The TFM Show 2009: June 16-19

A world of facility management resources (and more) can be found in Indianapolis this month.

By Anne Vazquez
Published in the June 2009 issue of Today's Facility Manager

In Indianapolis this month, facility management (FM) professionals will find a wide variety of resources to help them perform their jobs more successfully. The TFM Show, taking place at the Indiana Convention Center June 16 to 19, provides attendees the opportunity to visit nearly 300 exhibiting product and service providers, choose from 130 educational sessions, and take part in facility tours and other special events.

Co-located with the CONSTRUCT2009 Show, this event brings together all aspects of a facility manager’s (fm) work. From “big picture” professional development to security, energy, and technology issues, this year’s TFM Show presents the broadest array of resources in the industry. Attendees will access a wealth of information they are looking for during this week in Indianapolis.

Exhibit Hall

The TFM Show exhibitors are highlighting the latest product and services for the FM industry, with many also representing tried and true offerings that fms already find useful in their work. Meanwhile, with CONSTRUCT2009 also located on the show floor, attendees have the benefit of accessing exhibitors in that area as well. So, whether working with a design team for a new facility, situated in the midst of a construction project, or fine tuning the daily and long-term management of their facilities, attendees of The TFM Show will find solutions (see exhibitor list below).

The exhibit hall will open on Wednesday, June 17 immediately after the General Session featuring Mark Mulqueen, vehicle program director, International Space Station (ISS) Program, Space Exploration. Mulqueen, who works at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis, MO, will speak about the process of designing, building, and assembling the ISS. Traveling at 17,000 miles per hour, this structure includes living spaces approximately the size of a five bedroom home.

Open from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm that day, the exhibit hall will operate during dedicated show hours so as not to conflict with educational sessions and networking events. That evening, attendees will gather at the nearby Hyatt Hotel for a welcome reception sponsored by Grace.

On Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19, attendees can continue to browse the exhibits and take time to talk with representatives without missing any of the valuable education being offered away from the floor. There will, however, also be educational events in the exhibit hall throughout the week.

During the three exhibit hall days, fms can attend instructional offerings at the Education Pavilion, which features 10 sessions. Running for 30 minutes or 60 minutes, topics include “Water Management in Commercial Window Systems” and “Elevator Technology.” As with The TFM Show educational program offerings, attendees of the Education Pavilion can earn continuing education units (CEUs) for these sessions.

Throughout the three days of exhibits, a student construction competition will be underway. As at past CONSTRUCT shows, college students who are pursuing an education in construction related fields have been invited to take part in a design challenge.

This year’s competition involves designing and building an enclosure to house Segway Personal Transporters along the city of Indianapolis’ International Cultural Trail (ICT). A committee of students created this hypothetical scenario: With the development of the ICT, the City of Indianapolis has witnessed the growing popularity of the Segway Personal Transporter. Because the City wishes to ensure that those riding Segways can stop along the trail and leave their transporter for hours at a time, a need has developed for a safe, secure, and weather resistant enclosure.

Participants have submitted designs to show management, and using a standard kit of parts, they will construct their Segway enclosure on the show floor during Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18. Judging will occur on Thursday afternoon, and awards will be presented on the afternoon of Friday, June 19 during the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Annual Meeting.

Educational Program

The TFM Show conference program is categorized into seven tracks (Applied Management, Energy and the Environment, Leadership and Change, Interiors/Exteriors, Safety/Security, Technology and Engineering, and LonMARK). These 40 sessions address topics that fms working in all types of facilities encounter.

The sessions have been created with the goal of training fms to create safe environments, support corporate goals through the physical workplace, and enhance organizational effectiveness. To that end, show management has assembled a group of experts to present a variety of classes. Some examples:

• FM Mantra: Doing More With A Lot Less with James Elledge, CFM, RPA, FMA, IFMA Fellow. In this Applied Management session, Elledge (a regular contributor to TFM magazine) will address the challenges faced with constraints on time and manpower.
• The Art of Budget Funding with Mike McConnell, CPM, RPA, a commercial property manager for Colonial Properties Trust
• CMMS: Do It Once, Do It Right presented by Jamshed Rivetna, founder of Ensoft Consulting in Plano, TX
• Indoor Air Quality Basics with John Hamilton, CIAQP, ASHRAE who works for the National Energy Management Institute as chief operating officer of the Testing Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB)

Additionally, attendees of the TFM Show will have access to the 90 sessions that are part of the CONSTRUCT2009 educational program. This overlap will enable fms to learn about topics related to, or maybe just beyond, their everyday scope of work. Topics in that program include:

• Perspectives From Code Officials, presented by code official R. Grant Easterling, FCSI, AIA, CBO, CCS, CCCA with the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Development Services; and
• Walking A Path Toward 2030—Integrated Energy Efficient And On-Site Renewable Energy Strategies For Net Zero Buildings, presented by Masaki Furukawa, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, an architect and the director of sustainability at Innovative Design in Raleigh, NC.

For attending classes in either program, fms are eligible to earn CEUs from several industry groups. These are The American Institute of Architects (AIA) (including its new requirements for sustainability design), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), The BOMI Institute, and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). Fms should check their on-site Show Guide or visit www.TheTFMShow.com to verify what sessions qualify for which type of CEU.

Special Events

Discovering new products and services in the exhibit hall and attending the plethora of classes will keep TFM Show attendees busy. But beyond those activities, the show has been planned with several facility tours and leisurely networking events to round out the fm’s experience in Indianapolis.

At the museum, a panel discussion with participants from the architectural firm of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, contractor Wilhelm Construction, and event sponsor LinEl Signature will take place during lunch. The museum’s fm will speak on the functionality and operation of the building.

Those who want to play a round of golf that day instead can register for an outing at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. Designed by renowned golf course architect, Pete Dye, holes seven through 10 are located within the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On the evening of Thursday, June 18, attendees will have another opportunity to network in a relaxed environment by attending a minor league baseball game at Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians.

On Saturday, June 20, the TFM Show schedule will wrap up with a tour of the City of Columbus, IN. Located about 40 miles south of Indianapolis with a population of 39,000, Columbus is ranked sixth in the nation by the AIA for architectural innovation and design. The tour features more than 70 buildings and pieces of public art by internationally noted architects and artists, including I.M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier, Harry Weese, Dale Chihuly, and Henry Moore.

In December 2007, TFM columnist Tim Springer, Ph.D. wrote about a trip he had made to Columbus, IN. In that article, Springer writes, “The story of Columbus is as special as the resulting community and offers many lessons to those of us in the facilities, architecture, and design professions, as well as society at large.”

Enjoy The Show!

As in past years, fms attending The TFM Show will access quality exhibitors, education, tours, and other networking events. This combination of industry expertise makes for a valuable few days away from the office.

And this year, being co-located with CONSTRUCT2009 will enable FM professionals to meet and interact with others who are involved in other stages and aspects of the facility lifecycle. With a 360° view of the industry, fms will be armed with useful and actionable strategies to bring back to their organizations.

To view The TFM Show schedule at a glance, visit TFM’s April 2009 coverage of this event. For further information on attending and other details, fms can visit www.thetfmshow.com.

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