Among the few global FM organizations, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is the largest and most widely recognized professional association for facility management, supporting more than 18,500 members.  The Association's members are represented in 125 chapters, 15 councils and one Special Interest Group (SIG), in 60 countries worldwide.  Globally, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management degree and certificate programs, organizes World Workplace, the largest facility management-related conference and exposition worldwide.
IFMA adopts the regional chapter concepts in order to better meet the local needs.  In addition to the North American chapter, there are European, Australian and Asian chapters that consist of countries within that region.  The Hong Kong chapter was established in 1992, IFMA chapters in Japan, Korea, Singapore, India and others were also established.  In the Peoples’ Republic of China, IFMA signed an agreement in 2006 to start the professional development training of FM. In March 2007, the Minister of Labor and Social Security has approved the FM certification in China.