AEC INNOVATE Agenda

Ever wonder how to leverage the newest AI tools to increase your personal productivity, but are unsure where to start? Invest 4 hours in this intensive overview of AI in AEC, including hands-on exercises using the latest apps with engineer and AI expert Stjepan Mikulic of the training company AI in AEC. You learn how to make custom GPTs, apply Chat GPT to AEC business use cases, understand how AI works and why it’s never 100% correct, and more. By the end of the workshop you’ll be comfortable using AI to create presentations, graphs, visuals, websites, and hold your own in any discussion. Plus, you get step-by-step instructions for saving 10+ hours a week by using AI in your AEC firm!

Now we jump into practical applications of AI in maximizing business outcomes for AEC executives. You get a first-hand account of how the careful application of specific AI tools saved a 250-person AEC firm $4.5 million through radically reduced design time. Plus, you get access to a Miro board/AI app to map out your own tech stacks, licenses, and AI use to optimize your current tech stack. Finally, we open up common AEC bottlenecks by remapping processes and shaking the cobwebs from legacy systems.

Alex Goldston, Associate Principal, Populous

AT AEC INNOVATE, Alex explains how Populous is applying AI to the global design firm's unique data sets across the business: in design, human resources, finance, operations and more. He also shares the backstory of "The Sphere" in Las Vegas, which Populous created using next-level immersive design. Plus, he demystifies complexities behind AI standards, governance, copyrights and ownership and touches on AI’s power to enhance and provide efficiencies in our roles.

Josh Nesbit, CTO - Managing Principal, Yavar IT Services

In today’s fast-moving business environment, the biggest advantage for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) isn’t just what they do—it’s what they know. But too often, valuable internal knowledge is locked away in documents, inboxes, and the minds of key staff.
In this fast-paced 20-minute session, you'll hear how Yavar IT Services, a trusted Managed Services Provider (MSP), goes beyond traditional IT support to become a strategic partner for modern SMBs. We’ll begin with a brief overview of Yavar’s service model—covering our end-to-end IT support, infrastructure management, cyber security, cloud services, and business continuity solutions.
Next, we’ll explore how Yavar acts as an integration partner, helping businesses unify their tools, platforms, and workflows. From streamlining operations to enhancing data visibility, we show how integration is key to operational maturity.
Finally, we’ll introduce Yavie—Yavar’s new AI-powered knowledge assistant designed to unlock the full potential of your company’s internal expertise. Yavie connects your staff with the information they need—instantly—turning every employee into a subject matter expert. Whether it's onboarding a new hire, answering a client question, or researching a proposal, Yavie puts institutional knowledge to work—when and where it’s needed most.
If you’re looking for practical ways to elevate your team's performance, boost efficiency, and make smarter decisions with what you already know, this session is for you.

Session Takeways: 

• Understand How Yavar Supports SMBs Beyond IT - Learn how Yavar’s managed services model delivers more than tech support—offering infrastructure, security, cloud, and business continuity as strategic enablers.
• See the Value of Integration in Unlocking Efficiency - Discover how Yavar acts as an integration partner—connecting platforms, streamlining workflows, and reducing friction across your digital tools.
• Meet Yavie: Your AI-Powered Knowledge Assistant - Get introduced to Yavie, the AI bot that transforms your company’s internal knowledge into a real-time resource for every employee.
• Walk Away with a Vision for Smarter, More Empowered Teams - Leave with practical ideas for turning siloed experience into shared expertise—making everyone on your team faster, more informed, and more confident.

Adam Banga, Co-Founder, Spect AI

This session will offer a curated look at the startup landscape serving AEC firms, starting with companies exhibiting at AEC INNOVATE and expanding to startups not present at the event. Attendees will gain insight into the core pain points these startups are addressing, the types of firms best positioned to benefit from their solutions, and real-world use cases. The session will conclude by exploring key trends shaping the future of AEC tech, and how firms can stay ahead.

Session Takeways

• Attendees will gain a clear view of the AEC startup landscape, including both exhibiting and non-exhibiting companies.
• Attendees will learn which pain points startups address, which types of firms are best suited for their solutions, and real-world use cases. 
• The session will help attendees focus their time at AEC INNOVATE and surface promising startups to explore afterward. 
• Attendees will learn about emerging trends in AEC tech and how their firms can stay ahead.

Mitch Dabling, PE, Technology Director, Water Business Group, HDR

As the civil infrastructure sector continues to face unprecedented challenges, including climate change, workforce challenges, population growth, and aging systems, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents transformative opportunities. Mitch Dabling, Technology Director for HDR’s Water Business Group, takes us on a journey through how to implement innovative technology initiatives, including those that leverage AI, to enhance operational efficiency, improve decision-making, and build a technology-enabled staff within your organization, with takeaways for any AEC professional serving any market sector. This engaging and interactive discussion reveals:
 

• How to approach technology initiatives at your AEC firm, with a look at proactive planning, data governance and security, and cross-organization collaboration recommendations.
• Case studies that illustrate when it’s appropriate to use commercial generative AI tools vs. building a sandbox environment.
• Tangible benefits of AI-driven solutions, including cost savings, enhanced service delivery, and improved regulatory compliance.
• Critical factors for successful AI adoption, including organizational readiness, workforce training, and stakeholder engagement 

• Alexandra Pollock, AIA,  Senior Director of CORE Studio, Thornton Tomasetti 
• Seyedomid Sajedi,  Associate AI/ML Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti 

AI is fundamentally altering professional AEC workflows. Given the rapid advancement of AI model capabilities, it is essential to not only adapt but also strategically integrate this technology to not only optimize productivity but ensure competitive advantages. Alex Pollock and Omid Sajedi of Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE Studio are working the frontier where new tech ideas and practical use cases meet, and share their approach to innovation and R&D through their internal incubator. You learn how they are driving adoption of time-saving tools throughout the engineering giant’s global footprint, including the latest R&D findings of the CORE.AI team, focusing on the development of AI-driven tools. Get the best ideas for transforming AEC processes, to enhance creativity and problem-solving through rapid optioneering.

• Jamison Morse, PE, RA, Principal and Director of Structures, PVE, LLC 
• Sean Bailey, Lead Software Developer, PVE, LLC

Compliance engineering is a complex and rapidly evolving aspect of the AEC industry, encompassing everything from facade and parapet inspections in New York City to decarbonization and code compliance across the nation. In this session, Jamison Morse and Sean Bailey of engineering firm PVE share how they are leveraging automation and AI to transform compliance processes into scalable, efficient, and cost-competitive services. Drawing on real-world examples, including custom tools that positioned PVE as one of New York City’s leading filers of facade reports, they demonstrate how applying AI to existing workflows—not reinventing the wheel—can drive immediate business impact without significant up-front investment. With an in-house innovation team collaborating closely with engineers, PVE’s solutions are built with a deep focus on usability, tested in the field, and designed to meet the real-world challenges of regulatory compliance. This session is highly relevant for AEC leaders exploring practical ways to incorporate AI into their business strategy. Learn how automation can reduce costs, scale operations, and even shift business models from billing by the hour to billing for value delivered.

• Understand the practical applications of AI to compliance-based engineering processes: Learn how to seamlessly integrate AI into existing compliance processes in structural, environmental, and civil engineering, making your business more efficient without heavy upfront investment or disruptive overhauls.
• Understand where AI is most impactful – and where it can fail: Based on real-world applications across AEC disciplines, you see where the current state of AI technology can be most impactful in existing business processes.
• Analyze proven case studies in inspection automation: Discover how PVE’s proprietary parapet and facade inspection tools propelled the firm to the forefront of New York City’s compliance market, demonstrating the power of automation to drive competitive advantage, scalability, and profitability.
• Design and deploy in-house innovation and technology expertise: Gain actionable insights into building internal technology teams that collaborate with engineers, ensuring software solutions are rigorously tested in the field and tailored to meet real-world compliance demands.
• Redefine product delivery and business models with automation and AI: Explore how automation can pave the way for value-based pricing models, moving beyond hourly billing to deliver scalable services that directly align with client outcomes and operational growth.

• Bob Rayes, CIO/COO, Corgan
• Chad Speas, Vice President, Director of Practice Technology, Corgan

With AI based solutions flooding the industry at an unprecedented pace, how can AEC firms effectively navigate constant change? What innovations should be explored, implemented, or retired? Architecture and design powerhouse Corgan shares lessons learned by examining key project delivery milestones and evaluating how AI-driven tools enhance efficiency. Through case studies, you learn how to identify the most effective AI applications and highlight specific tools Corgan has categorized as high effort/high impact—along with how these insights are shared across the firm. Beyond the technical advantages, we’ll also address the critical challenges AI presents, from legal issues like copyright and intellectual property concerns to ethical risks such as bias, misinformation, and overreliance. Generative AI, for example, has sparked legal debates while also demonstrating how unchecked systems can perpetuate biases or produce misleading information. We’ll explore how to manage these risks responsibly by setting proper safeguards, balancing expectations, and addressing regulatory and ethical considerations upfront. Attendees will leave with a practical, well-rounded understanding of AI’s potential and limitations—equipped with strategies to integrate AI effectively and responsibly within their firms.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze real-world case studies of both successful and unsuccessful AI
  implementations to identify critical factors that influence project outcomes.
• Apply value assessment methodologies to determine how AI solutions can enhance specific phases of the design exploration process.
• Develop criteria for establishing value assessment methodologies for
  distinguishing between high-value and low-value AI implementation
  opportunities using concrete examples like Notetaker and SWAPP cases.
• Copyright Complexities: Learn how copyright laws apply to AI-generated works, and what protections or exposures organizations may face.
• Bias & Misuse Risks: Understand how biases in training data can lead to unfair or incorrect outcomes and explore steps to mitigate them.
• Regulatory & Legal Landscape: Gain an overview of emerging legal frameworks and compliance requirements related to AI deployment. Discover best practices
  to avoid pitfalls, including thorough review of terms and conditions, responsibledata usage, and continuous monitoring.

Eric Liou, Chief Product Officer, OpenAsset

Today’s AEC marketers and proposal managers spend hours digging through past bids, copying boilerplate, and chasing compliance. That’s time better spent crafting a winning story.

In this 20-minute live demo, OpenAsset’s CPO, Eric Liou, will unveil our purpose-built, AI-powered proposal solution for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. Unlock the knowledge buried in all of your past proposals with our AI-powered chat and search capabilities, allowing you to glean insights and surface content from all of your past work. 

You’ll see how the platform analyzes an RFP in seconds to extract key dates, scope requirements, evaluation and response criteria, and compliance checkpoints. No summarization, only verbatim text you can trust. Leverage our go/no-go capability that weighs client fit and your firm’s experience, helping you focus your team on the pursuits that matter most. And of course, gain direct access to all of your files, images and assets that you have organized in OpenAsset, allowing you to create the best proposal possible and win more business.

Walk away knowing how you can collapse days of prep into minutes and keep every stakeholder, from marketing to technical SMEs, on the same page.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Save hours on every proposal by getting to a draft proposal quickly: We automatically match your best past content to RFP requirements, so you can focus on strategy instead of searching or writing from scratch
• Cut search time in half: Experience live AI chat that mines your entire proposal archive to deliver ready-to-use content and insights in seconds
• Stay compliant from the start: See automated RFP analysis and data extraction for all critical information and compliance requirements and watch as we dynamically create your proposal management plan/compliance matrix
• Pursue the right work: Learn how go/no-go analysis aligns pursuits with your ideal client profile and your firm’s experience
• Work where your content lives: Discover how native integration with OpenAsset DAM lets you access approved images, resumes, and project info

Dave Wagner, Head of Product Marketing, Newforma

Join us and experience how Newforma Konekt simplifies project information management across your entire organization. In this live demo, you’ll see how Newforma Konekt, cloud hosted solution, transforms vast amounts of project data into a meticulously organized, easily accessible, and fully searchable resource. Eliminate the chaos of scattered emails, files, siloed systems, and disconnected conversations. 

Newforma Konekt makes it easy to make and track decisions, assign responsibilities, and keep everyone aligned, ensuring you have the critical information you need at every stage of your projects. With a comprehensive project record and detailed audit trail at your fingertips, you’ll reduce delays, collaborate with ease, and make more informed project decisions.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Learn how to centralize all project information into a single, easily searchable cloud-based platform to eliminate information silos, wasted time, and confusion.  
• See how effective information management techniques reduce project administration costs and increase overall project efficiency.
• Discover how faster, easier access to critical information and action items drives better collaboration and decision-making.
• Understand how implementing a traceable, fully connected project environment promotes transparency and minimizes risk.    

Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture

Knowledge Management is entering a new golden era and AI is the catalyst.
In this fast-paced session, Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, will break down the evolution from KM 1.0 (capturing knowledge) to KM 2.0 (sharing knowledge) to KM 3.0: connecting the right people to the right knowledge in the flow of work.

You'll see how top AEC firms are using AI to:

• Upskill emerging professionals
• Scale expert knowledge
• Improve onboarding effectivness 
  
  

We’ll wrap with a look at where KM 3.0 is headed next.

Fred Smith, Leader of Client Growth, STEPS Consulting

Join us for a dynamic demonstration of our Agentic AI solution designed to empower architecture and engineering firms by transforming how they access and analyze project and contract data. This cutting-edge solution can connect directly to your contracts and ERP system, enabling natural language interactions that deliver instant, accurate insights from complex datasets that will help you estimate and quote more quickly and accurately.

AEC firms often grapple with time-consuming data lookups, fragmented contract records, and delays in generating accurate customer quotes. Our Agentic AI solution tackles these challenges head-on, allowing sales teams to query ERP data, including SQL-driven lookups, using everyday language. The result: faster quoting, improved accuracy, and a smarter, more agile sales process. See how this AI-driven technology is poised to reshape operational efficiency and drive profitability in the AEC space.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Enhanced Data Accessibility: Learn how to leverage natural language interactions to access and analyze complex contract and project data stored in ERP systems, reducing the time and effort required for data retrieval.
• Improved Quoting Efficiency: Understand how the Agentic AI platform streamlines the quoting process by enabling faster and more accurate data lookups, leading to timely and effective customer proposals.
• Operational Efficiency Gains: Discover how integrating Agentic AI with existing ERP systems can enhance operational efficiency, reduce manual errors, and improve overall business productivity.
• Strategic Business Benefits: Explore how the implementation of Agentic AI can drive strategic business outcomes, including increased customer satisfaction, enhanced profitability, and a competitive edge in the architecture and engineering sector.

• Peter Devereaux, Founding Principal, HED (moderator)
• Brooke Grammier, MBA, CIO, CannonDesign
• Keith Fine, Director of Innovation, SLAM
• Janet Simpson, CEO, TVS Design
• Sean Harry, Managing Principal, Digital Practice, WATG

Your AEC firm’s strategic vision almost certainly has a commitment to keeping pace with the galloping advancements in design and business management tech. And wherever you are on the road to greater integration of digital workflows, you know that there’s no end point where you can say, “Done!” But progress can hindered or accelerated by how well you manage change and make smarter tech adoption decisions. Join us for this free-flowing examination of how some of the most successful design firms are tackling both of these issues with a candid examination of structural, process, and people impediments that must be overcome if our industry is to meet client demands going forward. We explore the human side of digital transformation with experiences of top executives who have successfully navigated organizational change while implementing new technologies and workflows. This panel will move beyond software selection to address the critical people aspects that determine whether digital initiatives succeed or fail, offering practical strategies based on real-world experience. In this session you will:

• Learn proven change management approaches to overcome staff resistance and build organization-wide buy-in for digital initiatives
• Discover effective methods for upskilling teams and fostering a culture of continuous innovation
• Understand how to balance immediate operational needs with long-term digital strategy implementation

Niknaz Aftahi, CEO & Founder, AEC+Tech

In an industry overwhelmed with thousands of technology solutions, how can AEC firms effectively discover, manage, and measure the impact of their tech stack? How can firms confidently navigate the complexity of software adoption, track licenses and costs, and assess ROI? Niknaz Aftahi, founder of aec+tech, shares ways AEC companies track, evaluate, and adopt emerging technologies. From generative design to automation, aec+tech curates the latest innovations, helping firms stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape. This session will explore key challenges, innovative solutions, and a roadmap for firms looking to take control of their digital transformation. 

• Michael Taglione, Lead Software Engineer, JB&B 
• Desh Shrestha, Software Developer, JB&B

Each AEC project brings its unique set of challenges with varying team compositions, from developers to architects and various internal stakeholders. Traditionally, insights into how much time staff spent on specific design tasks was anecdotal and subjective. This presents a challenge in optimizing productivity, we are often left to make decisions on a hunch rather than hard data. This approach leaves missed opportunities for process optimization and misallocated training efforts. The software engineers at JB&B developed a solution that leverages artificial intelligence to systematically capture and analyze user interactions within Autodesk Revit. This add-in tracks detailed user activities, including workspace usage, element handling, and project-specific interactions. By aggregating this data, they developed a sophisticated AI model that not only categorizes and clusters these interactions into distinct processes but also predicts efficiency and production rates. More critically, this model identifies anomalies in production—instances where a user's output deviates significantly from their peers on similar projects—which could indicate areas needing intervention. In this session, you:

• Understand the importance of tracking user interactions within design applications to identify patterns and improve workflow efficiency.
• Learn how to segment and classify user transactions into different processes based on the tasks performed in various project stages.
• Explore the application of AI models to predict productivity with multi-dimensional project constraints.
• Identify anomalies in user design patterns and learn how to leverage this data to provide actionable insights for improving performance, live.
• Discover how to utilize data-driven insights to roadmap the production of automation tools and user specific training modules.

• Peter Devereaux, Founding Principal, HED 
• Brooke Grammier, MBA, CIO, CannonDesign

The AEC industry has lagged in digital transformation, with methodologies for delivery to customers remaining essentially the same for more than a century. Over a year ago, the AIA Large Firm Round Table (LFRT) noted that every firm was spending money to tackle essentially the same technology obstacles and that there might be a more efficient way for us to remain relevant. This inspired the formation of the Innovation Design Consortium (IDC),  a public benefit corporation supported by forty of the largest design firms in the United States to advance building design technology by eliminating duplication of efforts. Since Peter Devereaux and his fellow IDC board members rolled out the consortium at AEC INNOVATE in 2024, a lot has changed, and he and Brooke Grammier update us on IDC progress and reveal some exciting opportunities for AEC firms.
 

• Why the IDC was formed
• Successful Projects recently completed.
• Setting the Stage for Moving into Data and AI
• How firms can join the movement

Ayman Alafifi, Technical Innovation Lead, EKI Environmental and Water

AI-powered technologies are revolutionizing water management, tackling critical challenges with innovation and efficiency. Hear real-world examples of integrating machine learning, digital twins, and generative AI into operations to enhance decision-making, optimize resources, and improve stakeholder collaboration. Digital twins provide predictive insights for real-time water allocation and risk-based planning. One example features AI-powered dashboards enabling a water manager to optimize reservoir and groundwater withdrawals, balancing water availability and energy production.. Generative AI further streamlines operations by automating complex tasks. A notable example is EKI's grant tracking tool, which uses AI to update data from over 160 website sources, saving time and improving accuracy. AI-powered business intelligence solutions also offer real-time dashboards for performance evaluation, investment planning, and resource allocation, delivering tailored, actionable insights. AI bridges gaps between technical experts and decision-makers, such as project managers and city engineers. Natural language processing dashboards enhance communication, simplify scenario planning, and support public engagement by making complex data accessible and integrating feedback, ensuring more transparent collaboration. This presentation highlights the importance of starting with pilot projects that focus on high-value, low-complexity applications, enabling scalable and adaptable solutions. By integrating AI into infrastructure design, risk management, and stakeholder engagement, the water sector can achieve greater sustainability, resilience, and innovation, unlocking the full potential of these transformative technologies. Key learning objectives:

• Identify Practical Use Cases for AI
• Develop Strategies for Starting AI Projects
• Enhance Collaboration Using AI
• Plan for Sustainable AI Adoption

Todd Henderson, Director of Practice Improvement, Boulder Associates

AI has staggering potential to improve the practice of design and engineering, yet many AEC leaders struggle to integrate it—not due to technical limitations, but because of static beliefs and organizational habits. Organizations are wired to resist change, and AI challenges long-established ways of thinking, our relationship to machines, and the value that professionals provide. Without addressing these deep-seated mental models, even the best AI initiatives risk facing resistance and stagnation. Ready to make a big leap forward, and pull your most talented colleagues along? A 25-year health care architect and firm dynamics expert explains how you can surface and shift perspectives to accelerate AI adoption. He shows us:

• What mental models are and how they shape decision-making in AEC organizations
• Your beliefs and assumptions that can either support or hinder AI integration
• Methods for identifying and adjusting limiting perspectives
• Strategies for fostering productive dialogue that encourages openness to AI-driven change

Brittany Pylant, Director of Operations, HFA

Fostering a culture of innovation within your AEC firm is critical for remaining competitive. Britany Pylant explains how multi-disciplinary design firm HFA successfully uses internal AI competition to inspire creativity, engage employees, and accelerate technological advancements. By challenging teams across the enterprise to solve real-world business problems using AI, they tapped into diverse skill sets, nurtured a collaborative spirit, and developed cutting-edge solutions that directly impacted our enterprise. This session explains the strategic planning and execution of the competition, the tools and frameworks used to ensure accessibility and fairness, and the measurable outcomes achieved, including increased employee engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and operational efficiencies. We will also share lessons learned, such as managing diverse skill levels and aligning AI initiatives with business goals, to help attendees replicate our success. Whether you're a leader, innovator, or technologist, this presentation will provide actionable insights into how structured competitions can be a powerful tool for driving innovation, reskilling your workforce, and creating transformative value.

• Understand how internal AI competitions can foster a culture of innovation within enterprises.
• Learn strategies to plan and execute an inclusive, effective AI competition aligned with business goals.
• Explore methods to integrate AI-based solutions from competitions into business operations.
• Discover ways to engage employees and build cross-functional collaboration through gamification.
• Gain insights into overcoming challenges, such as skill gaps and project sustainability, in AI-focused initiatives.

Ryan Johnson, Practice Technology Leader, Clark Nexsen

Ready to move beyond the AI hype but not sure where to start? Get an insider look a 500-employee AEC firm Clark Nexsen's process for creating its AI strategy and how you can adapt it at your own firm. You'll learn how to establish an AI innovation hub, build internal support, and develop practical policies that work in the real world. We'll share our successes, challenges, and lessons learned as we built our approach to fostering responsible AI innovation. Whether you're just starting your AI journey or looking to formalize your existing efforts, you'll leave with actionable insights and practical steps to develop a cohesive, sustainable AI strategy for your organization. Learn how to:

• Develop a framework for evaluating AI implementation options ranging from off-the-shelf tools to custom solutions that align with your firm's resources and objectives.
• Create an AI roadmap that connects tactical activities to strategic goals while maintaining focus on your core mission.
• Design and conduct research that helps you understand both your employees' AI sentiments and current AI tool usage across your organization.
• Create clear, practical AI guidelines and usage labels that give your team the governance they need without limiting their innovation.
• Build a thorough risk and challenge assessment that helps you make strategic decisions about AI implementation in your firm.

Eric Liou, Chief Product Officer, OpenAsset

AI is transforming the AEC industry, but are you using it effectively—or falling into common pitfalls? Many teams unknowingly limit AI’s potential by making critical missteps that lead to inefficiencies, poor decision-making, and missed opportunities.

Join Eric Liou, Chief Product Officer at OpenAsset, as he draws on his deep AI expertise to uncover the top 5 AI mistakes teams make when adopting AI tools. From writing incomplete prompts to over-automating without human oversight, this session will challenge your assumptions and provide practical strategies to optimize your AI workflows.

Whether you're just getting started with AI or refining your approach, you’ll walk away with actionable takeaways to improve efficiency, enhance decision-making, and drive real results.

Learning Objectives:

• Master AI Prompting: Learn how to structure AI prompts effectively to generate high-quality, relevant responses—complete with real-world examples of good vs. bad
  prompts.
• Develop an AI Strategy: Understand why AI needs a clear business objective and how to align AI initiatives with company goals for maximum impact.
• Maintain Human Oversight: Recognize the risks of over-automation and establish quality
  control processes to ensure AI enhances rather than replaces human expertise.
• Improve AI Data Quality: Discover how data integrity directly impacts AI performance and learn best practices for maintaining high-quality, labeled datasets.
• Balance AI and Human Creativity: Explore how to leverage AI for efficiency while ensuring human storytelling and critical thinking remain central to your workflows.

Nick Koudas, Co-Founder and CEO, Workorb

Struggling with time-consuming, manual bid processes? Discover how Workorb’s AI transforms RFP responses from a scramble into a strategic advantage. In this demo, you’ll learn:

• How to decode an RFP instantly – Extract key requirements, deadlines, and scoring criteria in seconds.
• Automate answers using your firm’s past wins – Leverage AI to draft high-quality, compliant responses from your historical data.
• Streamline the entire proposal process – From compliance checks to team collaboration, let AI guide you step-by-step.
• Get AI-powered feedback to score higher – Optimize your proposal with smart insights on strengths, weaknesses, and scoring potential.

Stop losing bids to inefficiency. See how Workorb’s AI helps AEC firms respond faster, propose smarter, and win more—without the burnout.

Perfect for business developers, proposal managers, and firm leaders ready to embrace the future of bidding.

Dennis Boone, President, slashBlue

According to Stanford University, “Without proper data classification, AI models may inadvertently process and expose sensitive personal information, leading to significant privacy breaches and erosion of individual control over personal data.” This underscores the urgent need for businesses to implement strategic data classification frameworks to safeguard sensitive information.

This session will explore how AI-powered tools like Microsoft Copilot,OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic, and others interact with organizational data, the risks of unintended exposure, and the role of data classification in mitigating these risks. Attendees will learn practical steps to categorize, restrict, and protect data, ensuring AI operates within compliance and security boundaries.
By the end of this session, participants will have a clear roadmap to enhancing data security, reducing AI-related risks, and leveraging AI's full potential while maintaining strict privacy controls.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Gain insights into how AI models access and process data
• See real-world examples of sensitive information leaked by AI
• Learn practical steps to categorize, restrict, and protect data
• Discover the Zero Trust framework for AI
  
  

Sean Young, Director of AECO and Geospatial, NVIDIA

AI is poised to transform the AEC industry by eliminating tedious processes and boosting productivity, but you've got to prepare your firm. Sean Young of NVIDIA's AEC initiative discusses new AI solutions for planning, design, and AEC firm operations, with a deeper dive into your firm’s AI training for leveraging uses of Fine Tuning, RAG, Inference, Generative AI, Data Science, and NeRF. He also shows us how to use a Digital Twin for aggregating AI data, training synthetic data, and simulating projects before deployment in the real world.

• Learn why AI is relevant and how it will impact your practice, including the new job skills that AEC firms are looking for.
• Explore relevant AEC industry use cases across disciplines to understand the transformative capabilities of AI.
• Discover key AI technologies and software solutions, and how to get started implementing them
• Explore the future of digital twins for the AEC industry, and the frameworks for discussions with clients.

Bret Tushaus, VP, Product Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the architecture and engineering landscape, yet many firms find themselves overwhelmed by the multitude of tools and technologies available. This session offers a pragmatic approach to AI integration, guiding attendees through a structured method to assess their firm’s current position and identify actionable steps forward. We’ll explore key pillars essential for successful AI adoption and conclude with both some practical use cases to consider as a starting point as well as a look at how Deltek is leveraging AI within its solutions. Join us to get some ideas on how to demystify AI and discover how to advance your firm’s AI journey.

Dr. Sam Zolfagharian, President, Yegatech

Your challenge as an AEC firm leader is not just to keep pace with technology but to redefine how your tech and your talent will co-exist in an AI-driven work environment. This isn't just about surviving the changes but creating workplaces prioritizing well-being, innovation, and a sense of purpose. As AI reshapes our lives and work, we have a unique opportunity to adapt and thrive together, embracing these changes while ensuring the human element remains at the heart of AEC project execution. In her timely keynote, Dr. Sam Zolfagharian explores the future of work in AEC, offering practical insights and inspiration for how people and technology can work together to succeed in the era of AI. You learn how to:

• Navigate and alleviate your employees’ fear of being replaced by AI.
•  Develop strategies to attract and retain your top talent in the era of AI.
• Move from traditional workflows to AI-augmented workflows that enhance productivity and creativity.
• Integrate AI tools in ways that keep teamwork, creativity, and the human element at the heart of your organization and projects.
• Create workplaces prioritizing employees' well-being, innovation, and purpose to foster engagement and resilience in the AI era.

Rachel Loe
Sr. National Accounts - AEC, Granite Technologies

Details coming soon!

• Steve Karp, Chief Innovation Officer, Unanet 
• Lucas Hayden, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Unanet

AI is reshaping how AEC firms work—and some of the biggest opportunities are in the early stages of the project lifecycle: deciding which projects to pursue and crafting the proposals that win them.

In this session, we’ll walk through how AI can be applied in practical ways—from surfacing insights that guide better go/no-go decisions, to drafting high-quality proposals 70% faster. We’ll show how AEC firms are leveraging pursuit guidance and proposal automation to reduce wasted effort, improve hit rates, and focus their teams on work they’re most likely to win.

If you’re looking to make AI real—and valuable—for your pursuit and proposal process, this session is for you.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Learn how AI-powered pursuit guidance helps firms make better early-stage decisions—so BD, marketing, and seller-doers spend time on the right opportunities.  
• See how secure, generative AI platforms are helping teams generate proposal drafts up to 70% faster, without cutting corners on compliance or quality.
• Understand the AEC AI Maturity Model—and where your firm stands on the path from experimentation to true, scalable impact.
• Walk away with a clear plan for how to bring AI into your pursuit and proposal workflow—safely, strategically, and with buy-in across your firm.

Stjepan Mikulic, Founder, AI in AEC

AI is rapidly becoming a part of AEC workflows, but firm operations leaders may have questions about the return on investment in new technology. Hear a first-hand account of a real and practical AI implementation case study at a 250-person interior design firm, where Stjepan Mikulic, founder of training consultancy AI in AEC, helped the company save $4.5 million through optimizing technology. Hear his surprising insights on why BIM isn’t as needed as we might think, but AI and automation are. Stjepan will present his vision for the best applications of new technology in AEC as well as his 9-step process on practical AI implementation applicable to any AEC firm. Key takeaways:

• A 9-step process to creating a practical AI Implementation Plan
• Minimizing your firm's software costs by optimizing your tech stack
• How to solve bottlenecks through automation, AI apps and optimized workflows
• Learning about AI solutions in the AEC and why the industry needs it in the first place

Ajoy Bhattacharya, Director, Technology Strategist, Microsoft

Leading Microsoft's AEC vertical, Ajoy Bhattacharya will showcase how Copilot and agentic AI are revolutionizing AEC workflows. This session explores Microsoft's latest technological advances specifically engineered for AEC professionals, demonstrating real-world applications that enhance design quality while reducing project timelines. Attendees will gain exclusive insights into upcoming Microsoft innovations that promise to transform how AEC firms leverage AI to stay competitive.

Key takeaways:

• Practical strategies for implementing Copilot within existing AEC workflows to boost productivity and creative output
• Case studies of leading firms achieving measurable ROI through Microsoft's agentic AI solutions
• Preview of Microsoft's upcoming AEC-specific AI tools and integration capabilities
• Roadmap for technology leaders to prepare their organizations for the next wave of AI-powered design and construction solutions

Dan Knowles, CTO, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting

A few years ago, Little’s IT team had a reputation—they were the department everyone groaned about. Outdated systems, manual processes, and constant technical hiccups caused frustration at every turn. But instead of staying stuck, they made a bold shift. By eliminating technical debt and automating their workflows, the team not only increased efficiency but also earned credibility across the firm. This trust enabled them to evolve into something much more powerful: a forward-looking team focused on improving delivery of their craft—the Emerging Tech CoLab (ETC). Now, they’re not just maintaining technology; they’re driving innovation that enhances design, streamlines processes, and pushes the firm forward. More than just a tech overhaul, this is a story of cultural change, strategic growth, and IT’s evolving role in shaping the future of business. Whether you’re in IT, operations, or leadership, this session will leave you inspired and equipped with practical strategies to transform your own organization. In this session, Dan Knowles shares the behind-the-scenes story of Little’s IT transformation and lessons you can apply to your firm's journey. You’ll follow the department from frustration to innovation, learning how they:

• Identified and tackled the technical debt that was slowing them down
• Built automation strategies that freed up time, reduced errors, and increased reliability
• Shifted from a support function to a strategic business partner
• Created the Emerging Tech CoLab (ETC) that benefits the entire firm

James Martin, Vice President, CIO, Shepley Bulfinch

AI is getting a lot of press in AEC circles for breakthroughs in iterative and generative design. But is your firms leveraging the “quick wins” that come from more basic, yet no less important, applications?

Shepley Bulfinch, a 200 person national architecture and design firm, has been running practical AI experiments to unlock knowledge, streamline workflows, improve data quality, and improve individual effectiveness. In this session, their CIO shares three real-world applications of AI that are creating tangible value for the firm:

AI-Powered Knowledge Search – Using AI search tools to access a decade of knowledge sharing on the firm’s intranet, including video content from learning sessions, town halls, and firm-wide discussions.

AI for Contact Data Validation – Enhancing the accuracy of a CRM by using data and AI to validate and maintain clean, reliable contact data.

Lessons from a CoPilot Beta – A year long Microsoft CoPilot beta group revealed practical use cases, challenges, and strategies for maximizing AI’s impact in daily workflows.

This session delivers actionable strategies for leveraging AI in your own firm—proving that practical, immediate value is well within reach with even the most modest investment of time and resources. You will:

• Explore real-world AI applications in knowledge management, operations, and data integrity.
• Learn how AI search unlocks institutional knowledge from recorded content.
• Discover how AI can streamline meeting documentation and free up time for higher-value work.
• See how AI improves CRM data accuracy and business development.
• Gain first-hand actionable intelligence on the application of Microsoft CoPilot to optimize AI adoption and productivity.

Shuangling Yin, Founder & CTO, InspectMind AI

Join InspectMind AI for a live demo on how AI is streamlining inspection reporting for AEC professionals. See how engineers, contractors, or any field inspectors can generate standardized, high-quality reports directly from on-site observations using just photos, notes, and voice recordings.

You’ll experience a hands-on walkthrough of InspectMind’s mobile platform and Meta smart glasses integration, along with a real-world case study from a nationwide AEC firm. Learn how teams are saving time, reducing errors, and collaborating more effectively with AI-powered reporting—on-site and in the office.

Session Takeaways:                            

• See how InspectMind AI reduces report creation time from hours to minutes, helping teams complete documentation directly in the field.
• Learn how engineers, contractors, or any field inspectors can generate accurate reports on-site—quickly and easily—eliminating delays and backlog.
• Discover how AI-driven reports minimize human error, maintain consistent records, and follow your exact format and template requirements.
• Explore how smart glasses paired with AI enable fully hands-free inspections, streamlining fieldwork like never before.

• Tanmaya Kala, PE
  Co-Founder & COO, MeltPlan
  
• Kanav Hasija, Co-Founder & CEO, MeltPlan
  

You can’t just plug a foundational model into AEC workflows and expect results. Construction-aware is a way to train models to understand the unique language, logic, and context of the built environment.

In this session, you’ll see real examples of AI trained on architecture, engineering, and construction data, delivering faster code checks, instant takeoffs, and automated model LoD validation – all demoed live. We’ll showcase the Precon platform which assembles and labels data and brings all stakeholders (Design and Contractor teams) together to improve PreCon productivity.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Live demos: AI Code search, AI-assisted takeoffs, and Automated LoD checks on models 
• How to label and organize AEC data to train AI effectively
• Applying AI to your real-world, customized Precon workflows
• Smarter design-to-construction handoffs that boost productivity
• Improving confidence in code compliance, estimating, and coordination – so you can scale faster

Tired of hearing how AI could transform design — only to find it adds more complexity instead of helping where it matters?

In this session, we’ll show how D5 puts AI to work in ways that actually support architects and spatial designers, not with flashy tricks, but with real, built-in tools that reduce repetitive tasks, lower the learning curve, and let you focus on what you do best: shaping powerful design concepts.

From early ideation to final visualization, D5 delivers an end-to-end, real-time workflow that helps creatives do more in less time, while enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly, maintain design consistency, and win projects faster with stunning visuals that clients approve with confidence.

This is AI that fits the way you already work — designed to support, not replace, the creative minds behind every design.

Session Takeaways:                            

• Discover how D5’s built-in AI enhances each step of your ArchViz workflow — with zero disruption to your creative process.
• Learn how to do more in less time by reducing tool-switching, manual tasks, and post-processing overhead.
• Deliver stunning, client-ready visuals faster, without relying on outsourcing or external editing tools.
• Empower your team to collaborate better, align faster, and ensure visual consistency across projects.
• Cut through the hype and explore what real, usable AI looks like, and how it gives your team a competitive edge.

• Alan Mabry, Co-founder, Turbine Workforce
• Josh Studl, Co-founder, Turbine Workforce

Join Turbine’s co-founders for a walkthrough of how AEC firms are turning everyday work into AI infrastructure—without starting from scratch. Instead of chasing tools or building siloed systems, you’ll see how Turbine captures unstructured field data, employee expertise, images, SOPs, and transcripts—and transforms them into semantically enriched, machine-readable infrastructure.

From that infrastructure, Turbine generates scalable, firm-specific training systems that reflect real project demands and preserve institutional knowledge. You’ll explore how AEC firms use this foundation to design and deploy workforce development programs that are context-rich, compliance-ready, and aligned with how their teams actually work. Powered by Turbine’s metadata engine and Workforce Context Cloud™, this approach reduces AI implementation costs, automates compliance, and makes your workforce systems intelligent by design.

Session Takeaways:

• See how Turbine transforms on-the-job expertise into structured reference material and source content for future training programs.
• Learn how the Gen-AI Course Builder turns captured knowledge and source files into robust, firm-specific training modules with integrated skill assessments.
• Discover how Turbine’s contextual search surfaces precise answers, reveals knowledge gaps, and generates training data to power your firm-specific LLM.
• Explore how Turbine deploys AI Assistants with contextual awareness—delivering real-time support and just-in-time learning exactly where your workforce needs it.

Brian Mathews, CTO, Motif

Ready to imagine a fundamentally better way of working? Beyond the potential of AI, our industry is hungry for real-world innovation that solves for real pain points. Drawing from decades of experience developing foundational technologies for the design industry, Brian focuses on the urgent reality: architects and engineers continue to use outdated digital tools while the buildings they create become increasingly complex and ambitious. He shares Motif's vision for a cloud-native platform that brings together open data, seamless collaboration, and responsive modeling to address the most pressing challenges facing design teams today. See a new future of AEC workflows and a practical path to reimagine how architects and engineers work together to shape our world.

Join us to:
• Understand how limitations of legacy AEC software reduce collaboration, productivity, and design integrity.
• Overcome structural challenges in how AEC teams share, review, and revise assets in 2D and 3D environments.
• Explore new models of real-time, multi-user collaboration that reduce project risk, time loss, and misunderstanding.
• See practical AI integration in AEC workflows as a meaningful design and collaboration assistant.

Karen Cvornyek, Architect and Senior Consultant, PSMJ Resources, Inc. 

Designing in ever tighter timelines, optimizing space utilization, achieving sustainability goals, and managing real estate have become increasingly complex and challenging. Arcalogix AI has been designed as a unified AI-powered platform built to streamline design and operational tasks by creating a data-driven building environment. By autonomously generating and updating 3D Spatial Information Models (SIMs), Arcalogix AI allows for the creation of a holistic, always-up-to-date visualization of space and the assets within it, enabling users to design, optimize and operate spaces seamlessly. This consolidated view simplifies design decisions, enhances efficiency and ensures that users can access and act on critical data from a single interface, reducing complexity, cost and time. Join the startup's resident architect to see this breakthrough tool in action and gain new insights into emerging applications for the AEC industry. 

Resource Allocation: How to reduce the typical early stage design and iteration phase from project commencement to producing 3D walkthroughs and visuals for your clients

Redesign Acceleration: How to rapidly satisfy client demands for design and layout changes

Time Shifts: How to turn time saved on redesigns into more meaningful client relationships that lead to increased engagement and revenue 

Patrick Chopson, AIA, CPO and Co-Founder, Cove

Decarbonization is arguably the most critical issue facing architects today – the building design and construction industry is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions. However, pursuing low-carbon building has not always been an easy task. Meeting even minimum carbon emissions regulations often requires tedious work preventing architects from pursuing more innovative designs. AI is changing that. With next-generation technologies built on large language models, architects can pursue the highest standard of low-carbon building possible within their project’s budget and other specs. Combined with human intelligence, it presents the most effective tool available to architects today to pursue decarbonization of the built environment. Knowledge of these AI solutions will equip architects to make smarter, faster decisions regarding embodied and operational carbon in their projects and propel the industry toward a greener future. Join Cove co-founder Patrick Chopson to:

• Explore AI Integration: Understand how AI-powered tools and large language models are revolutionizing low-carbon building design. 
• Automate Complex Calculations: Learn how AI automates complex emissions calculations and regulatory compliance processes. 
• Advanced Analytics in Design: Examine how cutting-edge analytics and simulation techniques optimize embodied and operational carbon metrics. 
• Tech-Driven Decision Making: Discover how AI enhances decision-making speed and accuracy in sustainable architectural design. 
• Innovative Applications of AI: Evaluate real-world examples of how advanced technology is driving sustainable innovation in the construction industry.

Caleb Gonzalez, Senior Manager, Customer Success, Graphisoft

Are you ready to attack AEC projects from a new angle, applying breakthrough design technology to speed time to completion? Explore key learnings directly from one of Graphisoft’s key case studies. In this session, learn more about how this AEC firm explored the use of advanced modeling capabilities, BIM collaboration tools, and data-driven workflows to deliver high-quality, custom residential projects. This presentation will also highlight how to implement a design intelligence strategy leveraging early design concepts, AI and collaboration.

Manoj Bala Radhakrishna, CEO and Founder, struct.digital

AEC leaders face a pressing challenge: improving productivity in a sector often criticized for lagging behind other industries. While finance, healthcare, and tech have embraced historical data as a core part of decision-making processes, we have yet to unlock the full potential of our archived knowledge. Every firm is sitting on a goldmine of historical data, stored in digital folders, archives, or past project files. This session explores how tapping into this untapped resource can enable firms to make better data-driven decisions, streamline operations, and gain a competitive edge. Drawing parallels with industries like computer science—where open-source projects, APIs, and data inform every decision—we’ll examine practical strategies for using historical project data to reduce inefficiencies, identify patterns, and drive better outcomes. By harnessing data already at your disposal, you can transform decision-making, optimize workflows, and increase profitability. It’s time for the AEC industry to embrace the power of data and become a productivity leader.

Jean Pierre Trou, CEO & Co-Founder, mbue

The AEC industry loses billions each year due to change orders, incomplete submittals, and unresolved RFIs—issues that delay projects, increase costs, and frustrate teams. But with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the industry is poised to turn these challenges into opportunities.

This presentation explores how AI is transforming project delivery by tackling three of the biggest documentation pain points: change control, submittals, and RFIs. Attendees will learn how AI-powered tools can automatically detect design changes, generate fully compliant submittals, and help resolve questions before they become RFIs—streamlining the entire decision-making process during construction.

Attendees will also learn how AI empowers teams to create smarter workflows, reduce uncertainty, and ensure project delivery on time and within budget. With real-world examples, we’ll show how contractors and design teams are using AI to reduce rework, accelerate approvals, and build with greater confidence.

Join us to see how smarter tools are enabling better builds—with fewer surprises, fewer delays, and fewer change orders.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Cost of Inefficiency Across Change Orders, Submittals, and RFIs: Learn how mismanaged documentation impacts project timelines, budgets, and team dynamics.
• Explore AI’s Role Across the Full Documentation Lifecycle: Discover how AI automates and enhances change detection, streamlines submittal approval, and RFI prevention to reduce friction and manual workload.
• Build Your AI Integration Roadmap: Gain actionable steps for adopting AI into your existing workflows, from pilot projects to full implementation.

Nirva Fereshetian, Principal and Chief Information Officer, CBT Architects

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is undergoing significant transformation, driven by the emergence of innovative startups. These startups and their founders bring fresh perspectives, advanced technologies, and agile methodologies that are revolutionizing how projects are designed, managed, and executed. What can YOUR firm get out of joining forces with early-stage companies? Hear how Boston-based CBT Architects is collaborating with 2 AEC startups to help develop tools, leading to cost-effective and faster firmwide innovation. You’ll see how these relationships and collaboration with nimble, fast-action AEC startups can open your firm up to a powerful mindset shift, accelerate innovation, access emerging technologies, and future-proof your organization.

Learning Objectives:

• How to identify potential partnerships?
• Learn how CBT Architects developed a strategy for effective collaboration? How to define
  clear objectives and foster open communication.
• How startup partnerships build a culture of innovation and experimentation
• Harnessing mutual benefits and contributing to the AEC ecosystem
• Demonstrate with examples an ongoing collaboration with 2 AEC startups