Not all lighting proposals for facilities are created equal, and the lowest bid is rarely the best deal. This session will provide a practical scorecard framework for comparing fixture quality, photometric design, energy savings claims, and contractor credibility side by side. Walk away with a repeatable process you can use on your next RFP.

Facilities have many aspects and figuring out which OSHA regulations apply can be confusing. Using OSHA's Recommended Practices, we will walk through managing a Safety and Health Management System that will encompass all areas of your facility. 

The building sector accounts for a staggering 40% of all energy consumed in the country. While existing buildings are often "grandfathered," nearly every modification – from simple repairs to significant additions – triggers complex energy code requirements under the IECC. This presentation demystifies IECC Chapter 5, which dictates how codes are applied to alterations, repairs, additions, and changes of use. The speaker will walk attendees through real-world scenarios to show exactly how the code applies to a building's envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems. Finally, discover how leveraging energy modeling provides a strategic advantage for ensuring compliance, offsetting new energy demands, and driving cost savings in challenging retrofit projects.

This session will provide an overview of the most popular predictive maintenance solutions for rotating and reciprocating equipment – vibration analysis, thermal imaging, motor testing, ultrasonics, oil analysis and other techniques – which together support a complete and effective condition-monitoring system. The speaker, a former doctor and department chief, also will provide an interesting explanation of how these PdM tests compare to medical tests attendees may be familiar with (blood tests, EKGs and X-rays), which have similar diagnostic goals (health status of patient, health status of equipment).

When the University of Dallas Police Department was formed in 2018, it was integrated into the existing safety department at the Irving campus; the result has been a substantial enhancement of security and safety at the university. This session will examine lessons learned regarding:  development of an emergency response plan, emergency training and evacuation procedures; emergency notification systems (voicemail, text messages and emails); dealing with weapons on campus; development of a fire safety report, and more. This presentation will benefit facilities managers in all types of facilities with strategies to ensure the security and safety of people, buildings and operations. 

In 2023, the National Fire Protection Association updated its NFPA 70B, which outlines proper electrical maintenance -- changing it from “recommended practice” to a “standard”, thereby making compliance required.  In this presentation, the speaker will describe essential steps needed to develop an electrical maintenance program in accordance with the NFPA 70B standard. This includes: well-documented procedures, meticulous records, thorough personnel training, and a structured plan for routine inspections, testing, and corrective actions based on the condition and significance of the equipment. Find out what you need to know to ensure your company's compliance and safety.

Most people familiar with the Dallas downtown are aware of the striking JW Marriott Arts District Hotel – unusually constructed on the top of a parking garage. But probably few know that the project was made possible through PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) funding offered through the State of Texas. The hotel project involved HVAC, lighting, and water efficiency, with annual savings of more than 1.2 million kWh of electrical energy, 577,000 gallons of water, and 350 MMBtu natural gas. The equivalent CO2 reduction was 652 Tons. The panelists will discuss the details of this impressive green building project, and will highlight how long-term, fixed-rate TX-PACE financing can help deliver substantial financial assets for a company while supporting superior operational performance for the facility. Gain ideas that will benefit your own facility.

Building relationships within your team will make your team more successful. The speaker will discuss techniques for building relationships and trust within your organization. Methods of team development will be reviewed along with potential dysfunctions within an organization. These tools will allow you to avoid breaking down your team while forming your best team.

Existing buildings often have hidden operational issues that increase energy costs, strain maintenance teams, reduce equipment reliability, and impact occupant comfort. Retro-commissioning provides facility owners with a practical, data-driven process to identify and correct these issues before pursuing major capital upgrades. This presentation will provide an overview of retro-commissioning, including when it should be considered, how the process is typically performed, what types of building systems are evaluated, and how data and field verification are used to confirm results. Attendees will learn how retro-commissioning can help improve HVAC, controls, ventilation, lighting, and overall system performance, while supporting long-term financial, operational, and sustainability goals across a variety of facility types.

Electric vehicle charging has become an increasingly important consideration for the parking areas of companies. This session provides facilities managers with a practical overview of EV charging fundamentals, including charger types, equipment selection, siting considerations, permitting requirements, budgeting and funding options, and overall project development. Drawing on experience from multi-site projects across diverse jurisdictions, attendees will learn how to manage varying timelines and regulatory requirements while controlling costs and minimizing project risk.

Disaster response doesn’t start when something goes wrong, and it doesn’t end when the damage is visible. This session covers the full lifecycle of preparedness, response, and recovery. Learn how to prepare your facility for fire, water, and severe weather events, what to expect in the critical first hours, and how to navigate the path back to normal operations.

The high-growth climate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in recent years has meant a surge in power demand, and with it a surge in electrical bills. Commercial facilities that once might not have considered installing solar now are seeing benefits in making electricity and storing it onsite. This session will provide an overview of commercial solar – where it is installed (ground mount, rooftop, canopy), details of energy storage, financing and other budget considerations, and the benefits of energy security.

As a facilities manager, projects like moving a department from one part of a company building or campus to another are always challenging. But if you work for a mission-critical company – whose operations are 24 hours a day – such projects become exceptionally complex. In this session, the speaker will explore how to plan employee workspaces for a mission-critical operation, starting with key questions to determine at the very start. The speaker will cover essential considerations such as 24x7 operational needs, power and communications redundancy, and emergency supplies. From there, the speaker will walk through a practical checklist to review available options and identify useful sources of information for planning your project. Information on some specific examples also will be included. (This presentation was coordinated by the North Texas Chapter of the Association of Continuity Professionals.)

Specifying the right blend of lighting controls can deliver measurable energy savings and user satisfaction in many environments. In order to optimize benefits, all stakeholders must understand and apply the latest technology advancements that maximize ROI and sustained use. The speaker will provide an overview of next generation lighting control strategies, code compliance, benefits, and pitfalls.

Hear about how Tarrant County College has undertaken an extensive and impressive redevelopment of its Northwest campus (first opened in 1976), located on Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth. This presentation will detail the project, whose initial impetus was a damage-causing windstorm in 2016. Funded mainly through a 2019 bond, the redevelopment was completed in stages through 2025: three of the existing buildings were redeveloped, and four new buildings were constructed. Of particular interest to facilities engineers and managers is that architects and contractors followed the college’s master planning requirements, referred to as Three Goals and Eight Principles, to make all the college’s campuses and buildings student-friendly, both aesthetically and from a comfort/convenience standpoint.

Most electrical failures don't happen without warning – they build heat first. This session will show facility managers how to catch those warnings before they become arc flash incidents, unplanned outages, or insurance claims. Drawing from nearly 30 years of field experience across data centers, healthcare systems, manufacturing plants, and commercial portfolios, the speakers will demonstrate how infrared thermography reveals the hidden hotspots that visual inspections miss – loose connections, overloaded circuits and deteriorating components hiding behind closed panel doors. Attendees will see how pairing thermal imaging with receptacle tension testing and condition-based monitoring creates a layered defense strategy aligned with NFPA 70E arc flash safety requirements and the latest NEC updates. Walk away with a practical framework for building (or strengthening) an electrical preventive maintenance program that actually works – not just on paper, but in the field.

Building exteriors are comprised of a wealth of areas that are prone to water intrusion – doors, windows, facades – as well as areas that lend themselves to vandalism. This presentation will describe how to prioritize maintenance inspections and take timely actions (waterproofing, graffiti prevention) to avoid deterioration and related expenses.

Hear the important story about how the Houston area, in the past 50 years, realized the fact that the land was subsiding to an alarming and precarious extent due to groundwater over-pumping, and took coordinated measures (local, state and federal) to plan, manage, finance, regulate and build infrastructure to address the problem. With the result that Houston, which formerly had one of the worst land subsidence problems in the U.S., now has some areas where the subsidence rates have dropped to near zero. In this film, produced by the non-profit water news outlet WaterLoop.org, the host, Travis Loop, examines the solutions that began in earnest in the 1970s, interviewing experts from a subsidence district, the U.S. Geological Survey, a purification plant, and a flood control district. The film shares a variety of success stories and lessons learned, which may give you ideas for better water management at your facility.