Everybody who works in facilities management is currently talking about artificial intelligence and speculating on how it can provide them with benefits for their jobs in facilities. The problem is, so much of what you hear is advice about what facilities people “should” be doing to apply AI, with a limited number of real-world examples. This valuable session, by two speakers who are doing AI training for IFMA’s largest Council, the Corporate Facilities Council, will describe current use of AI technology by facilities managers, for a variety of purposes. The presentation will share facts, photos, video, and case examples of AI tech being used in a variety of places and situations to improve operations, maintenance and to solve a variety of issues. Gain an understanding of the level of sophistication AI can bring to FM and how it is becoming easier and cheaper to integrate into the existing built environment.

This presentation will provide an overview of the changes to the nonresidential Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6, Lighting/Electrical) for 2025 that will be implemented on January 1, 2026. The speaker will also discuss how the code changes affect Acceptance Testing and what that means for you on a new project.

This presentation will cover the next generation of special hazard fire detection and suppression. Learn why basic water suppression systems and basic detection are often not enough for data center, telecom, energy, industrial, museum, and military applications.  Water, pre-action, water mist, clean agent, and CO2 approaches will be compared. Attendees will gain new understanding about fire suppression systems, detection approaches, hazard types, NFPA objectives, time to extinguish, conductivity, residue, floor space required, system costs, and new federal sustainability requirements.

Involved with electrical systems in your facility?  Don't be isolated from knowledge and information that will help reduce risk from electrical systems. This presentation will help you with electrical code compliance. Gain information about the National Electrical Code system and significant changes to the California Electrical Code (2025)/California Code of Regulations Title 24 Part 3, based on the 2023 National Electrical Code®. Also, learn about free code access and resources available to you.

Routine roof inspections can help prevent leaks and delay replacements, but not all roof inspections are created equal. This session will cover the latest advances in roof inspections, including technology advances, infrared or thermal scanning, core sampling, and more. The speaker also will review inspection best practices like timing, frequency, and more.

Management and training of workers in today’s facilities isn’t only about technical skills – it also includes awareness of differences in communication style, education and values based on the age of the employees. The main generations in the workforce today are:  Traditionalists (born before 1946) Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (born 1981-2000) and Generation Z (born 2001-2007). In this session, the speaker will discuss how, through insight and understanding, managers can learn to value differences and avoid conflicts. Also, in this way, to achieve the skill development and cooperation needed for a wide range of productivity improvements within a facility.

As of 2023, the National Fire Protection Association’s update to its NFPA 70B standard changed maintenance inspections of electrical equipment from recommended on an annual basis to mandated on an annual basis, for equipment including outdoor substations, switchgear assemblies, stationary batteries, motor control equipment, busway, and UPS systems. And in some cases inspections must be done as frequently as every 6 months. This session will focus on infrared (thermographic) inspections, describing proper infrared inspections, and who is qualified to do the inspections. Learn what you need to know to be in compliance with the standard, which is also required by commercial insurance companies for policy renewals.

This session will give facilities professionals a deep dive into the evolving world of access control – from traditional key cards to mobile credentials and biometric solutions. The focus will be on system design principles, implementation pitfalls to avoid, and how to future-proof facilities with scalable, secure access infrastructure.

This session will provide an introduction to solar photovoltaic systems, with a focus on the installation of such systems on the existing roofs of commercial buildings to generate power.  Learn about considerations involving roof types, including metal, single-ply, and BUR; the size of the roof and the orientation, and the amount of power you need. Gain information that will help you make informed decisions at your facility and avoid problems.

This session will describe guidelines for setting up a comprehensive electrical preventive maintenance program for your electrical distribution system by using infrared and ultrasonic inspections, regular hands-on maintenance (as in cleaning and torquing the switchgear), along with GFI testing and current injection on large circuit breakers. Included in the presentation will be an updated arc flash hazard analysis to get you in compliance with NFPA70B Standards. Learn how to prevent unexpected costly downtime by turning a preventive maintenance program into a predictive maintenance program.

This session will explore some of the most common accessibility barriers found in commercial and public facilities – the types of issues that often go unnoticed but can significantly impact compliance and usability. Through real-world examples and field experience, the presentation will highlight lessons learned, practical takeaways, and strategies to help facilities teams proactively identify and address accessibility gaps.

The recently completed San Mateo County Office Building 3 has already received multiple notable honors, including a U.S. Green Building Council Platinum certification, AIA San Francisco Architecture Honor Award, AIA San Mateo County and Sustainable San Mateo County Green Building Award, Silicon Valley Business Journal Public/Civic Project of the Year, and awards from the prestigious Engineering News Record: California Excellence in Sustainability and ENR National Best Project – Government/Public Building. Hear about this first-in-the-U.S. net-zero-energy mass timber civic building, including details on: the state-of-the-art building management system; roof-mounted photovoltaic panels; occupancy sensors, automated roller shades and window glazing to promote energy efficiency; bioretention planters to absorb and treat 100% of the stormwater runoff; natural ventilation and natural lighting; and more. Also learn what it means for a large building to use mass timber for its columns, beams, and flooring – the structural and environmental benefits as well as the performance under lateral seismic loads. Gain ideas you can apply for your own facility.

If you aren’t keeping up with the current situation involving POTS (plain old telephone service) lines in your facility, you can suddenly find yourself in a critical situation. Carriers are phasing out POTS lines at a skyrocketing rate, putting your life safety devices – like elevator phones and fire alarm panels – at risk. This impacts the safety of your facilities and occupants, so seeking alternatives is crucial to keep your emergency devices connected and compliant. This session will describe the current challenges with POTS lines, how to audit your existing lines, key considerations in evaluating POTS alternatives and how to manage the changeover. In addition to improving your safety and reducing liability risks, POTS replacements can help save money for your facilities while staying compliant. Learn more in this session.

When most people hear the term “energy/water nexus” they think of the interconnection between water and energy on a large scale, such as cooling water for power plants.  However, the energy/water nexus exists on the building level as well and therefore facilities managers with efficiency goals need to recognize the overlap between energy and water conservation – how they affect each other with regard to efficiency and costs. This presentation will discuss the topic and available training options, like the Building Operator Certification (BOC) courses, which will provide further energy/water nexus information.

Standby power system testing, although often misunderstood and misapplied, is critical to the reliability of a modern power system. This session will walk attendees through the final part of the four major stages of testing that takes place for a generator set: maintenance testing. This review of best practices will empower facility owners and managers to administer appropriate test strategies in an effort to maintain a reliable power system.