Abstract Submission

IFMA’s World Workplace^® 2025 Conference and Expo

Call for Presentations
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) invites you to share your industry knowledge and business expertise as a session presenter at IFMA’s World Workplace^® 2025 Conference and Expo, to be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, September 17-19, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. We are currently accepting session abstracts for consideration. This is your opportunity to join other trailblazers, trendsetters and topic authorities in sharing best practices, research and lessons learned with a global audience of facility management (FM) professionals.
 

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS DEADLINE
Thursday, February 17, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST

Watch this video on Tips for Submitting Better Abstracts

Successful proposals will be NEW (not presented prior to World Workplace 2025), addressing issues and trends of the highest relevance to the FM industry, as well as forward-thinking concepts on AI, data management, operational technology and cybersecurity, change management, sustainability and the future of the workplace. In the event IFMA finds that a selected session is scheduled to be presented prior to World Workplace 2025, the session WILL be canceled.

World Workplace sessions are not only meant to provide tangible, take-home solutions and real-life examples, they can also be thought-provoking concepts that challenge their peers to think out of the box and find innovative solutions.

IFMA is currently accepting abstracts guided by the FM career-based competency model that has identified the must-have knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas for FM professionals:
 

• Communications
  • Communication skills
  • Communication management
• Facility Operations
  • Buildings, building systems, and infrastructure and grounds
  • Maintenance processes
  • Operations processes
  • Asset management
  • Furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E)
  • Occupant health, safety and security
  • Work management systems
• Facility Technology & Data Management
  • Data strategy and information management
  • Facility technology
  • Information protection and cybersecurity
• Finance & Business
  • Operational and capital budgeting
  • Evidence-based decision making
  • Procurement and contracting strategies
  • Financial analysis and reporting
• Leadership & Strategy
  • Strategic planning and alignment with the demand organization
  • Leadership
  • Change management
  • Relationship management and conflict management
  • Individual and team leader
• Quality
  • Quality management
  • Quality improvement
• Project Management
  • Planning and design
  • Execution and delivery
  • Project closeout
• Real Estate
  • Master planning
  • Real estate management
  • Functional programming/planning
• Risk Management
  • Facility resilience and business continuity
  • Risk management planning
  • Emergency preparedness, response and recovery
• Sustainability
  • Sustainable facility management
  • Energy
  • Water
  • Measure and monitor
  • Materials and consumables
  • Waste
  • Wellness
  • Site management

We are also accepting abstract submissions for the IFMA-specific topic categories:

• FM Solutions: Exclusive to IFMA's Corporate Sustaining Partners (CSPs), Silver level and higher
• Other: Submissions tied to IFMA’s recent research and benchmarking reports; topics being addressed within councils and communities

About IFMA’s World Workplace

Nothing compares to IFMA’s annual flagship event. As the original all-encompassing learning and networking conference and expo on facilities and how to manage them, World Workplace remains the gold standard in facility management (FM) education, knowledge exchange, career development and professional network building.

IFMA’s World Workplace has been leading groundbreaking discussions and discoveries related to FM and the built environment since 1995. Hosted by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), World Workplace facilitates idea sharing and best-practice exchange between all professionals who support the built environment.

Held in a different U.S. city annually with event programming focused on the latest topics of interest and concern to FM, World Workplace offers a new experience each year. There’s program value for FM and related workplace professionals at every level of their careers and across all types of facilities.

About World Workplace Attendees

World Workplace welcomes public and private sector facility management practitioners, educators, topic experts, authors, students, product and service providers, members of IFMA and partnering organizations, as well as professionals in real estate, engineering, architecture, design, security, IT and HR. Each year, more than 4,000 attendees from 40 countries and every U.S. state, representing 2,000 companies and 20 workplace-related industries attended World Workplace. Everyone arrives in search of something — a solution, a best practice, a new skill, a mentor, a client, a fresh perspective, an action plan or a break from routine.

The Benefits of Presenting

The World Workplace educational program is regarded as the finest in the FM industry. Selection as a session presenter is an honor. You have the opportunity to gain recognition as a topic expert among FM leaders and workplace decision makers. Attendees will take your information, tips and techniques back to their organizations for high-level discussions or immediate implementation. As a World Workplace presenter, you can:

• Enhance your credibility and stature among an influential audience of industry professionals.
• Refresh your personal knowledge as you prepare your thoughts, handouts and visuals for presentation.
• Challenge yourself and your colleagues through classroom interaction.
• Apply your speaking experience toward re-certification of several industry designations.

Honoraria, Travel Expenses & Complimentary Registration
As a nonprofit association, IFMA does not pay an honorarium for concurrent session presentations. All speakers will be responsible for their own travel, accommodations and related expenses. Speakers selected to present will be provided with an up-to-one-day complimentary registration OR 50% off full conference registration if the speaker wishes to attend multiple conference days. These special registration types can be accessed through the Speaker Service Center once the abstract has been accepted.

Abstract Submission Resources