IFMA Belgium News & Insights

On Thursday, October 24, the IFMA Belgium Chapter hosted an event dedicated to the circular economy, focusing on Facility Management (FM). Kris Cloots, Vice-Chair of the IFMA Belgium Chapter, opened the event by sharing the exciting news that the Belgian FM organization had received the Small Chapter of the Year 2024 award during the global IFMA World Workplace in Texas.
Zaventem, September 25, 2024 – The future is smart! Buildings are increasingly becoming ‘smart’, incorporating advanced technologies and systems to make them more efficient, safer, and more sustainable. Installers will be busy with automated lighting, climate control, security systems, energy management, and smart devices. Other construction professionals will also face new challenges and opportunities with smart buildings. To lower the barriers on this topic, Buildwise has created a handy webpage offering a clear and concise introduction to smart buildings. It includes insights on better management of technical installations, offering new services to customers, and utilizing preventive maintenance to extend the lifespan of buildings. You can also explore smart buildings in practice at the Data Connection Center.
To mark this special occasion, you have the chance to win fun and valuable prizes for both yourself and your organization. Prizes include bol.com gift cards, as well as the opportunity to win a complete analysis of your guest and employee experience using the interactive “Hospitality Experience” tool for your organization. This will provide you with tailored inspiration to create a unique experience.
The 2024 Transdisciplinary Workplace Research (TWR) Conference in Edinburgh brought together experts from around the globe to explore the latest in workplace strategy. This recap from Anton Maes, IFMA Belgium board member, highlights the event’s insightful presentations, including those from renowned researcher Matt Tucker. Attendees delved into global trends, the circular economy, and the evolving role of facility management, leaving inspired by fresh research and innovative ideas shaping the future of work environments.
Why invest in a workplace when many prefer working from home? In early 2023, ISS transformed its restaurant, reception, and meeting areas into the Himalaya Lounge, an all-day hospitality hub. This welcoming space promotes creativity, connection, and well-being, with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity.
We are thrilled to announce that our recent event on digital nomads was a resounding success! Held on 19 March, it brought together a diverse audience eager to explore the evolving landscape of remote work and the rise of digital nomadism within organizations. Among our esteemed attendees was Eduard Coddé, from Profacility. Below, he delves into the highlights and key takeaways from our engaging discussion.
We often start from the “people, planet, profit” model when thinking about sustainability. The so-called "triple bottom line." Whereas success used to be measured mainly through financial profit, a healthy organization is now measured not only on financial performance (“Profit”), but also on social commitment (“People”) and environmental awareness (“Planet”). A successful company not only avoids pollution and saves energy, but also shows concern for employees and the broader society.
How to optimally fulfil the needs and wishes of a high-profile and multi-site customer such as ING. How to build up an innovative Facility Agent Service model? What impact will it have in the Facility Management Landscape? How do you guarantee efficient property management that also prioritises a first-rate user experience? And how can you agilely respond to new facility management opportunities and challenges?
On Thursday, September 28th, IFMA Belgium Chapter hosted its first autumn event at the ‘Green Energy Park’ in Zellik, focusing on building technologies and how they can contribute to achieving facility management objectives. ‘Green Energy Park’ was established in 2019 with the aim of promoting the development of knowledge about green energy, gathering and consolidating it, and making it available to various organizations through advisory services and training. “Our areas of focus include energy and mobility, biotechnology, smart regions, and hospitals for the future,” explained Inne Peersman, the director of ‘Green Energy Park.’ “Our Research Park serves as a living laboratory and showroom.”
For the second consecutive year, IFMA Belgium Chapter hosted its ‘Summer Vibes’ event under a brilliant blue sky and nearly tropical temperatures. The chosen venue this time was the Sport Vlaanderen domain in Hofstade, one of the 14 sports centers operated by this organization. During his welcoming remarks, Kris Cloots, Vice President of IFMA Belgium Chapter and CEO & Country Manager of ISS Facility Services Belgium & Luxembourg, reflected on a year and a half of effective operation for the IFMA Belgium Chapter. The Belgian branch of the global professional association for Facility Managers now boasts over 120 members and is supported by more than 20 partners. Compared to other young IFMA chapters, Belgium is rapidly establishing itself as a well-rooted organization for and by FM professionals.
The future of work is hybrid, and BNP Paribas Fortis has understood that since well before the COVID pandemic. Their brand new office building at their headquarters in Brussels, Montagne du Parc, hosts 4,100 workplaces for over 8,000 employees. We sat down with BNP Paribas Fortis’ Marianne Kremer and application lead Kevin Huart, to discuss how they collaborated with PROCOS Group to smoothen the transition to hybrid working using the Facile app.
The FM Student Challenge provides a special opportunity for students to develop their skills and capabilities through a team challenge, make contacts with potential employers and fellow FM students. The winning team included three Belgian students.
IFMA-student-belgium-challenge
On Tuesday 14 March ’23, IFMA Belgium Chapter organised a theme evening around ‘Generation Z’. Those present were able to get to know Generation Z in the flesh, as the professional organisation brought together four enthusiastic students in the field of Facility Management who are about to graduate. A better representation of ‘Generation Z’ could not be imagined!
IFMA Belgium Chapter --- Getting to know Generation Z
In the kitchen of the brainmove office, there is a dishwasher. Strangely enough, the agreements about filling and emptying this machine are not followed. Many organizations struggle with unwanted behaviour from their employees, such as having loud conversations in an open work environment, taking the elevator instead of the stairs, printing emails, leaving confidential notes on the whiteboard and moving office furniture. How do we deal with this? And how can we change this behaviour without having to play the bad guy?
Nudging in the office: from simple interventions to major behavioural changes
Thursday evening, 16 February, IFMA Belgium Chapter invited its members to get acquainted with the ‘metaverse’ a concept that is appearing more and more often, has already acquired great name recognition, but in terms of content remains very unfamiliar and even puzzling to most.
Let’s start by wishing you all a prosperous 2023! We are sure that the new year will bring amazing FM challenges to tackle. As IFMA Belgium Chapter, it is our mission to help you to achieve your ambitious objectives.
We wish a happy New Year 2023
The health crisis has profoundly changed the way employees look at their work. Employees are questioning the necessity of returning to the office, are attaching great importance to a work/life balance, while for organizations finding and retaining suitable people became more difficult than ever. Xwork responds to this with a co-working solution that is both innovative and practical.
On October 20 we had our employee/customer experience event at Delen Private Bank in Antwerp. A lot has been said and written about Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and Customer Value Proposition (CVP) but we wanted to show how flawless EVP and CVP could look like and what it does to visitors or staff.
IFMA SUSTAINABILITY EVENT
For a Facility Manager, each project is a strategic challenge. You have to make sure that people, planet and profit aspects are integrated in everything you do. In the past we were mainly focused on energy saving and sustainability. Nowadays we’re talking about ESG, and our work covers three different domains: Environmental, Social and Governance. As such, Facility Managers have a huge impact on delivering the objectives linked to each of these domains.
IFMA Sustainability event - 27/09
Anton & Tom are recognized experts, daily interacting with Facility Managers and C-levels. In 2021, they decided to relaunch IFMA Belgium with a board of people sharing the same ambition: to position Facility Management as a strategic role within organizations. They oversee IFMA Belgium’s communication and marketing and put a lot of energy in delivering great content to inspire IFMA members. Today, they answer a few questions on the core enablers to implement an efficient workplace strategy!
Data and extensive collaboration must bring water management into the 21st century. The e availability of fresh water is under increasing pressure in Belgium. “Human beings have adapted the landscape to their own needs for decades and we are now bearing the consequences,” explain Kobe Geryl and Thomas De Ruyck (…)
Data and extensive collaboration must bring water management into the 21st century.
Our first edition of the IFMA Summer Vibes networking event is a fact! We had the right tropical temperature to get the vibes going. More than 80 FM professionals joined this unique event. IFMA Belgium welcomed the attendees with a well deserved refreshment drink before revealing the calendar for the next events in 2022.
IFMA has embarked on a global effort to disseminate facility operations and performance data. This white paper focuses on sustainable operations and maintenance practices and is the first in a series of three reports summarizing performance of select buildings throughout Europe. While there is a small sample size for this pilot study, there are relevant findings to consider.
sustainability programs and initiatives
Sustainability is on everyone’s lips, but over the years it has also become an easily claimed umbrella term. Companies play an important role in the sustainability debate, but according to Meliopus, they also have a responsibility to set a good example for individuals and society.
Sustainable environment
Immerse yourself in the world of E-mobility & learn how to prepare for this as a buyer, supply chain manager, logistics manager & facility manager! What’s in store for us? What is the future of E-mobility? How can you already prepare your organization & your infrastructure for this?
Captains of e-mobility event
The world of work has changed beyond all recognition in recent years – and so have the demands of managers, employees, and customers. The experience that these stakeholders have come to expect is personalised, holistic, and integrated. In other words, what they expect is a Total Experience.
the new face of FM services
Aïcha Leeters, project manager in Facility Management, recently joined the board of IFMA Belgium to develop the activities and actions of the organization for Young Facility Managers. She is passionate about buildings, architecture and design, but also people and enjoys the challenge of finding the best partners to carry out a project as good as possible. Let’s learn more about her and her ambitions for IFMA.
Aicha leeters

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