Virtual Facility Management Event: May 18

The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce the first ever Virtual Conference & Expo, the association’s newest professional development event for facility managers and those in related fields. The virtual event is designed to connect peers, industry experts, and solutions providers worldwide in a convenient, secure online environment. The Virtual Conference & Expo will be held May 18, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CDT.

The conference will feature a total of 38 educational sessions and speaker presentations, 10 of which will be held live, with the other 28 available for on-demand viewing. Both live and on-demand sessions offer participants CEU credits and CFM® maintenance points, and registration includes a 90-day pass to access any of the sessions following the event.

The virtual event will be headlined by keynote speaker David Nour, consultant, author, and CEO of The Nour Group, who will deliver a presentation on customer economics in which he will help participants realize professional growth through social media and strategic business relationships. Also headlining the event will be power speaker Linda Edgecombe, author and humorist, whose session will take attendees through an educational and humorous ride that will refocus how they see life and work and include ideas for eliminating negative life drainers and increasing energy levels.

Other sessions will cover topics including carbon neutrality, energy conservation, portfolio management, remote work, and sustainability. Also featured will be a special emergency preparedness presentation on the September 2010 Discovery Channel hostage crisis from a representative of Discovery Communications. Representatives from organizations including American University, Cushman & Wakefield, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Smithsonian Institution will also present.

The virtual event will feature a three-dimensional expo that will recreate the experience of visiting live booths. Exhibitors will set up their booths with company and product literature, presentations, product demonstrations, and more. Booths will be staffed with company representatives to answer questions and participate in online conversations with attendees. Attendees will be able to access the expo through the conference’s online exhibit hall and the educational sessions and presentations through the auditorium.

A resource center will also be provided as a central repository for information from the event, including case studies, white papers, and more, and the online network lounge will allow attendees to connect with one another through group chats and message boards throughout the conference. The event will also feature Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn social media integration.

Additionally, attendees will have a virtual briefcase they can use to store information they receive from exhibitors, session presenters, or other resources available throughout the conference. The virtual briefcase will be accessible for 90 days following the event.

“IFMA’s first ever Virtual Conference & Expo will provide an opportunity to gain access to a wide range of new presentations without ever leaving home,” said Kathy O. Roper, CFM, MCR, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow and first vice chair of the association’s board of directors. “Eliminating travel costs provides the perfect educational option for many fms in today’s economy, and this new event will feature both live and on-demand presentations, enabling participants to not only learn at their leisure, but also interact with exhibitors in an online environment.”