Things You May Have Missed at World Workplace 2016 (Even if You Were There)
Whether you joined us in sunny San Diego for IFMA’s World Workplace conference or not, you’re likely to hear about it for the next few weeks. It was quite a show! From a party on board a retired naval ship to the hottest rooftop happy hour in town, everyone had a great time, while learning about the future of our industry. Here’s everything that went down and what we took away from FMs greatest week of the year.
We Were Educated About the Future 
Elizabeth Dukes session covering Tech Stories from the Frontline shared examples of her time with workplace managers who took a leap of faith and invested in technology to help maintain their workplace. What they found was not only did their workplace run more efficiently, and was easier to plan for, but their workforce productivity skyrocketed, and employee satisfaction was at an all time high. By using technology in the right way, time opened up for them to use their job title in a way they always knew it could.
"Technology takes you from a "maintainer" of your workplace to an innovator for your workforce." – Elizabeth Dukes
Many other World Workplace speakers focused on the future of the FM industry as well. Carolyn “Wonder Woman” McGary, CFM and FM for JLL, and a self-proclaimed FM superhero, spoke for the first time at World Workplace, and was a huge hit! She focused on how our message should be tailored to the future of our workplace leaders, and how we can educate them about one of the most important, yet unknown, jobs in the office.
“We need to save our world of FM. Kids can grow up to be superheros, we can show them how facilities managers can be like Superman.” – Carolyn McGary.
We Awarded Our Peers
During the IFMA Awards of Excellence ceremony, many of our fellow facilities managers were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the field. We were absolutely honored to take home the first FM Innovation Award this year for our iOFFICE Marketplace revealed this year. Here is the complete list of the winners of the 2016 Awards of Excellence:
Chapter Award of Excellence in Professional Development: Silicon Valley Chapter of IFMA
Council Award of Excellence in Programs & Professional Development: Utilities Council of IFMA
Chapter Award of Excellence in Web Communications: Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA
Distinguished Author Award, Social Media: Wayne Whitzell, LEED AP, BEP, GB
Distinguished Author Award, Book or Instructional Materials: Richard Payant, CFM
Facility Management Innovation Award: iOFFICE, Inc.
Associate Member Award: David Karpook
Distinguished Educator Award: Kathy Roper, CFM, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow
George Graves Award for Facility Management Achievement: Jack Christensen
Sheila Sheridan Award for Sustainable Facility Operations: Compass Properties Green Team & Lead Todd Greenwald
Emerging Professional Award: Thomas Allen Koontz, Jr.
Distinguished Member Award: Carolyn McGary, CFM, FMP, SFP
Student Chapter of the Year Award: Brigham Young University Student Chapter of IFMA
We Had a Great Time
The largest workplace management conference of its kind doesn’t go off without a bit of fun! On Tuesday, a few of our team members and other early arrivals competed in the annual Doug Underwood Golf Tournament at Steele Canyon Golf Club. The following night the annual Welcome Reception was held on a USS Midway, and what a party it was! We heard Thursday evening that attendees took advantage of the conferences unbeatable location, and were spotted enjoying drinks in the Gaslamp Quarter or having dinner on Coronado for a breathtaking view of the harbor. But most importantly…
We Told Our Story
This year’s World Workplace theme was “The FM Story is Ours to Share”, and what a true statement that is. The facilities manager position is one of great significance and determines the success of an entire organization, and yet it can still be a thankless job, one that many office workers never consider. IFMA strives to not only raise awareness for the industry itself, but to help recruit the absolute best talent out there. We need the best in positions like these. We need the superheroes, individuals who aren’t afraid to take chances and possibly make mistakes for the future of the workplace, and those who are brave enough to take on a challenge. We need the heroes of the workplace to help tell the story, and this week we were honored to have been part of the journey! We hope to see everyone next year at World Workplace 2017 in our hometown, Houston, TX!
