Despite the economy, the attitude at CONSTRUCT2009 is optimistic,” reported Michael Chusid, RA, FCSI, CCS, SCIP on Twitter. In an article on USGNN.com, Chris Holmes of PPG Industries Inc. stated “We are just getting started, but we are having some quality contacts coming through.” And, DORMA’s Troy Pavy seemed confident the show would be a good one despite the state of the economy.

Social networking sites and blogs on the internet carried the success stories of many exhibitors including the Carpet and Rug Institute Blog. The post titled, “CONSTRUCT2009/TFM Show: Building Relationships in Indianapolis”, included, “For me, it was a very busy show.”

Other exhibitors conveyed an upbeat attitude. “The CONSTRUCT/TFM show has consistently been one of our best trade shows for quality leads,” said Evan Bane, CSI, CDT of InPro Corporation. “Even in what’s been a tough economy for construction-related expos, this year’s show in Indy proved to be an excellent opportunity for us.” And, Jeff Mentor, VP at McKeon Door responded, “As a manufacturer of specialty doors maintaining a solid position in the specification community has been a must—McKeon has always been and will always be an ardent supporter and believer in CONSTRUCT. As a testament to this commitment we have doubled booth space for 2010—there simply is no better way to get in front of decision makers and key designers.”

Nearly 300 exhibitors were on the event floor. A sampling of this group: Ameristar Fence Products; BASF Corporation; Benjamin Moore Paints; The Blue Book; Carlisle SynTec, Inc.; D.C. Taylor Co.; Dow Roofing Systems; DuPont Building Innovations; E-Mon; Excel Dryer, Inc.; Firestone Building Products; Forbo Flooring Systems; Georgia Pacific Corp; Innerface Architectural Signage, Inc.; Kwalu; Owens Corning LLC; PPG Industries Inc.; Pratt & Lambert Paints; Seesmart LED; Sherwin-Williams; Specified Technologies, Inc; The Watt Stopper, Inc.; Wooster Products, Inc.; and World Dryer Corp. (For a full list, see TFM’s June 2009 coverage of the show.)

More than 3,300 industry professionals registered to attend the four-day event, with the majority of attendees representing architects, specifiers, owners/CEOs/presidents, and facility managers.

Hanley-Wood, the event owner, have announced that CONSTRUCT2010 and The TFM Show will be held May 11-14, 2010 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA, in conjunction with the 54th CSI Annual Convention.