The Middle East Facility Management Association (Mefma) will hold a networking event and host a Mefma Village as part of its presence at FM Expo, co-located with The Big 5 starting today (November 21) till 24 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Initiated by Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) and supported by government agencies throughout the Middle East as an independent, non-profit industry association, Mefma is the supporting partner of FM Expo.

It aims to provide a dedicated platform for FM professionals, wider construction industry stakeholders and owner associations to implement long term sustainable development strategies, a statement from the organization said.

The free-to-attend networking event, which takes place from 8:30am to 10:30 am on November 22, will focus on FM guidance for design teams.

The organisation will also host the Mefma Village with eight members’ stands located at the arena, covering all aspects of FM services. 

David Thompson, exhibition manager for FM EXPO, said: “The expertise and support from the Mefma representatives, at the networking event and throughout the show, will add real value for FM professionals and other interested delegates visiting The Big 5 this year.”

“FM is still a relatively young industry in the Middle East, but is one poised for huge growth. The outsourced FM sector in the GCC region is expected to reach a value of $10 billion by 2012.”

Sinead Bridgett, director at Mefma, said: “FM is an increasingly visible part of the building industry’s landscape, and its presence at The Big 5, is a testament to that growing importance. Still, there is more work to be done in educating the industry about how critical FM is, from the design stage through to budgeting and post-handover. Mefma is dedicated to helping the industry get this message across, and ensuring that sustainable, best practice in facilities management is adopted throughout the Middle East.”

FM Expo will not only showcase FM products and service providers but also create an important platform for the participants to discuss issues affecting the FM markets, such as the introduction of strata laws in the Gulf, best practice solutions to improve management, service level agreements, and technology and innovation in FM among others. – TradeArabia News Service