The ConnexFM 2024 Mid-Year Conference offered new ways for attendees to network and collaborate.
By Scott Mason
"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" does not apply to the incredible experiences at the ConnexFM 2024 Mid-Year Conference. This year's event at Caesar's Palace in "Sin City" differed from Mid-Year conference experiences of the past by pivoting from standard education sessions to a more collaborative format, allowing for increased connectivity and networking opportunities.
Bill Yanek, CEO of ConnexFM, said the format shift resulted from member feedback. "Our National Conference each spring is a more traditional trade show with education and professional development, and certainly that's been a success," he said. "But with a smaller group at Mid-Year, we listened to our Councils and Committees, and they wanted something more practical and hands-on."
The Main Attraction
On Tuesday morning, attendees gathered for ConnexFM's first-ever Neighborhood Nexus exercise. Attendees were split into six different teams, or "neighborhoods," to tackle the challenges facilities professionals face daily. "Everyone is engaged — everyone's participating because this is what they live and breathe as FMs or suppliers," Yanek said. "It's really great to see them working through problems in real-time."
Each of the six neighborhoods was assigned a facilities-focused issue:
Area 51 — Facilities hurricane preparedness plan
Green Valley Ranch — Managing civil unrest and security threats at a flagship store
Fremont St. — Restoration after a devastating fire at a healthcare facility
Red Rocks — Addressing rodent infestation in a grocery store
The LINQ — Chain-wide dark store implementation due to a pandemic
Vegas Sportsville — Facilities systems failure
Melissa Marria, Manager, Facilities and Property Management at Ulta Beauty, said she loved the Neighborhood Nexus format for sharing ideas with peers. "You're working with a team to provide a solution as opposed to sitting in a room and listening to someone speak," she said. "This is a great way to learn."
This sentiment was echoed by Bobbie Jo Sarles, National Account Executive at Identiti. “When a situation happens out of nowhere, facilities professionals need to make an actionable and practical plan that focuses on people,” she said. “It was great to hear everyone’s perspectives on how to come up with a solution.”
Winning teams from each neighborhood took the stage to present to the group at large. After a virtual vote, the Fremont St. neighborhood took home the top prize with an engaging and insightful fire safety solution.
"It felt really good and exciting to win," said Jamie Delli Santi, Director of Key Account Growth at Rubicon and one of her neighborhood's spokespeople. "We tried to take something that we do every day that's kind of dry, and just make it a little bit more engaging and appetizing. Everyone had such great ideas.”
Adding to the Experience
Beyond the Neighborhood Nexus, the Mid-Year conference boasted numerous experiences and activities to foster attendees' engagement.
Opening up the conference Monday morning was the Connex Foundation IMPACT Charity event. Volunteers partnered with Lutheran Social Services of Nevada (LSSN) to donate 24,000 lbs. of food, helping fill two of the largest food pantries in Las Vegas.
And of course, the event still offered opportunities for personal connections, with a classic Quick Connect networking session and an additional Vegas Vendor Connection, allowing suppliers and multi-site FMs to make appointments with one another to discuss business in greater detail.
Following the Neighborhood Nexus event, a luncheon was held to support the ConnexFM Veterans Council and their work to help support former U.S. military members in the workforce. Brian Foster, Senior Vice President of Business Development at The Paint Folks and Co-Chair of the Veterans Council, helped introduce the luncheon's guest speaker, Rashida Williams with U.S.VETS, who urged companies to continue or begin partnering with her organization to provide employment opportunities to those who have served our country.
Beyond the work, attendees were offered opportunities to let loose. The Welcome Reception on Monday saw the conference space transformed into a bustling casino, with attendees receiving "Connex cash" to use to play everyone's favorite table games.
Tuesday evening allowed members to unwind with a Poolside Beach Bash, with the winning neighborhood team awarded a private, posh cabana to help celebrate their well-deserved victory.
To cap things off, Wednesday morning offered attendees the opportunity to participate in four interactive facilities tours. Attendees were able to explore Coach, Fendi and Kate Spade stores at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, as well as HyperX Arena, a professional esports and entertainment venue.
According to Allen Randolph, Sr. Vice President of Customer Solutions at Kaivac, the new Mid-Year schedule and format was a great success and hopefully is here to stay. "I think there are many other possibilities to build off the success of the Neighborhood Nexus," he said. " I'm excited about the future."