We Are FM: Education FMs and government planners can see the future of tech, trends and solutions during NFMT, Baltimore

Due to its location in Baltimore, Maryland, a cradle of research institutions, colleges and universities, higher-education facility managers from institutions such as Johns Hopkins, U of Maryland, Loyola Maryland, Duke, and Wisconsin-Madison, among others are attending NFMT, looking for training because new tech, building operations and maintenance techniques are always emerging. Further, government building and facility managers from the Architect of the Capitol, the U.S. Army, NYPD, and others are known to attend sessions and walk the NFMT show floor.

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.”

As the first FM show every year, The McMorrow Reports & FMLink always attend, eager to see what’s concerning industry professionals and exploring sessions that are relevant for our readers. Our education picks include:

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 Best of Both Worlds – Plumbing and Drinking Water Solutions that Meet the Requirements of Sustainability and Facility Managers. From higher education to healthcare to K-12 to airports and office buildings, sustainability departments are driving change from procurement and facility managers to make improvements in the name of ESG initiatives. Projects include those that reduce waste, minimize water use, and provide safer environments for end-users. A balance must be found between installing products that yield sustainable KPIs along with operational savings and a respectable ROI. As it relates to drinking water and plumbing solutions, a number of new technologies are now available that meet both of these requirements.

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 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. 

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.  

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.

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.

Huddle: K-12 School Challenges.

Huddle: Emergency Preparedness & Resilience.

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.

The annual Women in FM panel and reception will be on Wednesday, March 13, 3:10 to 6:00 p.m.

For more information, NFMT.