Global FM, the Global Facility Management Association, designated this Wednesday, July 13 as World FM Day 2016. The theme this year is “empowering people for a productive world”, and looks at how facilities management (FM) enables different business disciplines to collaborate to deliver high-quality business performance.
Speaking on the theme recently, Duncan Waddell, Chairman of Global FM, said “FM is all about enablement; as a sector we enable people to work, we enable the economy, we enable technology, we enable social interaction — the list is endless. At the crux of all of this is people — and for this year’s World FM Day we aim to highlight how we, as FM professionals, empower people to reach their full potential and in turn create a productive world.”
An annual celebration since 2009, this is the eighth World FM Day, which is led by Global FM through its World FM Day Task Force. Having a designated day aims to recognize the vital work that FM professionals, and the FM sector, contributes to businesses worldwide while raising the profile of the profession around the world.
Today, July 11, 2016, marks the beginning of events that FM professionals and groups will take part in to promote the profession and to network. These events include: social media activities, luncheons, seminars, and workshops.
Waddell comments, “We see so many diverse events being staged to mark World FM Day, and whilst they vary so much from a conference to small FM team drinks after work, they are all united in the aim of celebrating FM. I would urge everyone across the FM profession to take some time during the week to promote FM and celebrate World FM Day and show how FM can empower people for a productive world.”
Celebrations for World FM Day will be led across six continents by Global FM members; the Associação Brasileira de Facilities (ABRAFAC), the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM), the Facility Management Association of Australia (FMA Australia), Facilities Management Association of New Zealand (FMANZ), the Hungarian Facility Management Society (HFMS), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA), and the South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA).
Winners in the Global FM Awards of Excellence will also be revealed on World FM Day. The awards recognize the best of the best in FM, highlighting how they support businesses across the globe. In 2015, BIFM’s “JLL Property and Asset Management Academy” submission received the Platinum Award, followed by Westminster Schools through IFMA and then the Commonwealth Bank of Australia with FMA, Australia.