We just had our annual FM:Systems User Conference in downtown Raleigh, NC. Our User Conference allows our customers and business partners to spend several days networking with other users of FM:Interact, meet the FM:Systems staff that they work with in person and attend sessions to expand their use of the FM:Interact workplace management suite. The User Conference is such an exciting time and we put a lot of time and effort into planning it to make sure our clients have the best week they can possibly have. I personally look forward to our conference each year and get excited to meet new clients and learn how they are utilizing FM:Interact to manage their facilities.
I can truly say that the 2018 User Conference was the best one yet. We hit a new record of registrants and had people come from 10 countries— Australia, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Panama, United Kingdom and the United States. We had a lot of first time attendees as well as over 50% of returning clients.
Classroom Training
The week starts out with two days of optional hands on classroom training led by our consulting team. Clients can choose from 16 classes ranging from beginner to advanced tracks to expand their knowledge of the FM:Interact products they use and learn tips and tricks to help them succeed faster. This is the one time of the year that we offer hands on training and a lot of our clients take advantage of this offering prior to the full conference.
Business Partner Day
This was the first year we had an International Business Partner Day which allowed our international partners to meet with our executive team to learn more about our partner program and how we can better work together. We also had a full day with all our partners, domestic and international, to further discuss our partner program in a collaborative environment. We had sessions on our sales process, marketing update, solution validation methodology, best practices working with our support team and more.
The Future of Utilization
The full conference kicked off with a Welcome Reception at the Raleigh Marriott City Center Hotel, sponsored by AMS CAD + CAFM Solutions, Autodesk, CADD Microsystems, CREE, Eighth Day Design (EDD), HELLA Aglaia, JLL, Little and RSP i_SPACE. This reception allows our attendees to network with other clients over hors d’oeuvres and drinks and speak with our sponsors. It is a fun night to get to know other attendees and FM:Systems staff prior to the start of the conference and all attendees have the chance to win door prizes!
The theme of this year’s conference was, “The Future of Utilization.” The growth and availability of sensors in the workplace has created opportunities to better understand how our buildings are occupied, our assets are performing and our spaces are utilized. We had several sessions that talked about the rise of sensor based technologies for real-time space utilization in the workplace which explored the newest Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that enable organizations to better track real-time utilization and better understand how their space is really being used.
We had both a customer success and a FM:Systems product features track with presentations on FM:Interact tips and tricks, emerging technology trends, space management best practices, a higher education track and more!
Throughout the conference there are several things our attendees can take part in—we give away two Apple Watch’s to individuals who provide us with a customer testimonial video, clients can sit down with our product management team to provide product suggestions and feedback, one-on-one time with our consultants and a networking breakfast for our higher education clients.
We had a southern style meal at the Merrimon-Wynne House in downtown Raleigh on Thursday night. We enjoyed their beautiful lawn and played some yard games while enjoying some hors d’oeuvres and drinks during cocktail hour. It was a beautiful venue and it was the perfect way to end the first full day of the conference.
Thank you to all our customers and business partners who took time to attend our User Conference! We hope you all enjoyed your time in Raleigh and were able to learn more about FM:Interact.
2019 User Conference
Mark your calendars for the 2019 FM:Systems User Conference, June 5-7 at the Swan and Dolphin hotel in Orlando, FL! I hope to see as many customers and business partners there that can possibly attend!