Skedda at NFMT East 2026: Facilities Leaders Are Leaning Into Data

On March 10-12, the Skedda team joined facilities professionals in Charlotte, North Carolina for NFMT East 2026—one of the industry’s longest-running conferences dedicated to facilities management education, networking, and technology.

For more than 25 years, NFMT has been a premier destination for facilities leaders looking for practical education, peer insight, and real-world solutions to help them reduce risk, strengthen teams, and operate more effectively.

This year’s conversations made one thing clear: the role of the facilities manager is evolving—and data is at the center of that shift.

Across sessions, hallway conversations, and our own events, a recurring theme emerged: facilities teams are increasingly expected to be more data-driven in how they manage and optimize the workplace.

Facilities Management Is Becoming More Data-Driven

Throughout the conference, we heard from facilities leaders who are being asked to bring more data, insights, and analysis into leadership conversations than ever before.

In many organizations, facilities teams are now expected to:

• Provide visibility into space utilization and attendance patterns
• Support real estate and workplace strategy decisions
• Demonstrate the ROI of workplace investments
• Back up operational decisions with clear workplace data

But while expectations are rising, many attendees shared that they’re still early in their workplace data journey. Many teams are just beginning to collect the historical data they need to confidently support these decisions.

From Data to Decisions: A Facilities Management Roundtable

At NFMT East, Skedda hosted a Solutions Roundtable led by Jake Helman, SVP of Sales at Skedda.

From Data to Decisions: A Facilities Management Roundtable

The roundtable brought together facilities leaders for an open discussion about how organizations currently collect, use, and share workplace data—and where they see opportunities for improvement.

The conversation focused on questions like:

• Where are organizations today in their workplace data journey?
• What types of workplace data are leaders asking for?
• How are facilities teams using data to support leadership decision-making?

The discussion reinforced what we’ve been hearing across the industry: facilities leaders recognize the importance of data, but many are still working to build the visibility and historical insights needed to guide workplace strategy.

Read more: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Office Using Utilization Insights

The Era of the FM Analyst

In addition to the roundtable, Jake also hosted an interactive Learning Lab session:

The Era of the FM Analyst: Turning Workplace Data into ROI

Facilities management is entering a new era—one where the role increasingly requires analytical thinking, strategic insight, and the ability to translate workplace data into business value.

In the session, attendees explored how facilities teams are using workplace data to:

• Identify space utilization trends
• Build stronger ROI narratives for leadership
• Make smarter operational and real estate decisions

For many attendees, the session sparked discussion about how facilities leaders can evolve from primarily operational roles into strategic partners who bring data-backed insights to the business.

Read more: How Data-Driven FMs Are Shaping the Modern Workplace

Connecting with the FM Community

Beyond the sessions, NFMT East provided an incredible opportunity to connect with facilities professionals from across industries.

One highlight of the week was the NFMT welcome reception at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where attendees gathered to network, exchange ideas, and share the real-world challenges they’re navigating in today’s workplace environment.

These conversations reinforced how valuable peer insight can be as facilities leaders navigate a rapidly evolving workplace landscape.

Continuing the Conversation

If NFMT East made one thing clear, it’s that facilities leaders are increasingly being asked to turn workplace data into meaningful decisions.

As this shift continues, having the right tools and the right insights will be critical.

If you’re interested in exploring the themes we discussed at NFMT East, check out these resources:

• The 2026 Modern FM Toolkit
• The Era of the FM Analyst: How FMs Identify, Interpret, and Act on Data to Drive Strategic Organizational Value (on-demand webinar)
• Facilities Is the Heart of the Office: From Operations to Analysts

We’re already looking forward to continuing the conversation with the facilities community at future events.