Dr. Lowell Catlett Source: www.nmsu.edu

If you attended the Spring 2009 IAMC Professional Forum in Asheville, N.C., you learned a great deal about "Corporate Real Estate’s Contribution to Business Sustainability" — the theme of the conference.

You heard industry experts explain the importance of smart buildings, carbon reduction and energy efficiency in industrial asset management. You heard noted author and economist David Goldsmith state, "The most important people are those who design and build systems and infrastructure."

You also received practical tools that you can use in adding to your company’s sustainability. But you also received something more.

If you were on hand at the Grove Park Inn May 2-6, you learned this about IAMC: The association itself is passing the sustainability test.

While other professional organizations struggle to survive during these challenging economic times, IAMC continues to demonstrate both its value and its staying power.

Numbers alone do not tell the entire story, but they are pretty compelling:

• Total attendance was up 17 percent from the Fall 2008 Professional Forum and topped the 300 mark for the fifth time in the seven-year history of IAMC.
• Fourteen new Active members attended the Spring Forum, including executives from Genentech, Sonoco, Kellogg, Dow Corning, Siemens, Lennox and Unilever.
• Sponsorship support for IAMC reached an all-time record, as several new sponsors stepped up and longtime sponsors continued to show their strong support for the organization.
• Keynote speakers received outstanding scores in the attendees’ evaluations of the program, with Dr. Lowell Catlett of New Mexico State University leading all presenters with a remarkable average score of 9.3 out of 10. John Allison, retired chairman of BB&T Bank, was second with an 8.8.

The natural wonders of Western North Carolina provided an ideal setting for the IAMC Spring 2009 Professional Forum.

• New programs like the Health & Science Companies Action Group received a score of 9.5 from the Active members, as IAMC launched the innovative Industry Groups tailored to the needs of corporate real estate executives.
• The Sunday gala at Biltmore Estates received a score of 9.4, making it one of the highest rated events in the history of IAMC Forums.
• IAMC staff performance received a 9.4, also one of the highest marks ever, and Actives rated the overall networking environment at 9.3.
• The statement, "I enjoyed the Asheville Forum," received a score of 9.0 overall and 9.3 from Actives.

Altogether, these evaluations rank among the highest ever for an IAMC Professional Forum and point to the bright future that lies ahead for our association.

But as good as these numbers are, the words of our members paint an even more complete picture. Jeb Atkinson, head of the Logistics Practice Group for ProVenture Corporate Services in Brentwood, Tenn., had this to say: "As a member of a handful of professional organizations, I can say that IAMC is without question the most useful and relevant in the industry. The intimate setting, rich content and interactive nature of the sessions really set this group apart. There is no better corporate real estate education and benchmarking forum in the industry."

Pictured are representatives of the North Carolina host sponsors, whose organizations sponsored the Sunday evening welcome reception and dinner in Asheville.

Already, members are signing up at a brisk pace to register for the Fall 2009 Professional Forum in Minneapolis, where the theme will be "Corporate Real Estate’s Impact on the Balance Sheet."

The subject matter is sure to be timely, as it will cover everything from the latest impact of the federal government’s TARP funds to practical measures you can undertake to both create and conserve cash for your organization.

The speakers promise to be every bit as engaging and provocative as Catlett, Allison, Goldsmith and Wachovia Senior Economist Mark Vitner, who told us in Asheville that the housing market had hit bottom and was on its way back up, with wider economic recovery expected in the third quarter of 2010.

News like that was indeed welcome, but attendees already had good reason to be optimistic about the future of IAMC. If you were there, you know why.