Buildings management industry cleans up

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•  Increase in international exhibitors and visitors at FM Expo seen as further sign of continued growth in Mid East facilities management industry 

 
FM Expo, the Middle East’s leading facilities management event, which concluded recently at the Dubai International Exhibition & Convention Centre, is testament to an industry that is now growing at an exponential rate according to event organiser Streamline Marketing Group.
 
“FM Expo has grown steadily over the past three years, but this year we have witnessed a 30% increase in the number of international exhibitors compared with last year. Visitor numbers were also considerably higher with a 25% increase from 2008,” said Louisa Theobald, Group Exhibitions Director of Streamline Marketing Group.
 
Commenting on a recent UBS report that estimated a third of Dubai housing would be lying idle by 2010, Theobald remarked: “Many analysts have pointed at the precarious state of the real estate market in the UAE, whether it’s due to the number of expatriates leaving, the additional 60-70,000 residential units being added to the market by 2011 or the issue of falling property values.”
 
“However, whether a building is full or empty it needs to be managed. That makes facilities management almost recession proof in this market due to the sheer size of the construction boom over the last five years,” she added.
 
In total some 85 exhibitors representing 10 different countries including Malaysia, India, Australia, Africa as well as the Middle East were present and it was the overseas interest that stunned Bruce Moult, Commercial Director of Dubai-based Emrill. “It has been a very good show, with many visitors from outside of Dubai – we have made some very important overseas contacts,” he said.
 
Certainly the turnout at FM Expo would suggest that real estate investors are prepared to protect their investments and are even going further by installing energy saving devices which not only saves money, it also reduces the carbon footprint of the building.
 
Markus Oberlin, General Manager of UAE-based Farnek Avireal stated “We have been pleasantly surprised by the rising level of interest shown in our energy saving solutions.”
 
Running in parallel with the exhibition, was the two-day FM conference which was chaired by Mick Dalton, General Manager at Abu Dhabi-based Marafeq Facilities Management and a past chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management. His emphasis was driving green building regulations that he believes will reduce utility bills and create managerial, technical and general jobs in the facilities management sector at little or no extra cost to building owners.
 
The keynote address was delivered by Stan Mitchell, CEO of Key Facilities Management International, and founding Chairman of the Global Facility Management Association. Mitchell urged the public and private property owners and developers to realise that facilities management can help soften the impact of the economic downturn as well as help to preserve the region’s global reputation for iconic buildings that attract tourists and business.
 
“The facilities management sector has a huge role to play in the future cityscape of the region, whether it’s reducing carbon emissions or extending the life cycle of iconic structures. The industry is estimated to be worth $704 billion within 25 years, which I feel is conservative considering that maintenance costs over the lifetime of a building are estimated to be five times that of the initial development,” concluded Theobald.
 
For more on FM Expo please visit www.fm-expo.com

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