(openPR) - EFMC 2009 - THE European Facility Management Conference
16th and 17th June 2009, Okura Hotel, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Duesseldorf/Amsterdam, June 2009. Turbulent times mean changes for several commercial sectors, so for the facility management (FM) industry. "Facility management is a constantly evolving profession, and FM trends are increasingly driven by technology," declares Wim T. Jansen (Dutch Ministry of Transport and Water Management). "Developments are about doing more with less, automation, outsourcing, increasing complexity, value-driven design, energy conservation and short-term staffing." Sture Karlsson (Tetra Pak, Sweden) explains why the current situation is ambiguous: "In this time of financial turmoil the good news is that it can be easier to question old behaviour. It's like an ice formation - you can't get into a new shape unless you melt it first. The bad news is that there is a focus on short term solutions which are not always the best in the long run." Thus, flexibility and strategies are required.

International FM experts will meet at the "EFMC - European Facility Management Conference 2009" on 16th and 17th June in Amsterdam (www.efmc2009.com). Featuring a Business Conference and Research Symposium integrated into one event, EFMC 2009 will present "one world, different problems - joint efforts, sustainable solutions". More than 50 top speakers from Europe and abroad will allude to strategies, profitability and sustainability of FM. Further topics will comprise processes and technologies, life cycle management, innovations and future trends as well as corporate social responsibility.

"Journey of Transformation" and "FM Debate of the Year"
Keynote speeches will be delivered by Slovenian Cultural Ambassador Miha Pogacnik and Dutch information industry trend watcher Rob Creemers. Pogacnik will take attendees on a "Journey of Transformation". Considering the issues crisis, reflection and new approaches, he will design a piece of music and a work of art during his lecture which will both be presented in the end. The concert violinist and entrepreneur will teach how to overcome "lamentation paralysis" by means of music in order to revive personal and commercial success. Creemers will go into the global and European challenges surrounding the development of FM.

Magnus Kuchler (Ernst & Young, Sweden) will host the "FM Debate of the Year" covering the pros and cons of FM outsourcing. The debaters will be Leif Moellebjerg (Lego Systems, Denmark), Gianmaurizio Cazzarolli (Tetra Pak, Italy) and Walter Verdonk (Sodexo Altys, the Netherlands).

Exhibition and "European FM Award Ceremony"
The EFMC is hosted by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM). This year's event will be supported by more than 30 national FM associations - in particular Facility Management Nederland (FMN) and IFMA-Holland - and more than 40 research and educational organizations. Leading FM service providers such as Echelon, Planon and the International Facility Alliance will be exhibitors at the EFMC 2009. The social programme will comprise a welcome reception, a student poster session and a gala dinner on the occasion of the European FM Award Ceremony. The four award categories are: "Partners across Borders", "European FM of the Year", "European FM Researcher of the Year" and "European FM Student of the Year". Information on the event programme is available on the internet at: www.efmc2009.com.

Contact:
Carsten M. Stammen
Press Officer
IBC Euroforum GmbH (Informa Group)
Prinzenallee 3
D-40549 Duesseldorf
Phone: +49 (0) 211 / 96 86-3390
Email: carsten.stammen@informa.com

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