WHAT’S NEW? JULIE KORTENS TALKS PLANTS


efig members attending a strategy day in London had the pleasure of a short talk from Julie Kortens, immediate ex-chair of the BIFM, about her knowledge of plants.


Jimmy Gilchrist, efig's Vice-Chair had invited Julie along to share thoughts about how interior landscaping i.e. plants were viewed by the FM industry.


CLOUDFM NEW SPONSORSHIP DEAL


WITH ESSEX CRICKET Cloudfm, a UK Facilities Management company, has joined forces with Essex County Cricket Club to become the Club’s stadium naming rights partner.


The partnership will see the Chelmsford ground renamed as The Cloudfm County Ground and the three-year deal will run until the end of the 2019 season.


This groundbreaking move will also see Cloudfm use its expertise to assist the club in the development of facilities to encourage participation in cricket, including the women’s game, youth cricket and disability cricket.


The new deal supports Cloudfm’s ambitious growth plans, which have seen it more than double in size during the last year. The alignment with Essex Cricket will provide a platform to showcase the Cloudfm brand through high profile sporting events and international media coverage, creating yet more opportunities to engage with potential partners.


Jeff Dewing, Cloudfm’s Chief Executive Officer commented, “This is an exciting new chapter for Cloudfm. It promises to be a deep and wide ranging partnership that stretches beyond sponsorship and supports Essex County Cricket both on and off the pitch”.


Dewing continued: “The partnership offers us a fantastic opportunity to link up with a well-known sporting partner that shares our ethos and values. We are the fastest growing business in our industry as a result of our commitment to innovation and excellence, and we are delighted to be supporting a local club that shares our attitude to success”.


To oversee the partnership, Cloudfm have employed Maria O’Donoghue, former Head of Media Operations at the England and Wales Cricket Board, who has over 12 years’ experience working on national and international cricket projects, including ICC Twenty20 2009 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.


Derek Bowden, Essex Cricket Chief Executive, is delighted to see the partnership with Cloudfm secured: “Cloudfm have shown a real desire from the beginning to not only be a ground naming sponsor but to actively support us in our mission to delight members, supporters, players and our community."


12 | TOMORROW’S FM


Graham Gooch OBE, Essex Cricket Club Ambassador, added: “Partnerships such as these are vital for the Club moving forward. Cloudfm have shown a great passion. We are delighted to have them on-board”.


www.cloudfmgroup.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


Julie confessed this was an area she hadn't really considered but was fascinated by the research she found about the many benefits of plants. These ranged from improved productivity to cleaner air and reduced stress. Referring to the Stoddart Review, she also acknowledged that any information about plants was completely missing.


Julie explained that facilities managers may be more concerned about problems i.e. the health of plants, maintaining their beauty, too many plants, placed in the way of ease of movement or ease of cleaning.


Members of efig explained that all of these problems can be addressed. How many plants and where they are placed can be agreed when the installation is planned. Keeping the plants pest-free and at their best is a matter of professional maintenance, a service that efig members can offer.


In a very small sample survey she had carried out, Julie found that those who worked in the office all the time were more likely to want plants than flexible workers. Female workers were also keener to include plants in the office environment.


She advised efig as an organisation and as individual members to make sure that Facilities Managers were informed of all the many benefits beyond just the aesthetics of plants and of the services they offer.


www.efig.co.uk


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