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World Workplace 2009 Brings An Estimated $7.2 Million To Orlando
10.15.09 | Houston, TX | The World Workplace 2009 Conference & Expo — a three-day event showcasing the trends and new products impacting today’s built environment — concluded in Orlando, Fla., last week, attracting an estimated 3,800 attendees from nearly 35 countries. Held Oct. 7-9 at the Orange County Convention Center, the event generated about US$7.2 million in revenue for the city, according to convention center estimates.
“World Workplace was a perfect example of how the FM community — professionals, associates and our other global stakeholders — continually demonstrates a collective commitment toward advancing the profession,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “I had an opportunity to meet and speak with many of the attendees, and the overall feedback I received from their involvement with the educational sessions, expo, networking opportunities and IFMA Foundation events was extremely positive.”
As the “youniversal” workplace experience, World Workplace 2009 marked IFMA’s 30th annual conference. Industry leaders, authors, educators, government representatives and students joined 264 international exhibitors from companies including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM and Lowe’s to focus on the future of the built environment.
The pride of the expo floor was once again the World Workplace Green Zone — an exclusive section of the expo hall reserved for exhibitors offering environmentally-friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors were featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, Bentley Prince Street, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.
This year’s expo also featured an appearance by former Harlem Globetrotter Tommy Mitchell, father of the IFMA chairman. The former basketball star signed autographs and posed for photos with attendees.
Complementing the expo were the conference’s educational sessions. Session topics included strategies for greening the office, the impact of new legislation on sustainable building design, pandemic preparedness, sustainable building operations, commercial real estate purchase negotiation and more. Representatives from AOL, ARAMARK, Duke University, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, and others presented.
Globally recognized author, speaker and expert on green business Andrew Winston delivered the conference’s keynote presentation, “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his latest book. Winston stressed how going green during an economic slowdown saves money to help companies survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.
At the conference, the IFMA Foundation unveiled a new publication detailing how facility professionals can immediately cut operating costs, institute sustainable building practices and gain a voice in the strategic facility decisions made by their organizations. “Cut it Out: Save for Today, Build for Tomorrow,” an 11-chapter quick reference guide focused on efficiency, features authors from organizations such as Jones Lang LaSalle and SCAN Health Plan. It was produced in partnership with Steelcase, JohnsonDiversey and other industry leading companies.
Conference attendees had the chance to see Orlando firsthand by attending any of six different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring were the Walt Disney World® Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants corporate headquarters and JetBlue University.
Reaching out to the communities that host the conference is one of the many traditions that have become hallmarks of World Workplace. This year, IFMA worked closely with the OCCC to make sure the event’s excess food and supplies went to help those most in need in the Orlando area.
Surplus pens, pads, attendee bags, signage and more were donated to the local charity A Gift for Teaching, which supplies these resources to lower-income schools and students. Excess food was donated to Hubbard House, which provides low-cost room and board to families with relatives in critical care at local Orlando-area hospitals. Exhibiting company The Fruitguys also donated fresh fruit to the Hubbard House.
Following in the tradition of previous conferences, this year’s World Workplace again received Cleaner & Greener® certification from Leonardo Academy, a non-profit environmental consulting group. Organizations seeking Cleaner & Greener certification make a commitment to gather emission reductions, offsetting the emissions caused by events. Eighteen percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the conference were offset, in addition to 32 percent of the nitrogen oxide emissions and 100 percent of the sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions.
With this year’s conference and expo complete, momentum is building for World Workplace 2010, to be held Oct. 27-29 in Atlanta, Ga. For more information on World Workplace 2010 call for presentations, booth registration or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.worldworkplace.org.
IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.
“World Workplace was a perfect example of how the FM community — professionals, associates and our other global stakeholders — continually demonstrates a collective commitment toward advancing the profession,” said Thomas L. Mitchell Jr., CFM, CFMJ, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “I had an opportunity to meet and speak with many of the attendees, and the overall feedback I received from their involvement with the educational sessions, expo, networking opportunities and IFMA Foundation events was extremely positive.”
As the “youniversal” workplace experience, World Workplace 2009 marked IFMA’s 30th annual conference. Industry leaders, authors, educators, government representatives and students joined 264 international exhibitors from companies including 3M, ARAMARK, IBM and Lowe’s to focus on the future of the built environment.
The pride of the expo floor was once again the World Workplace Green Zone — an exclusive section of the expo hall reserved for exhibitors offering environmentally-friendly products and services. More than 75 exhibitors were featured in the Green Zone this year, including organizations such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments and the U.S. Department of State, as well as companies including AT&T, Bentley Prince Street, CORT, Kimball Office and Kohler.
This year’s expo also featured an appearance by former Harlem Globetrotter Tommy Mitchell, father of the IFMA chairman. The former basketball star signed autographs and posed for photos with attendees.
Complementing the expo were the conference’s educational sessions. Session topics included strategies for greening the office, the impact of new legislation on sustainable building design, pandemic preparedness, sustainable building operations, commercial real estate purchase negotiation and more. Representatives from AOL, ARAMARK, Duke University, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Air Force and General Services Administration, and others presented.
Globally recognized author, speaker and expert on green business Andrew Winston delivered the conference’s keynote presentation, “Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart and Emerge from the Downturn on Top,” based on his latest book. Winston stressed how going green during an economic slowdown saves money to help companies survive, drives innovation to create value for the long run and represents a fundamentally new and better way of doing business.
At the conference, the IFMA Foundation unveiled a new publication detailing how facility professionals can immediately cut operating costs, institute sustainable building practices and gain a voice in the strategic facility decisions made by their organizations. “Cut it Out: Save for Today, Build for Tomorrow,” an 11-chapter quick reference guide focused on efficiency, features authors from organizations such as Jones Lang LaSalle and SCAN Health Plan. It was produced in partnership with Steelcase, JohnsonDiversey and other industry leading companies.
Conference attendees had the chance to see Orlando firsthand by attending any of six different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring were the Walt Disney World® Resort, Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants corporate headquarters and JetBlue University.
Reaching out to the communities that host the conference is one of the many traditions that have become hallmarks of World Workplace. This year, IFMA worked closely with the OCCC to make sure the event’s excess food and supplies went to help those most in need in the Orlando area.
Surplus pens, pads, attendee bags, signage and more were donated to the local charity A Gift for Teaching, which supplies these resources to lower-income schools and students. Excess food was donated to Hubbard House, which provides low-cost room and board to families with relatives in critical care at local Orlando-area hospitals. Exhibiting company The Fruitguys also donated fresh fruit to the Hubbard House.
Following in the tradition of previous conferences, this year’s World Workplace again received Cleaner & Greener® certification from Leonardo Academy, a non-profit environmental consulting group. Organizations seeking Cleaner & Greener certification make a commitment to gather emission reductions, offsetting the emissions caused by events. Eighteen percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the conference were offset, in addition to 32 percent of the nitrogen oxide emissions and 100 percent of the sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions.
With this year’s conference and expo complete, momentum is building for World Workplace 2010, to be held Oct. 27-29 in Atlanta, Ga. For more information on World Workplace 2010 call for presentations, booth registration or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.worldworkplace.org.
IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three-day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year-round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction. This year’s conference will be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.worldworkplace.org. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the conference’s NETworkplace page.
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