One week to go to join us at NFMT: We Are FM shines with abundant education sessions, networking, solutions and emerging new tech

It’s almost time to join fellow facility managers at NFMT who are seeking training because new tech, building operations and maintenance techniques are always emerging. For FM leadership and the staff they manage, it’s important to keep abreast of developments through education and visiting with suppliers. Training, networking and product knowledge have a solid home at NFMT 2024, the National Facilities Management & Technology show in Baltimore, March 12-14, themed, “We Are FM.”

The McMorrow Reports & FMLink always attend NFMT, the first show of the year, eager to engage in the education sessions and hear about ideas and solutions while exploring sessions that are relevant for our readers. Our education picks include:

2024 Construction Cost Trends & What They Mean for Facilities Leaders presented by John Timmerman, Product Marketing Manager, Gordian and Sam Giffin, Director of Data Operations, Gordian. Facilities professionals continue to navigate the persistent challenges of inflationary pressures on project costs, supply chain constraints, and material and labor availability. Industry experts from Gordian will share insights on the latest cost trends from RS Means Data, the factors influencing construction costs across North America and how cost volatility will affect FM.  

Selecting an EV Charging Partner for a Future-Proof Bottom Line, presented by Ryan Kennedy, PE, CEO and Cofounder, Atom Power. An overview of the EV charging market, infrastructure and challenges, followed by a formula for how facility managers can choose charging infrastructure that will be a profit center that attracts clientele. Kennedy will explain how managers can create an efficient value proposition by investing in charging infrastructure with a low total cost of ownership. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how to select efficient, flexible and reliable EV charging infrastructure to better improve both customer experiences and their bottom line.

The annual Women in FM Panel & Reception is always enlightening and has become an NFMT staple, bringing together a muti-faceted panel of women to discuss their professional, and sometimes personal, FM experiences. All are welcome to attend this collaborative gathering and join the conversation. Discuss challenges and triumphs, advocate for sustained visibility for women in facilities leadership, and share perspectives on what drives us to be part of the FM community. Presented by Karen Jones, VP, Learning & Partner Solutions, NextUp; Paula Spiese, principal, Sustainable Workplace Solutions; and Jennifer Treter, LEED A, principal, Hedrick Inc.

The session concludes with a casual reception to to boost and strengthen the connections created during the session on Wednesday, March 13, 3:10 to 6:00 p.m.

Using Technology, Data, and Services to Make Environmental Sustainability a Reality in Your Building. Environmental sustainability, climate change, and energy markets make headlines every day. It’s a business imperative for publicly traded companies. It’s a regulatory compliance requirement in dozens of cities and states where many public and private companies will be required to report energy use, climate impacts, and environmental risks. It’s an opportunity for enterprise organizations to collaborate with public officials, NGOs, and business leaders to take action. In practice, environmental sustainability takes shape differently in each industry. Challenges faced in food processing and transportation differ from the environmental management needs of mission-critical buildings like data centers, life sciences laboratories, and multi-building campuses. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every industry or business, there are critical considerations for facility managers when deciphering mandates and making decisions that are responsible for the environment and good for business. Presented by Larry Wash, CEO of Albireo Energy, an expert in high-performance, intelligent buildings and emerging IoT services that reduce energy intensity.

Achieving Lifecycle Asset Management: A Scalable Approach to Global Data Standardization. An accurate and consistent database is essential in the goal of reducing costs, driving efficiencies and maximizing the ROI from your portfolio of assets. Linking physical assets with the CMMS platform to create a robust digital inventory is a challenge facility operators face. Presented by David Gauvin, Global Asset & Planned Preventative Maintenance Lead, JLL Amazon GREF and Jeff Manas, National Practice Leader for JLL’s Environmental & Property Condition Services, JLL.

The Perfect Storm: ESG, DEI, RTO and the Impact on CRE, presented by Darlene Pope, President, North America, Planon. ESG and DEI are both are transformational enterprise initiatives which require participation by multiple departments and business units, both in actions and reporting. Couple that with the pressures around return to office initiatives, and the real estate industry is facing a perfect storm of pressures that will impact CRE for many years. 

Facilitopia – A Brighter Vision for the Facility Industry presented by John Rimer, President, FM360 Consulting. Facility management is not likely to be the new glamour career; however, this evolving industry and the professionals that work in it should strive to gain the recognition and resources deserved and needed to ensure success. Rimer will outline steps for recognizing, communicating, and selling the value facilities delivers to the organization. The intent is for each professional to be better equipped to raise the bar within their organization and to collectively help drive the industry toward this utopian view for facilities.

Capital planning, competing priorities and a high-inflation environment presented by Kyle Christiansen RA
V. P of US Operations, Ross Integrated Asset Management Strategies. Christiansen will explore inflationary pressures, offering asset management strategies to prioritize and centralize capital planning budgets, focusing on the value of defensible data from a technical and cost basis, value of robust capital planning software, and integrated asset management consulting.

The Return to Office Survival Guide in Today’s Hybrid World a discussion with Bob Fox, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, Principal, Corporate. and Andy Yeh, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, Principal, Interiors, both of Fox Architects, moderated by Jennifer Treter, principal, Hendrick. When your C-suite wants the workforce to return to work and asks you to make it happen, what are the things you need to think about and prepare for to have an effective and meaningful engagement? The session will include a concise history of the office and the development of the FM role, highlighting the paradigm shift in the FM role and how to evolve with the new requirements of a hybrid workforce from a change implementer to an agent of change.

NFMT offers educations sessions in the following tracks: Asset Management; Energy & Sustainability; Future Trends; Health & Safety; M&O; Security; and Technology. The exhibit floor is open Tuesday, 2:30 to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 to 3:00 p.m.; and Thursday, 10:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For more information, NFMT.