The most important event in Latin America dedicated to training in administration, maintenance and management of buildings, commercial, institutional and industrial, sealed its third edition excellent results and optimistic prospects. by María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo
For the third consecutive year TecnoEdificios demonstrated the importance that academic congresses like this one have in Latin America as they meet the needs of the industry in the region and fill deep gaps of knowledge and training on issues that represent the daily to make of the people who work in this market. The event, which took place on November 8 and 9, at the Plaza Mayor Convention and Exhibition Center in the city of Medellín, had a varied agenda of activities aimed at giving a sample of what the property management and administration industry of all kinds is experiencing today. Two days of conferences, panels and academic talks were the highlight of the day that was complemented by a commercial exhibition in which the most outstanding companies from the segments of air conditioning, automation and control, sustainable construction, administration and sustainable and efficient management of buildings participated. As the Congress opens mouths, the day before the start of the Congress attendees had the opportunity to participate in three guided tours of three important architectural projects located in the city of Medellín and its surroundings: the headquarters of the multinational Avon, the San Vicente de Paul Foundation and the building of the Ruta N innovation and business center. For Peruvian Nilton Vargas, from BBVA Peru, who attended the tour offered by Ruta N and actively participated in academic activities, technology is a topic that "cannot take us by surprise. To be competitive, you have to be trained and know the framework of new advances." According to Vargas, the contents of TecnoEdificios were decisive in making the decision to travel to Colombia and attend the Congress. "We must take advantage of the knowledge that is being offered on the subject of building management focused on the protection of the environment and the saving of money and the new trend of sustainable construction, because the subject is just beginning to appear in the academy," he says. For his part, the Spanish Javier González Cantarell, commercial manager of Merak Project, who had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Avon and that of Ruta N, was able to compare both projects and in this regard he said that a great advance has been made in the issue of sustainable and eco-efficient construction, "this has ceased to be a trend and has gone on to demonstrate real results, not only in the impact on the environment but on the economy of companies". Associativity had its place
One of the most important initiatives that was promoted by TecnoEdificios was the creation, a year ago, of the Association of Modern Building Managers (AGEM), precisely the members of this association held a meeting within the framework of the Congress, with the aim of taking stock of the work done so far, guiding their future projects and consolidating their action plan for 2013. Max Jaramillo, promoter of the creation of AGEM and president of Latin Press Inc., the organizing company of the Congress, was accompanied by Omar Ramírez, from ACEIS; Miguel Herrera, head of security at the ITS Consortium; Juan Esteban Tabares, from the company Arquitectos e ingenieros integrales; Jaime Mejia, from ADT (Tyco) and Gloria Acosta, manager of Paseos Comerciales Parque San Antonio.
Likewise, Juan Torres, from HMV Ingenieria; Camilo Andrés Álvarez, from the National Center for Cleaner Production; Juan Durango, from the Plaza Mayor Convention Center; Jeanette Marín, from the Pontifical Bolivarian University; Gabriel Soto, from Surface SAS and Oscar Gutiérrez, from Alqueria. This group of professionals from the areas related to the administration and management of buildings will make up the base working group that will promote the consolidation of the objectives of the organization. LIKEWISE, AGEM has the support of the Pontifical Bolivarian University and the Nueva Granada Military University. Top-notch training
A total of eleven academic presentations, including lectures and panels, were scheduled to develop the third edition of TecnoEdificios. Nearly 200 professionals and technicians from the industry attended the agenda, designed based on the main learning needs expressed and requested by the participants of the event in previous versions of the event, as well as on the recommendations of the Academic Committee that was formed in advance and that worked diligently in the program. One of the activities that had the most call was the central panel How to generate value in a building?, sponsored by AGEM, which had the exhibition of Ricardo Castrillón, technical manager of Indirco S.A.; Carlos Saavedra, general manager of ACEIS, Administration of Co-properties and Buildings Isaza, and Camilo Botero, president of Camilo Botero Ingenieros Consultores. Ana María Restrepo, editor-in-chief of Latin Press, Inc., the organizing company of the congress, moderated the activity. Active participation, rain of questions and a lot of concern generated the topics addressed during the central panel and in the other presentations that were developed during the two days of TecnoEdificios: two panels and a conference focused on the topic of safety and control, three panels of sustainability, two of air conditioning and comfort, two of integration and one of management, were the activities that sought to cover the wide universe of building management and exceed the expectations of the attendees. For John Alberto Méndez, manager of Dicol, a Colombian design and engineering company, the academic programming managed to make it clear that a change of thought and culture is fundamental, which is not only to dress in green, but to train and get involved in the change to be able to offer products that meet high standards of quality and friendship with the environment. "The important thing is to continue enacting the culture of sustainable construction in order to contribute to a better tomorrow," said the executive. The Expo received hundreds of visitors
On the other hand, the commercial exhibition had the exhibition of 65 companies that presented the most recent developments in products and services to improve the operation of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. Hundreds of people visited the Expo and were quite anxious to know the technological advances offered by the market in this subject. According to Miguel Duque, commercial manager of Laminaire S.A., a company present at the commercial exhibition, events and fairs like this are vital for companies in the field, they are a window for the exhibition of services and products and an ideal space to know the current state of the market, the competition and allies, to work as a team and stay updated. With high expectations for the following year TecnoEdificios closed its classrooms and already begins to prepare for the fourth edition, which is expected to overcome the excellent balance with which it closes 2012 and give continuity to the academic and commercial quality that has characterized it until now.
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