IBC EUROFORUM GmbH - Facility Managers Should Become Strategic Partners

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

Duesseldorf/Amsterdam, April 2009. Facility management (FM) experts increasingly advocate an integrated FM strategy, so that infrastructural, technical and commercial services can evolve with the customer's core business. In the run-up to the "European Facility Management Conference 2009" (EFMC) on 16th and 17th June in Amsterdam (http://www.efmc2009.com), organizer IBC Euroforum (Informa Group) asked three FM professionals from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden for their appraisals.

FM can benefit from demands of crisis
"Just like other countries in the world, FM in the Netherlands will also face the consequences of the economic crisis," declares Lennart B. Harpe, Managing Director of the Dutch consulting and management company Humanagement. "Despite this threat, FM has a unique opportunity to benefit from the demand for a wide range of better service at lower costs. For example by offering products and services in business related service concepts that meet the requirements of the core business. As a result of this, FM contributes directly to the bottom-line results of the organisation."

Stronger strategic impact of FM
Thomas Polinelli, Head of Service Delivery Europe at Zurich Insurance Company, would like to see FM elevate its status in an organization by becoming more strategic: "Facility managers should be considered as a centre of expertise and excellence for business clients. They should be involved much earlier in projects - from the planning, construction, utilization and into the renovation and demolition phases dealing with the initiatives of the sustainability process."

International and inter-organisational collaboration
The EFMC is hosted by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM). "The rapidly changing world challenges the facility management industry every day," says Helena Ohlsson, board member of both associations. "Workforce mobility, new technology and demands on sustainable ways of living and working offer exciting opportunities for FM globally and locally." Ohlsson focuses on collaboration: "It is fascinating to be part of a growing and developing business field where we all can be active in influencing the future of the profession. By working together through our organizations and associations we develop standards, increase competence, share experience, act on new markets and develop innovative ways of strategically and tactically supporting core business functions."

EFMC 2009: "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. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Slovenian Cultural Ambassador Miha Pogacnik, concert violinist and entrepreneur, and by Rob Creemers, Dutch industry trend watcher. Creemers will go into the development of FM, considering global and European challenges. Magnus Kuchler, Partner at Ernst & Young in Sweden, will host the "FM debate of the year" addressing the issue of outsourcing. In order to underline the collaboration of economy and science, the Business Conference and the parallel Research Symposium will be networked. Business processes, technology and workplace trends, life cycle management and innovation in FM will be some of the topics of the Business Conference.

Leading FM service providers such as Echelon, Planon and the International Facility Alliance will be exhibitors at 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. EFMC 2009 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.

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
Internet: http://www.efmc2009.com

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