On Wednesday 3rd July leaders from across the FM and Energy industries came together in London to discuss effective ways to create smart, cost-effective, and energy-efficient buildings.
The event, hosted by MRI Software and chaired by Simon Taylor, Business Daily Group Chief Executive, was comprised of facilities, energy and sustainability managers and featured several industry experts sharing their insights into the latest technologies that are shaping the future of FM and how organisations can become more efficient and sustainable.
The event kicked off with an informative keynote speech from MRI’s Managing Director of Facilities, Energy and Retail Intelligence, James Massey, discussing how technology is helping to create more sustainable, cost-effective and efficient workplaces and talking about some of the cutting edge innovations and practical applications that are making a real difference.
“I love technology,” said James. “I think technology used well is great technology. A key objective of my role is to make sure that people are getting the best out of their products.”
“At MRI we have been on a journey to deploy all our technology in our offices across the globe. We are passionate about using our own tech; there’s nothing better than being able to say we use all our own solutions.” James went on to tell the story of MRI’s journey to deploy their technology across their offices and how it began with working to understand the workplace and how it was being used post-covid. James’ story then went on to explore the use of energy management, footfall tracking, facilities management, and just what that combined ecosystem can bring out.
“We all have a duty of care around ESG strategies and net zero carbon,” he said. “It’s our planet and our responsibility. Our technology enables people to do things around monitoring energy and monitoring usage.”
Next, the audience were treated to an interesting panel discussion on the importance of collaboration in the net zero journey. Here the panellists covered a range of issues, including how an organisational cultural shift can drive net zero success and how businesses can overcome the barriers in the process.
The panellists were:
- Baskar Sundaram, CEO & Founder, Baachu Rain
- Mervyn Pilley, CMgr FRSA FAIA FSAM MIConstM AMEI, Business Development and External Affairs Executive at the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists
- Alex Green, Head of Let’s Go Zero at Ashden
- Kam Singh, Executive Director, ESG at EMCOR UK
One of the questions raised in the discussion was around the common barriers that organisations face in their net zero journey, and how can they be avoided. “People,” answered Alex Green. “People are a big barrier because we are very set in our ways, and we like to do things the way we like to do them!” She then went on to explain that on the flip side, people also offer one of the biggest opportunities as they bring the potential for a change in behaviour, which can lead to real change. She talked about how through her work with schools educating children and young people on environmental issues, she hopes to provide the FM industry with some better people in the future. People who have been taught to ‘behave better and will know to turn off the lights when they leave their office at night’. Let’s hope she’s right!
The morning session was concluded with a fantastic keynote speech from Franck Crosnier, Energy Management Director, BGIS UK & Europe, which covered how workplace well-being can be boosted without wasting energy.
After lunch and networking, proceedings kicked off again with another insightful panel discussion, this time on the role of digitalisation in human-centric FM. The panellists discussed how IoT, AI, and smart technologies can be harnessed to enhance occupiers’ experiences day-to-day.
The panellists were:
- Ophelia Bellio, Head of Global Workplace Services, BeterUp
- Ray Burke, Cyber Assurance Manager, Toro Solutions
- Karl Broom, Sales Director, MRI Software FM Solutions
- Jon I. Clark, Senior Manager, MRI Software FM Solutions
Then followed the last panel discussion of the day – De-carbonisation in Built Environment, with contributions from the following panellists:
- Alex Green, Head of Let’s Go Zero at Ashden
- David Hewins, Director of Estates, RFU
- Alan Stenson, MIoD, CEO at Neutral Carbon Zone, Managing Director at Ethical Nation & Tree in a Million founder
- Angus Robertson BSc IEng MIET, Energy Consultant, Saker Controls
Finally, this fantastic event wrapped up with a final keynote speech delivered by Jason Briggs, System Support Engineer, and Martin Paxton, Asset & Facilities Manager, both from Veolia. Together, they talked about how businesses can harness FM & energy teams to drive change and how they can streamline FM operations to become a more efficient and sustainable business.
Speaking about the success of the Forum afterwards, James Massey commented: “The session aimed to host an exceptional event with a strategic focus, where leaders and experts from our sector could share best practices and opportunities. I believe this objective was successfully achieved.”
He added: “As a technology partner, we had the chance to showcase our ideas and participate in numerous discussions on driving innovation within our base. Thank you to everyone who attended, and contributed to the panel discussions, and special thanks to Simon Taylor for chairing the event.”
Simon Taylor, Business Daily Group Chief Executive, commented: “I’d like to say a big thank you to MRI Software for arranging this event. It’s great that the organisation has brought so many people and companies together to help share experiences and insights, and it’s a great opportunity for us all to learn some new things.”
For more information about MRI Software, this event, or to register your interest for future events, please visit https://www.mrisoftware.com/uk/.
