Coming to the Phoenix Convention Center Oct. 26-28, the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2011 Conference & Expo is a global, multi-disciplined discussion on workplace trends, challenges and best practices that will highlight the new products and services impacting the workplace throughout 2012 and beyond.

In addition to a conference offering more than 60 educational sessions and keynote presentations by environmental academic and author Bjørn Lomborg and motivational speaker and entrepreneur Christopher Gardner, the event will feature an expo with more than 250 exhibitors — including companies such as AlliedBarton, Bissell, IBM, KBR, Kraft Foods, Lowe’s, Staples, Steelcase and Toshiba — as well as governmental agencies including the U.S. State Department and General Services Administration.

World Workplace exhibiting companies represent industries and business sectors including alternative energy, architecture, building maintenance, disaster recovery, education, food services, furniture, health care, real estate, security, technology and more. The World Workplace expo will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27. Access to this year’s expo is free for all who wish to attend.

“We’re looking forward to again participating in the World Workplace expo and talking about how IBM’s Smarter Buildings solutions are able to help organizations save in the areas of energy, operations and space,” said Dave Bartlett, IBM vice president of Industry Solutions. “Visitors to the expo will get to learn how we’re able to give clients greater intelligence and control of their buildings and of the physical world.” IBM will present the findings of their recently published sustainability report, “Crossing the Sustainability Chasm,” at the IBM-sponsored FMJ Social Networking Lounge.

One of the annual highlights of the World Workplace expo is Sustainability Central, an exclusive section of the expo floor reserved for companies offering environmentally friendly products and services. Nearly 70 exhibitors will be on hand in Sustainability Central this year, including companies such as the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments, ARAMARK, AT&T, CORT, Fluor, Johnson Controls and Milliken.

This year, Sustainability Central will feature a sustainability booth staffed by representatives from organizations offering sustainable building rating systems. Attendees can interact with these experts and learn about the various rating systems and methods of certifying and scoring a building’s environmental impact. Representatives from the Building Owners and Managers Association International, Green Globes, IFMA, the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities and the U.S. Green Building Council will be on hand.

Phoenix-based exhibitors will also be front and center this year, as the World Workplace 2011 expo will highlight more than a dozen companies that call the conference’s host city home.

“We have been strong supporters of World Workplace for many years and enjoy the opportunities to network with facility professionals that the conference provides. It’s very exciting to have this year’s event in our headquarter city of Phoenix,” said Commercial Service Solutions Executive Vice President Mary Thul. “Commercial Service Solutions provides floor and fiber care programs, and World Workplace allows us to interact with industry professionals to benchmark, obtain their input and confirm that our services are providing quality solutions for facility managers.”

Attendees interested in learning more about the latest developments within the association can visit the IFMA Central Booth. IFMA representatives will be available to discuss the association’s new Sustainability Facility Professional™ and enhanced Facility Management Professional credentials, as well as IFMA’s flagship Certified Facility Manager® designation. Attendees can also learn more about how to enter their facility data into the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager as part of IFMA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge, which aims to help facility professionals reduce their organization’s energy use.

Taking place on the expo floor throughout the afternoons of Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 26-27, will be Solutions Arena educational presentations and product demonstrations from companies including ARCHIBUS, Planon, Toshiba and others. Topics will include business analytics for facility and corporate real estate professionals; smarter energy management for a greater return on investment; technology and the workplace of the future; and going green with LED lighting.

To learn more about World Workplace 2011, or to register, visit www.worldworkplace.org.