Registration Begins For IFMA’s World Workplace 2009

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has opened registration for the World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo, held October 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. 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.

Companies registering 10 or more people will receive the tenth full registration free. To learn more about conference registration rates and options, click here or e-mail registrations@ifma.org. To register for World Workplace 2009, click 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.

In 2008 the World Workplace Conference & Expo was held in Dallas, TX from October 15-17, attracting an estimated 4,500 attendees from nearly 40 countries. The event generated nearly $12.9 million in revenue for the city, according to estimates from the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

As the “youniversal” workplace event, World Workplace 2008 marked IFMA’s 29th annual conference. 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.

Back for the second year was the World Workplace Green Zone, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for exhibitors offering environmentally friendly products and services. More than 100 exhibitors were featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council and companies such as Bentley Prince Street, Herman Miller, and Kohler.

Chip Heath, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and European business guru Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle, a visiting professor at Ashridge Business School in the U.K., delivered the conference’s keynote addresses. Heath discussed how to use “naturally sticky” ideas to design more effective messages, while Ridderstråle offered evolved thinking and commentary on the state of business in the latter half of this decade.

The event also featured 83 educational sessions on topics such as sustainability, emergency preparedness in a post-September 11 world, and global facility planning. Educational session speakers included representatives from ARAMARK, ConocoPhillips, and Nokia, as well as from universities around the world.

In addition to continuing education, industry partnerships took center stage at the conference. World Workplace 2008 saw IFMA enter into a memorandum of understanding with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The two groups agreed to collaborate on projects, publications, sustainability research, educational offerings, and legislative and regulatory issues.

IFMA also renewed Partners in Excellence agreements with the British Institute of Facilities Management and the Facility Management Association of Australia. Originally signed in 2004, the agreements call for collaboration between the organizations on standards, research, knowledge sharing and other activities.

Conference attendees had the chance to see Dallas firsthand during IFMA facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring were the Dallas Morning News corporate offices, the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Convention Center, and the 115 year old, newly restored Old Red Courthouse.

Following in the tradition of 2007’s World Workplace, the 2008 conference 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.