About FMA Summits
A small private room for the people who run facilities.
Since 2007, FMA has run invitation-only summits where facility, energy and sustainability leaders hear how their peers fixed a problem, and meet only the vendors they choose.
- 2007founded, in Montreal
- 35summits since then
- 25school district facilities, operations and energy leaders have come
- 9past summits had school districts in the room
It started in Montreal.
The first FMA Summit was at the Hyatt Regency in Montreal, August 5–7, 2007. In the room: the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA, Natural Resources Canada, GM, Caterpillar, IBM, Boeing, Alcoa, Subaru and Michelin.
34 summits followed, on energy, sustainability, future facilities and microgrids, across the United States and Canada. School districts sent facilities and energy leaders to 9 of them.
In 2027 the School District Facilities & Operations Summit brings that room to Columbus and Detroit, for the people who run school buildings.
How it works for you.
The format has not changed since 2007, because it works.
- Every delegate is invited.
- Facility, energy and sustainability leaders with a problem to solve this year: people like you, from districts like yours.
- One room, no competing tracks.
- 20-minute talks by the people who ran the project. Everyone hears every talk.
- You choose who you meet.
- At most 20 vendors at each summit, each solving a different problem, and you pick the ones you want. Every meeting is booked before you arrive.
- No vendor walks the room.
- Vendors attend only as sponsors. One that hasn’t sponsored cannot register or attend, so nobody chases you in the hallway.
- Assigned tables at meals.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner are seated, so you meet people working on the same problems.
- Thursday and Friday.
- Two days. Friday ends with lunch, and you’re on the road by mid-afternoon.
In writing, from past school district delegates
“…the communication from presenters and fellow attendees was outstanding. I arrived with 3 concerns for Del Valle and through the presentations and discussions I have left the conference with 3 plans for the concerns. This has been a very productive conference.”
“I was very impressed with the high quality of the presentations, the relevancy of content and the opportunity to connect with solution providers in a thoughtful, low pressure environment. Great organization and management of time!”
Run by the person who started it.
Joe Piazza founded FMA in Montreal in 2007 and runs every summit himself, from the invitation list to the seating plan: 35 summits and 17,000+ meetings so far.
Your proposal or your invitation request goes to him.
Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec. Summits are held across North America.
Who has spoken.
Facility, energy and sustainability leaders from these universities and colleges have presented their own projects at FMA summits. School districts have come as delegates, and the 2027 call for speakers is open to them.
- Texas Wesleyan University
- University of Iowa
Your district fixed something. Tell the room how.
Propose a 20-minute talk, or register your team. Write to Joe Piazza at info@fmasummits.com.