An inaugural Research Roundtable session marked the beginning of the IAMC Spring 2003 Professional Forum in Palm Harbor, Fla. The Roundtable session, conducted by IAMC board member Bill Pearson, of BASF Corp., was charged with developing a model to organize the real estate function within a company in a manner that would maximize that department's value to the company.
        The task was broken down into three parts: an evaluation of current business mo dels and the trends affecting them; an effort to derive strategic opportunities from these trends and finally, the development of a real estate function model that could provide increased value to a manufacturer.
        The six-hour session produced a lively debate among the invited participants and a final model program that will help a number of IAMC members in their daily duties.
        "I thought it was important that we start this program now, while the economy is still slow, so that there could be a well-thought-out and tested program in place when things pick up again," said IAMC chairman Jack Brophy, who participated in the Roundtable.
        The final report of the inaugural IAMC Research Roundtable will be published by IAMC.

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The next IAMC Professional Forum will be held in Danvers, Mass., Sept. 6-10, 2003 at the Sheraton Ferncroft Hotel, only 17 miles from Boston's Logan International Airport, and boas ting both outstanding meeting facilities and its own 18-hole golf course.
        The theme for the Fall Professional Forum is "Agile Leadership for the Bottom Line: Dealing with Corporate Governance, Ethics and Economic Reality."
        Already scheduled are sessions on business model trends, effective work approaches and specific asset management issues. The business model trends session will place its emphasis on cost-savings metrics and the role of technology, while the effective work approaches topic will address such areas as Six Sigma projects, aligning competencies with projects and teaming. The session dealing with specific asset management issues will address the lease-vs.-own debate and utilizing assets to prove profitability.
        Other areas slated for discussion in Danvers are environmental issues, an economic update, the future style of IAMC meetings and the election of new officers.
        "There are some very exciting ideas on the table," says IAMC Chairman Jack Brophy, "and I think that anyone who takes their corporate real estate responsibilities seriously will want to be sure to be a part of the IAMC Forum in September. "

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With the ambitious membership goals set by the IAMC founders already within reach, the organization's board of directors has set its sights on completing the service side of the structure.
        Already, IAMC's dynamic start-up is being compared with some of the most successful organizations in the non-profit arena, and to have reached its original goals ahead of schedule in a poor economy makes IAMC's success even more remarkable.
        "We have been very fortunate so far," says IAMC Treasurer Charles McSwain, of CSX Corp., "in that our corporate and associate members have seen the clear value of this organization. Now it is up to us as members to deliver on our promises."
        Restructuring of the Professional Forum agenda, special membership benefits for active corporate members and a clearly defined role for associate and economic development professionals are all part of future plans.