Facilities Management Summit Opens

Fleming Gulf's 2nd Annual Facilities Management Summit opened today at the Crowne Plaza Doha - The Business Park, Qatar and saw over 80 participants, ranging from industry experts, property owners, investors, architects and solution specialists, gathering under one roof to showcase the importance of a comprehensive Facility Management (FM) plan for professionals involved with the management of sizeable real estate portfolios. Supported by Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA) and Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), the summit, in its second year; has grown to be a vital knowledge sharing platform for FM professionals by FM professionals. The summit will witness various orations, case studies and panel discussions elaborating the role of FM in environmental sustainability and demonstrating its business value across the enterprise.

The summit saw 2 pre-conference workshops on the 3rd of November by QGBC on The Basics of Sustainability in Facility Management followed by Waseef's workshop on Flaws in Design, Construction and Testing/Commissioning of MEP Service: Their Impact on Operations. Day 1 of the summit kicked-off with the opening remarks from the summit chairman - Jeff Willis, Vice-Chairman at Emirates Green Building Council, followed by Carl Castellino, Head of Facilities Management at Msheireb Properties. Among other key topics and panel discussions that followed through the day; 'Quick Fix to a Problem: FM Challenges and Solutions', 'The Role of the Government in Developing the FM Industry' and 'The Use of Technology in FM', highlighted the proceedings of the first day along with in depth case studies by Hamad Medical Corporation and Grand Hyatt.

Day 2 of the summit will commence under the broad theme 'A Greener World: Sustainability in FM', setting the tone for the rest of the days' proceedings. Presentations will include 'Sustainable Buildings: Regulatory Authority's View Point' by P.R. Jagannathan,Sustainability Manager at Trakhees – EHS, 'The Importance of Sustainability and Technology in the Facility Management' by George Kenich, General Manager at Al Futtaim Engineering to conclude with a panel discussion on 'Facilities Management: Analysing the Price Factor'. Sponsors of the summit: United Facilities Management (UFM ) and Serveone Cenyar Services will exhibit their portfolio of products and services tailored for the FM industry coupled with intensive networking amongst delegates, sponsors and speakers.