EuroFM: tough times demand a solid and fast response

EuroFM will celebrate its 30th anniversary in Barcelona in June 2020. When established, its purpose was to bring educators, researchers and business organizations in the field of Facility Management together. The main aim was to bring forward the FM profession and to share knowledge.

Now EuroFM is present in over 40 countries worldwide. Our comprehensive Ambassador Program has made it possible to have “the hands, ears and eyes” for the Network at a local level in 5 continents. EuroFM members represent over 80 organizations amongst them international universities, FM- and FM-related associations and business organizations. We represent a total of 400.000 individuals, each one with their own particularities. We are truly international, but also multicultural and we can never forget that.

We don´t “sell” anything at EuroFM or compete with our members. We don´t create products or push anybody to buy or follow. We try to understand the versatile local markets and try to learn from each other. We act as a channel for our members and all FM stakeholders to get connected and stay connected. EuroFM offers a platform to develop projects, initiatives to promote and enhance FM. We are also an official liaison body of the FM ISO standards.

 

Drawbacks

We have experienced some difficult times together. Being 30 years of age, it is obvious that we also face certain envies and threats. Our strong members have made it possible to survive and move on. We are still in the board, because the General Assembly of EuroFM approved the 2020 plan in Lisbon. This is the main reason for this letter. So far we are not progressing much with projects like OneFM, but others are moving forward. EuroFM Ambassador Program, platform LOOF, OneFM project are objectives that are good for the future of EuroFM and FM itself, but looks like they seem to bother third parties acting in our industry.

The more worldwide recognized and visible EuroFM has become, the more it has been attacked. We have suffered intentional funding cuts, attempts to take over EuroFM, even I had a personal attack that made me step down as Chair of FM Association in my own country. But we resist.

The appearance of new FM subsidiaries or franchise associations in mature markets across Europe, is another sign from those third parties attempting to interfere our home domain with commercial purposes. Instead, they could act as a vehicle to elevate the value of FM, with open and transparent cooperation with EuroFM.

These attacks are now even crossing our internal door and affecting some members of the board. But again – we resist, because we have to maintain the ethics and purpose of EuroFM. All this together with some internal administrative issues made us to slow down and even take a different direction, but we are confident and will be able to manage all in favor of EuroFM and its members.

 

Moving forward

We have launched an action plan to move forward in each one of the points that were agreed on the 2020 plan and we took as our responsibility.

Regarding our annual conference, we have to change the name of our 28th edition. Not only because of the logics of a wider international coverage and exposure, but because we have just found that our past partners claimed the name EFMC and today they own the IP rights for exploiting the brand that has served EuroFM and its members for the last 28 years. This was done the same month in 2016, when they decided to go alone and make their own European event, obviously without consulting us. This is showing again the type of pressure we are experiencing. Nevertheless, we must go further and show our flexibility and adaptation to the new environment.

We are and have been exploring as to how we can work and collaborate together with Global FM and other international organizations as part of our 2020 plan. Our aim is to produce together the biggest and most international FM conference in Barcelona next year.

The Program Advisory Group (PAG) of the conference has evolved into the International Senior Advisory Board (ISAB), which will help to design the best content and themes for this very special event together with the Spanish National FM Association. We are also continuing exploring the creation of a single and independent body that allow us to join forces to improve the quality and recognition of the discipline worldwide.

 

Bring in your knowledge and expertise

I would like to see EuroFM members and their own individual members to get more involved in the activities of EuroFM. We would like to hear you more. For that purpose, we are creating an account in order to hear your suggestions regarding the conference in Barcelona next year. You can write to us, propose themes, recommend speakers or come out with any other issue. The messages will be passed to the ISAB.

Next EuroFM members meeting is in Ankara in October. We will encourage you actively to participate and enroll in some of the project working groups that are running now. The new structure of EuroFM brings many opportunities for developing the industry further and provides abilities for each involved member to contribute, whether is a practitioner, researcher, educator, student or other type of FM enthusiast.

With the strength and unity of our members, we will go through this difficult stage and create a solid and independent future for FM.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Pekka Matvejeff
Chairman of the Board at EuroFM

M.Soc.Sc, MBA (Henley)