IFMA 2025 Recap: Cost, Capability, and Confidence
Last week in Minneapolis, more than 4,000 people attended the annual IFMA World Workplace Conference and Expo. This was TFX’s second year exhibiting, and we were thrilled with the experience—especially the opportunity to network and connect in person with both existing clients and many new prospects.
As the premier destination for facilities management professionals, IFMA World Workplace gave us the chance to engage with FMs representing hundreds of organizations—from small municipalities managing a handful of sites to some of the world’s largest corporations overseeing thousands of locations.
One consistent message came through loud and clear, and it echoes the theme of this month’s “Food for Thought” article on our blog:
In today’s climate of economic and tariff uncertainty, cost is a major focus.
Facilities managers are facing a world where even basic construction materials and labor are costing more than ever. A recent report by JLL, which we reference in our blog, estimates that the total cost of build-outs has risen globally by as much as 25%.
Not every organization is experiencing that level of sticker shock, but many of the IFMA attendees we spoke with shared real concerns about how to cut costs wherever possible, from decommissioning through to furnishing new workplaces. That’s why the TFX promise of delivering projects reliably, on time and on budget, and as cost-effectively as possible, was met with both relief and enthusiasm.
A second consistent theme we heard was the growing demand for full-service, end-to-end expertise in office asset management. Consultants with specialized skills, whether in design, space planning, circular reporting, sustainability, or project management, certainly have their place. And facilities managers can, of course, assemble their own teams of movers, storage providers, furniture resellers, and installers, and attempt to coordinate all of these moving parts on their own.
But what we heard time and again at IFMA is that busy facilities managers increasingly prefer full-service partners. They are looking for trusted providers who can oversee and execute every aspect of a facilities move project from planning demolition to cutting the ribbon on a newly built-out space.
Why is full service so important to facilities managers?
Fewer vendors with narrow expertise to manage and coordinate.
One expert who understands and can deliver every step of a project with both expertise and experience.
One accountable partner to rely on when the inevitable “unforeseen” challenges arise.
At TFX, we have spent decades building exactly this kind of full-service capability. From decommissioning to remanufacturing to furniture resale, and everything in between, we bring comprehensive solutions with a further promise. Every project is delivered to the highest sustainability standards, with clear metrics for success, even when client priorities are focused primarily on reliability and cost effectiveness.
IFMA World Workplace highlighted the challenges facing today’s facilities managers. We left the conference more convinced than ever that the TFX approach is exactly what clients need: full-service, accountable, cost-effective, and sustainable.
Give us a shout if you have a project to discuss, at inquiry@tfxfurniture.com.