Press Release
Under embargo until 07:00 26 January 2015
BIFM’s ThinkFM goes to the edge
BIFM, the professional body for facilities management, has opened delegate bookings for
its ground-breaking conference, ThinkFM. Called ‘The Competitive Edge: Gaining
competitive advantage through the workplace’, this business symposium will explore the
role the workplace plays in supporting organisational performance and creating
competitive edge. Supported by Sodexo, as headline sponsor, and building on the
success of last year’s event, the conference will take place on 13 May 2015 at Kings
Place, London N1 and will once again be hosted by Daisy McAndrew, the former
economics editor for ITV News.
The panel of expert industry speakers, all leading practitioners in their field, have seen
first-hand how, with an appropriate culture and management approach, the workplace is
able to become a competitive differentiator in its own right.
Speaking about the correlation between workplace and competitive edge, Gareth
Tancred, CEO of BIFM, said “The convergence of people, place and process is where
value is created. Whatever the purpose of the workplace - a call centre, a laboratory or
a rugby stadium – if you treat each in isolation, you are inherently missing out on the
advantages of having a coherent and coordinated workplace strategy. Each aspect feeds,
informs and nurtures the other. This is what the art of facilities management is and we
urge all business leaders and FMs to critically evaluate – are we truly leveraging these
assets in the most effective way? Can we achieve greater competitive advantage by
taking more of a business-wide approach that is wholly integrated into the organisation’s
objectives?”
During the day, delegates will explore a number of overall concepts including the
influence of environments and processes on human behaviour and how working lives will
be organised in the future. Technology’s impact on the human condition and what it
means for the workplace will be considered. The event also includes a series of practical
case studies conducted by some of the world’s leading organisations and reveals how
they have delivered competitive edge.
Speakers confirmed to date include:
Frank Van Massenhove, President of Federal Public Service Social Security in
Belgium

Monica Parker, Founder, Hatch

Munish Datta, Head of Plan A & FM, Marks & Spencer

Dave Coplin, Chief Envisaging Officer, Microsoft
The speakers will be sharing their insights with delegates and exploring how compelling
workplace environments can result in efficiencies and higher levels of productivity.
The conference will showcase organisations that are rethinking the world of work and
creating spaces designed to inspire, build and deliver success. Delegates will be taken
on a journey in considering the role that the workplace plays in enhancing corporate
brand and making it easier to attract and retain the right talent.
BIFM is partnering with ITN Productions to produce a news and feature programme
which will launch at Think FM and which will expand on the conference theme.
‘Competitive advantage through the workplace’ will be presented by Natasha Kaplinsky
from the studios at ITN in central London.
Join professionals from across industry and learn more about the co-dependency of the
environments, the people, the culture and the practices within organisations as well as
what practical steps businesses can take to secure competitive advantage through the
workplace.
Full details of the event can be found at www.thinkfm.com or contact BIFM at
thinkfm@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 640. #ThinkFM
BIFM members can secure their place for just £299+VAT if they book in the early-bird
period (ending 20 March). The regular ticket price for non BIFM members is just
£349+VAT during the early-bird period.
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About BIFM
The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) is the professional body for facilities
management. Founded in 1993, we promote excellence in facilities management for the
benefit of practitioners, the economy and society. Supporting and representing over
15,000 members around the world, both individual FM professionals and organisations,
and thousands more through qualifications and training.
For more information visit www.bifm.org.uk, telephone +44 (0)1279 712 620 or email
info@bifm.org.uk. Twitter: @BIFM_UK.
To find out more about the supporter opportunities available, contact the BIFM Corporate
Team at corporate@bifm.org.uk or +44 (0) 1279 712675.
Press contacts
BIFM: For more information, images or to arrange interviews, contact Karen Weeks on
+44 (0)1279 712662 or email karen.weeks@bifm.org.uk