APPAU - St. Louis

What is APPAU?

APPAU is APPA's premier professional development opportunity—offering multiple training courses together at a single location.

APPAU offers the convenience of these educational opportunities in one location with teaching faculty from across the country to help students envision the full spectrum of the facilities management profession. APPAU’s reputation for preparing facilities management professionals and their teams with the tools to meet competing priorities and deadlines within budget constraints and sustainability goals makes it a valuable educational experience.

3-day Course Options: Institute, Leadership Academy, & CEFP Exam Prep

Spend 3-days attending one of APPA's signature training programs: Institute for Facilities Management or Leadership Academy — both are long-standing and highly successful programs that expand students' facilities management acumen and leadership skills. Both programs include full days of classes Tuesday through Thursday.

An in-person CEFP Exam Prep Course will be offered Tuesday through Thursday. Instructors will lead participants through the Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) exam content areas in preparation for taking the exam. Registration includes access to the CEFP learning platform and registration fees for the credentialing exam.

2-day Option: Investing in the Future Facilities Workforce

Join us for a Targeted Titles and Topics (T3) workshop on Investing in the Future Facilities Workforce. Facilities leaders across education are facing persistent workforce challenges, from unfilled skilled trades positions to rising turnover, retirements, and growing competition for talent. This T3 session spotlights real-world strategies institutions are using to strengthen their workforce pipeline and build teams that can sustain operations today and into the future. Learn more about this compelling session.

What's Included/Cost to Attend

APPAU kicks off with a Monday evening reception. Student meals are provided for breakfast, lunch, and breaks throughout the training days (Tues-Thur). APPA also provides a closing reception on Thursday where we celebrate graduates who have completed all four cores of our Institute for Facilities Management or all four levels of our Leadership Academy programs. Students are responsible for hotel accommodations and evening meals. APPA has negotiated hotel rates for APPAU students—make sure to book your room before the hotel block expires.

3-day Registration Fees (Institute for Facilities Management, Leadership Academy, and CEFP Exam Prep):

• APPA Institutional Members: $1,600
• Non-Members: $2,133
• APPA Platinum Business Partners: $1,600
• APPA Gold Business Partners: $1,706
• APPA Silver Business Partners: $1,813
• APPA Bronze Business Partners: $1,920

2-day Registration Fees (Investing in the Future Facilities Workforce T3):

• APPA Institutional Members: $1,065
• Non-Members: $1,420
• APPA Platinum Business Partners: $1,065
• APPA Gold Business Partners: $1,136
• APPA Silver Business Partners: $1,207
• APPA Bronze Business Partners: $1,278

Institute for Facilities Management

Attendees selecting the "Institute" choose from one of four core facilities management topic areas for their APPAU event. Each core topic area provides rich content and hands-on exercises for attendees. The Institute core courses may be taken in any order.

• General Administration
• Operations & Maintenance
• Energy & Utilities
• Planning, Design & Construction

Institute students receive Professional Development Hours (PDHs) after completing any of the four core areas. Many Institute students return to APPAU to complete all four core content areas and become Institute Graduates. More details about APPA's Institute for Facilities Management.

Leadership Academy

APPA’s Leadership Academy prepares educational facilities professionals to become effective leaders with the skills to create thriving cultures of trust and lifelong learning that they can take back to their institutions. A comprehensive collection of four courses for educational facilities professionals, the Leadership Academy touches on all aspects of successful leadership skills: individual, interpersonal, managerial, and organizational.

Leadership Academy students follow a progression through APPA's leadership courses (one level per APPAU):

1. Individual Effectiveness Skills (Level I)
2. Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills (Level II)
3. Managerial Effectiveness Skills (Level III)
4. Organizational Effectiveness Skills (Level IV)

Leadership Academy students receive Professional Development Hours (PDHs) after completing each of the four levels. Many Leadership Academy students return to APPAU to complete all four levels and become Leadership Academy Graduates. More details about APPA's Leadership Academy.

CEFP Exam Study Course

APPA will be providing the CEFP Exam Prep Course for professionals preparing for the Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) credential exam. This 3-day program will review key facilities management topics and prepare students for the content of the CEFP exam. This instructor-led program delivers a rich in-depth interactive course led by a educational facilities professional and covers all four core competency areas of APPA’s Body of Knowledge (BOK): 

• General Administration and Management 
• Operations and Maintenance 
• Energy, Utilities, and Environmental Stewardship 
• Planning, Design, and Construction 

Through real-time instruction and collaborative discussions, participants gain a deeper understanding of facilities management and how all areas interconnect to support the mission of their organization. CEFP proctored exam fee included in course price (exam to be scheduled and taken after course).

Network and connect at APPAU while you prepare for the CEFP exam

Targeted Titles and Topics (T3) Workshop

APPA's upcoming T3 event will focus on a relevant topic. Hear case studies from leaders in the field and engage in discussions with APPA's institutional members and business partners. This two-day event (Tues/Wed) will be filled with ideas, discussions, and important takeaways to propel your organization forward.

As part of APPU, T3 participants will network with facilities professionals from around the globe throughout the event.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Get your brand in front of hundreds of facilities management professionals from across North America by sponsoring APPAU.

See Sponsorship Opportunities

Why APPAU?

Hear from some of our prior APPAU attendees about the impact this professional development event is having on their career journeys... 

Contact events@appa.org for APPAU and sponsorship questions.