World Workplace 2010: Trends and Innovations Come to Atlanta

Workplace professionals from around the world will meet in Atlanta, GA, to analyze the trends and new products impacting today’s built environment during the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2010 Conference Expo , October 27-29 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

World Workplace brings industry leaders from business and government together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of the work environment. Now in its 31st year, the conference will feature more than 75 educational sessions and new product demonstrations by manufacturers from around the globe.

“From the timeliness of its educational content to the discussion of new products and services, World Workplace is more than an opportunity — it is an essential tool in providing an effective work environment across all industry segments,” said Francis J. Kuhn, CFM, CFMJ, chair of IFMA’s board of directors.

This year’s conference will feature an opening keynote presentation from the honorable Alexis M. Herman — esteemed workforce expert and former secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton — as well as presentations from three concurrent power speakers who replace the conference’s traditional closing keynote session.

Herman will deliver a presentation entitled “The Changing Global Workforce: Ways to Understand it and Leverage It” on Wednesday, October 27. She will discuss how technology and information are fueling the new economy and how increased global competition is creating a demand for highly skilled jobs and lessening demand for low skilled work. Herman will also explore how sectors hit hard by the recession can boost job creation in the future and discuss the biggest challenges employers must address to stay competitive and productive.

The conference will offer attendees a glimpse into the future of the workplace, as they get the first look at the new products and services debuting in 2011. The World Workplace expo floor will feature more than 275 exhibitors — including companies such as ARAMARK, IBM, KBR, Lowe’s, Staples, and UGL Unicco — as well as governmental agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, and State Department. New to the expo this year will be Peachtree Street, an area of the expo floor dedicated solely to Atlanta-based companies.

The expo will be open free of charge to the public again this year, and exhibitors and attendees will enjoy 10 dedicated hours of interaction on Wednesday and Thursday, October 27-28.

Another annual highlight of the World Workplace expo will be the Green Zone, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for those companies offering environmentally friendly products and services. More than 80 exhibitors will be featured in the Green Zone this year, including companies such as AT, Bentley Prince Street, CORT, Kimball Office, Kohler, and Steelcase.

Complementing the expo will be World Workplace 2010 educational sessions. Organized into 13 different tracks, these sessions offer facility professionals the continuing education courses they need to keep their professional certifications current and meet the challenges posed by today’s workplace. Session topics include carbon footprint reduction, energy saving, executive management, high performance buildings, security, sustainability, and more. Representatives from AlliedBarton, Cornell University, Fluor, HOK, IBM, and Wal-Mart, among others, will present. World Workplace educational sessions will be held Thursday and Friday, October 28-29.

Conference attendees can add to their Atlanta experience by attending any of five different facility tours throughout the city. Among the facilities open for touring will be the CNN Worldwide Corporate Headquarters, the Georgia Aquarium, the Georgia World Congress Center, and InterfaceFlor’s Atlanta showroom. Facility tours will be held before the conference begins, on Tuesday, October 26.