EFMC-News

European Facility Management Conference (EFMC)
23 to 25 May 2012, Copenhagen
Programme: http://bit.ly/rN5MDS

• FM sector is stable, but profit margins are suffering
• Outsourcing of FM services is leading to supplier cooperation
• EFMC 2012 delivers strategies for differentiation

Düsseldorf/Copenhagen, 23 April 2012 – Although the market for facility management (FM) is economically stable, providers of complete FM solutions and special service providers are battling for orders and profit margins. These are the findings from a current market study by Interconnection Consulting, which predicts clear growth for the FM sector in Germany in 2012. According to the study, the driver for this development is the ongoing trend for outsourcing FM services: “On the one hand, companies are using the currently difficult economic times to focus on their core business and, therefore, outsource facility services, while on the other hand, basic services such as security, cleaning and technical maintenance are only dependent to a limited extent on economic activity,” was a quote from a press release issued by Interconnection Consulting. However, FM suppliers complained about increasingly shorter lengths of contracts and the frequent renegotiation of prices. “The sector has been preaching for years that integrated complete solutions are the future. Although the current situation is telling a different story,” states the press release. Even though the report shows that complete service contracts grew more strongly than the market, the fact that individual contracts accounted for more than 60 per cent of the overall market shows that many companies have not yet placed their trust in suppliers to provide holistic management solutions. “The future belongs to complete service providers if they are able to successfully maintain a consistently high level of service, which is extremely difficult,” commented Andreas Erdpresser, the author of the study. In the future, an increasing number of FM service providers must attempt to offer clear sector-based solutions in order to differentiate themselves from the diverse range of competitors.

The European Facility Management Conference (EFMC) from 23 to 25 May 2012, in Copenhagen, will provide reports and suggestions based on the experiences of companies in this area. The EFMC is being organised by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the European Facility Management Network (EuroFM) (www.efmc-conference.com). The keynote speakers are Jeff Gravenhorst, CEO of the ISS Group, and Prof. Michael L. Joroff, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). More than 50 speakers in total from Europe and other parts of the world will be talking at the event.

Under the motto “Global responsibility – local acting”, the international congress trade fair will present the latest findings from the areas of business and research on energy efficiency and sustainability, business operations, FM organisation, workplace concepts, risk and crisis management in FM, information and communication technology and the European FM standard. Other themes include the contribution of FM to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the added value achieved through FM. The participants will receive an insight into the most recent experiences of companies such as IKEA, LEGO Systems, Sony Ericsson, Statoil, Nokia, Johnson Controls and Sodexo. The local host of EFMC 2012 is the Dansk Facilities Management Netværk (DFM), while other cooperation partners include the Centre for Facilities Management (CFM) from the Technical University of Denmark, the Danish Industry Association (DI), the Danish Association of Building Experts, Managers and Surveyors (KF), the Danish Property Federation (DPF), the Danish Association of Construction Clients (DACC), as well as the Danish Purchasing and Logistics Forum (DILF). In addition, the event is supported by ISS as the Platinum Sponsor, Sodexo as the Gold Sponsor and Planon as the Associate Sponsor. This year’s conference will present an expanded concept that is more interactive, larger and even more practically relevant than ever before. EFMC 2012 combines both practical aspects and scientific approaches to FM in the Business Conference and the Research Symposium, while the Round Tables and Speakers’ Corners promote networking. The new concept increases the quality and international scope of the congress trade fair, where relevant exhibitors will also be presenting their services. A variety of specialist excursions will be offered during the day on the 23 May, before the organisers invite guests to a welcome reception in the Copenhagen Town Hall during the evening. The conference and trade exhibition on the 24 and 25 May will be held at the Bella Center, one of the most modern trade fair and congress centres in Europe. On the evening of the 24 May, the FM awards will be presented in multiple categories as part of a gala dinner held in the Danish National Museum. The large specialist and supporting programmes at EFMC offer visitors the opportunity to increase knowledge, exchange experiences and enjoy social events over the three days, as well as the chance to get to know what is regarded as a particularly advanced Nordic FM concept in a Scandinavian country. Further information is available at http://bit.ly/rN5MDS

If you would like to report on the event, please register for it and secure a press pass for yourself by email to presse

Contact:

Julia Batzing
IBC Informa Business Communication a division of EUROFORUM Deutschland SE
Tel.: +49 (0)211 9686 3380
Fax: +49 (0)211 9686 4380
email
www.ibc-informa.com

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