IFMA World Workplace 2010 Conference & Expo

IFMA's annual tradeshow, the World Workplace Conference & Expo, celebrated it's 30 year anniversary this year. Held at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta from October 27-29, this is the IFMA's flagship event and one of the biggest conferences around focusing on workplace programs.

The facility manager audience is an increasingly important decision maker/influencer for our clients and and the last time World Workplace was held in Atlanta was 1988, so it was an easy decision to check out IFMA's trade show to see what it was all about. Not to mention, one of our clients, Johnsonite, needed some press kits delivered to the media room.

Because work environments and workplace programs touch so many different fields, IFMA's World Workplace attracts professionals from not only facility management but also other key segments to the building products industry: architecture, design, engineering and more. As a seasoned veteran to trade shows in the building and construction industry, yet a first timer to this show, I was impressed by the exhibitors and how well it was attended.

The opening of the expo was kicked off in grand fashion with a drum line that marched through the Georgia World Congress Center, down the escalators outside the exhibit hall and eventually marching onto the trade show floor. I captured a brief video of the drum line you can watch on Function:'s YouTube Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_X5Eq0ItNU. 
I also took a few images from inside the expo you can see on our Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/functionatl/sets/72157625290967410/

For me, one of the most impressive parts of World Workplace was the use of social media to take the show viral and reach a wider audience than just those who attended the show. The IFMA World Workplace website featured a social media section called NETworkplace which embedded feeds from their twitter, youtube and flickr accounts to share real time news, stories, images and video from the trade show: http://www.worldworkplace.org/networkplace/

Those who were not able to attend could keep up with the happenings at World Worksplace as twitter users easily contributed to the show's live twitter feed using the hashtag #ww2010. Video footage from the opening keynote and welcome reception was quickly posted online and IFMA also shared images from the conference sessions and exhibition through Flickr.

I've seen other industry associations attempt to incorporate social media into their trade shows but I haven't seen anybody else pull it off as well as IFMA did. Greenbuild: you're up next. I'm interested to see how the USGBC uses social media to help promote their annual conference and expo.
 

ted hettick
director of client development
business analyst
FUNCTION: we’re into building things through marketing, design and public relations