--- title: TEFMA26 Insights for Every Space | Cohera-Tech description: Cohera-Tech’s GM Nick Ballard on what TEFMA26 revealed about data-led space decisions for universities….and workplaces, civic venues and retail. image: https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/TEFMA26-Cohera-Tech-Booth-Day1-1.webp --- [![Cohera-Tech, powered by Vemco Group](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/Cohera-Blog/logo_blue.png)](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/) ☰ - [ABOUT](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/about-us/) - SOLUTIONS - [OCCUPANCY](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/occupancy/) - [Safe Occupancy Monitoring](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/safe-occupancy-monitoring/) - [People Counting System Upgrade Replacement](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/switch-people-counting-software) - [INDUSTRIES](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/industries/) - [RETAIL](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/industries/retail/) - [Shopping Centres](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/people-counting-shopping-centres/) - [Public](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/industries/public/) - [Education](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/industries/education/) - [Art Galleries & Museums](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/people-counting-museums-art-galleries/) - [Commercial](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/industries/commercial/) - [Hospitality](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/people-counting-hospitality/) - [RESOURCES](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog) - [CONTACT](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/contact-cohera-tech/) Blog - Latest News You are here: [Home](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au) / [General](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/general) / TEFMA26 Insights for Every Space | Cohera-Tech [![Nick Ballard of Cohera-Tech at the TEFMA conference, standing in a themed expo booth. ](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/TEFMA26-Cohera-Tech-Booth-Day1-1.webp) Nick Ballard of Cohera-Tech at the TEFMA conference, standing in a themed expo booth.](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/TEFMA26-Cohera-Tech-Booth-Day1-1.webp) # TEFMA26 Insights for Every Space | Cohera-Tech October 9, 2026 / in General / by Cohera-Tech ## What a university conference taught us about every space we measure I'll be honest. I went to TEFMA26 expecting only to hear and talk about campuses. I came away also thinking about shopping centres, libraries and office floors too. TEFMA brings together the people who run university campuses across Australia and New Zealand. We spent three days at Booth 32 at Marvel Stadium, and the conversations kept surprising me. University facilities teams are asking similar questions to those we hear from every sector we work with.   **Usage is changing faster than buildings** Mark McCrindle opened with a session on demographic shifts and the impact of technology. His challenge to the room stuck with me. How do you plan flexible, resilient spaces when the way people use them keeps changing? That isn't just a campus problem. A centre manager sees it in shifting peak trading windows. A council sees it when a library becomes a study hub, meeting place and community refuge in the same week. Space planned on gut feel falls behind fast, wherever it is.   **Nobody wants to spend millions on a hunch** Day two was my favourite. Sessions like "Data Before Decisions" and an international panel with APPA, AUDE and HEFMA colleagues kept circling one idea. Multi-million dollar decisions made without clear utilisation data are a serious risk. More facilities leaders are validating investments with occupancy data before they commit. Often, it shows them space they already have and aren't using well. This is especially relevant when talking about non-teaching spaces. Corporate property teams are having the same conversation. With hybrid work, the organisation that knows how its floors and rooms are really used makes better calls on leases, fit-outs and consolidation.   **Listen to the people using the space** The final day opened with a panel on what learners want from campus spaces. It reinforced something I believe strongly. Spaces work when they're shaped by real behaviour, not by what looks good on a floor plan. Retail has worked this way for years. What's changed for everyone is how precisely we can measure that behaviour now, from reliable entry counts to how people move between zones.   **Why local matters** Finally, here's what I heard most. Facilities teams want proven technology, but they also want someone they can call. Someone who knows their sites, can provide unbiased technical solutions, turns up for the install and answers the phone when something needs attention. That's why Cohera-Tech exists. Our people counting software runs on Vemco Group's global platform, delivered by a local team across Australia and New Zealand. Universities, councils, state libraries, retailers and workplaces rely on us because we stay involved long after the sensors go up. So it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, what is your space actually telling you? If you're not sure, let's find out together.   [![SPEAK TO AN EXPERT](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/5427342/interactive-370825446843.png)](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLK6DKXKYbSBX82wjj1PM3aor5eDDrW%2FXQxXOBopZAeNqcOZxVx3h0XgbVsdkVV%2Fj62WnmXCyE6xa4KA2AB33c2oGNotyKcA%2BB4iJ5vl0FDKW92D6zMIb1hTeTd%2BTiTakr4t1X%2FMQEaDeeW4WZhdRr4ey%2B9u4waR0qXAM0i2zWZY%2FItuwFqt5nOJuKG6iySCljjG29JOovdnz5Z3LF3jCCOTkySwJu8%2B6mw%3D&webInteractiveContentId=370825446843&portalId=5427342) **Tags:** [General](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/general) Share this entry [mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3ETEFMA26+Insights+for+Every+Space+%7C+Cohera-Tech%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https%3A%2F%2Finfo.cohera-tech.com.au%2Fblog%2Ftefma26-insights-for-every-space](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3ETEFMA26+Insights+for+Every+Space+%7C+Cohera-Tech%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https%3A%2F%2Finfo.cohera-tech.com.au%2Fblog%2Ftefma26-insights-for-every-space) × 🔍 ### Category - [Case Studies](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/case-studies) - [Knowledge](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/knowledge) - [General](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/general) - [White Paper](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tag/white-paper) ### Latest Articles [TEFMA26 Insights for Every Space | Cohera-Tech](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tefma26-insights-for-every-space) [The NCC Case for a People Counting Solution](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/the-ncc-case) [People Counting Software FAQs](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/people-counting-software-faqs) [![Cohera-Tech, powered by Vemco Group](https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/Cohera-Blog/logo_white.png)](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/) [Data Privacy Compliance](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/data-privacy-compliance/) [Anti spoof and phishing policy](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/about/anti-spoof-phishing-policy/) [Enquire Today](https://www.cohera-tech.com.au/contact-cohera-tech/) 1800 094 210 +61 7 3245 5624 © Copyright - Cohera-Tech Pty Ltd ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Cohera-Tech", "url" : "https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/author/cohera-tech" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-08T23:35:32.250Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-08T23:35:32.000Z", "headline" : "TEFMA26 Insights for Every Space | Cohera-Tech", "image" : [ "https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/TEFMA26-Cohera-Tech-Booth-Day1-1.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/blog/tefma26-insights-for-every-space", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://info.cohera-tech.com.au/hubfs/Cohera_Vemco_Blue-300x88.png" }, "name" : "Cohera-Tech Pty Ltd" } } ```