FMs encouraged to challenge, change and collaborate

The new year will herald a new era for Facilities Management 2017 as for the first time, this annual event will be under the new ownership of Western Business Exhibitions (WBE) under the theme FM: the Business Enabler. 

Event director Tim Else said: “Facilities management is too often as seen as a cost and liability to a business. Something to blame when things go wrong, and to cut when costs are under scrutiny. But forward-thinking businesses are using FM as a competitive differentiator enabling them to recruit and retain the best talent and clients, create engaging and productive working environments, drive the CSR agenda and add value to the bottom line. For these leading organisations, FM is an asset and a true business enabler.”

Education & inspiration

Delegates attending the event will be encouraged to challenge, change and collaborate. Two theatres – FM Matters and FM Dialogue – will showcase content, which will educate and inspire visitors to challenge the way they think, change the way they operate, and collaborate with partners to innovate. Visitors will take back to their organisation the knowledge, tools and techniques to make an impression on the business and bottom line.

Else added: “We’re excited to hear from leading organisations which are using FM as an asset rather than treating it as a liability. There are still a few opportunities remaining for key professionals to join the debate and if you’d like to make your opinion count, please contact Cathy Hayward at [email protected] as soon as possible.”

The Energy Institute (EI) is partnering with WBE to provide strategic support for the event, speaking in the keynote seminars and debates, to share the latest information and unbiased energy knowledge.

The EI supports individuals working in or studying energy and 250 companies worldwide, providing learning and networking opportunities to support professional development, as well as professional recognition and technical and scientific knowledge resources on energy in all its forms and applications.

“We are delighted to bring the EI on board and to be working together," Else said. "Effective energy management is more important than ever before and faces some major challenges. We hope to be able to raise awareness and provide a much deeper understanding of how energy can be managed."

What makes a good FM?

In the seminars, visitors will hear from an expert panel on the topic of what makes a good FM. Guy Pakenham, MD for Cordant Cleaning, will be joined by Kentish and Co. MD and co-founder Liz Kentish; facilities director at Covance Laboratories Lucy Hind; and Preston Gan, the head of quality and performance for the facilities and estates directorate at NHS Grampian. The panel will debate what skills, experience and attributes contribute to good FM, how best to train the FMs of the future, and whether we are ignoring the M in FM.

As well as providing expert knowledge to assist in making long and short term business decisions, the seminar content will feature motivational speakers including renowned polar explorer Mark Wood. Helping to understand the psychology behind overcoming challenges, Wood will share his experiences gained across over 30 major expeditions and by leading people through the planet’s extremes. 

To register to attend the event or if you are interested in exhibiting, visit: http://www.fm-birmingham.com