To Remote or Not to Remote? That is the Question! A Tale of Two Firms
Joel Peterson, Associate Director of Human Resources, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Anne M. Davis, Assistant Director of HR, H2M Architects & Engineers
To Remote or Not to Remote? That is the Question! A Tale of Two Firms
Joel Peterson, Associate Director of Human Resources, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Anne M. Davis, Assistant Director of HR, H2M Architects & Engineers
"The A/E/C Retention Imperative: How to Seriously Support Your Female Talent Pipeline"
Mel Butcher, A Career that Soars!
The New A/E/C Recruiting Essentials:
Land Critical Talent with Proactive Recruiting, Performance Objective Communication, and Career-Arc Planning!
Barb Bruno, Good As Gold Training LLC
Sponsored by:
Meet in the hotel lobby
Sponsored by:
Leading A/E/C business data analyst David Burstein, P.E., breaks down the latest numbers into actionable intelligence and clear-picture takeaways for making bold new growth decisions heading into 2023. A highlight of every annual A/E/C THRIVE summit!
TRACK 1: STRATEGY & GROWTH Visualization: A Key to Winning, Enhancing and Marketing Your Projects!
A/E/C leaders know integrating visualization into our marketing efforts and project delivery is critical, but which techniques deliver ROI? At engineering firm Pennoni, a team of engineers, coders, videographers, and others work with engineers and marketing staff to create realty-based visualizations built from the ground up. Learn how they integrate topographic information along with 3D design models and imagery to create digital twins of the real world. This visualization tech is great for proposal preparations, design build projects to demonstrate feasibility and technique, private sector projects to assist in the Land Development approval process, and outreach and education by public sector clients. In this session you learn: |
TRACK 2: STRATEGY & GROWTH II Re-Designing Team and Firm Leadership for the New Era
What if the A/E/C talent you rely on functioned more like volunteers: choosing to give only 40 hours a week of their energy and output, and only to tasks in which they find meaning and purpose? For those thinking “you must be kidding” (or worse!), you’re likely already being left behind. The newest generation looks at work fundamentally differently than predecessors and there’s a lot to unpack for A/E/C senior leaders pivoting management tactics to grow and prosper in this new era. Attracting, engaging, retaining, and getting the best from our talent today requires both a new skillset and a much different mindset. Leadership and management teams willing to take on and embrace the massive changes brought forth will continue to enjoy clear advantages in the workplace, marketplace, and recruit space. No matter where you stand on the spectrum, in this session you’ll learn:
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT A Brain-Based Approach for A/E/C Business Development: How to Cultivate Winning Habits
What separates A|E|C marketers from true business developers? What tactical adjustments can you make to deepen relationships and get more work from existing and potential clients? For Federal business development leader, Wally Hise, it all starts with attention to fundamental habits he employs every day.
Not all habits are good, and not all habits stick. Using her background in cognitive science, Natalie Bradshaw will empower attendees to build a behavioral foundation that works with their neurology instead of against it. By understanding the brain science behind habit formation and maintenance, you can implement strategies to greatly improve your effectiveness. We’ll challenge you to examine your work routine, and show you how to develop BD habits to improve your productivity. Don’t expect to just listen in this session. You’ll experience a fast-paced facilitated discussion and leave with a list of great new ideas to try! In this highly interactive session, you’ll learn: • Your current BD habit inventory • Habits to improve your effectiveness in three critical activitiesd • The brain science behind how habits are formed and shaped • A path to establishing deeply ingrained and productive BD habits |
TRACK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT The NEW Professional Liability Risk Management Imperative for A/E/C Leaders: Stay Ahead of the Evolving Standards of Care in Technology and the Work Place
Technology evolves and empowers A/E/C firms and never more so than in the “NEW” normal. Technology both drives and challenges design survival and success and the corresponding expectations for the professional standard of care. What opportunities and challenges do you have today that you did not have prior and where will you go into tomorrow? Based on industry data, evolving tools, and real-life claims and losses, this session will examine the impacts of those ongoing evolutions on the standard of care and develop core strategies and tools to manage the practice, leverage technology, and manage the ever-changing risks.
Further we will examine contract clauses that can help protect your firm moving forward from project delay claims and increased cost claims which are plaguing some A/E/C firms as a result of COVID-19 and the high price of building materials. |
TRACK 1: STRATEGY & GROWTH Shifting Gears with Corporate Governance: A Tale of Woe, Awakening, and Triumph
After almost 20 years under an increasingly autocratic leader, 350-strong engineering firm Souder, Miller & Associates faced a crisis in its management and performance owing to a focus on personal legacy. Changes at the Board level were needed, but like most small to medium-sized A&E firms, the Board was tightly controlled. By April of 2019 the company was facing a $500k operating profit loss through two quarters, very low cash reserves, and an acquisition gone wrong that damaged morale and borrowing capacity. This, and the addition of a third outside Board member, provided the catalyst for the removal of the CEO and CFO. While many changes were quickly initiated to turn the ship, one outside Board member had plans of their own - to further remove the new management and, with the addition of two more outside Board members, take control of the company themselves. This attempt was a galvanizing event for the employees and stockholders and set the stage for big changes in governance. After a series of weekend and night-time meetings, the coup was halted. Two-year staggered terms were introduced for the Board, the ESOP committee was changed to include an equal number of employees as existing Board members, and the CEO and President were intentionally (and willingly) no longer a part of the Board. Along with the creation of an effective executive team and restructured senior management team, SMA has had record performance, paid down all debt, and is heading for a bright future.
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TRACK 2: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT The Four Rivers of A/E/C Revenue:
Innovative A/E companies constantly generate more profitable revenue by separating themselves from their competition and employing a defined process focused on opportunity development, additional revenue streams, and sustainable growth. Today’s economic climate requires a fundamental shift away from project based revenue pools, to the more strategic approach of creating long-term revenue rivers. Learn a multi-prong approach to business growth and expansion, using the four essential pillars of sustained revenue growth, including methods to Secure, Expand, Recapture, and Pursue opportunities. You get proven methods to build culture, define purpose, develop process, identify resources, and measure metrics through the thrill of a high-energy discussion focused on mastering the art of rainmaking.
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Disrupt Yourself: Marketing Disruptors from the Inside Out
Tolstoy, a keen observer of human response to change, wrote “Disruptive movement must come from within.” Over the past 2 years, we’ve seen first-hand how quickly A/E/C firms must react to remain resilient. So, how will your firm attract and retain clients going forward? Repeating past practices is the path to irrelevance. Hear two leading A/E/C business development pros explain why embracing practices that make us uncomfortable, such as artificial intelligence assistance, algorithms and open source design, can have a powerful impact . Get yourself and your firm ready for the marketing and business development of the future!
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TRACK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Culture Advantage: Instill a High Performance Mindset and Reap the Rewards
Eighty-eight (88%) of employees and 94% of executives believe a strong firm culture is the key to success. Two-Thirds (66%) of prospective employees say that culture and core values are the most important factors when considering career opportunities. In this white-hot labor market, getting the incredible people you need starts with developing an incredible culture. The fact is, culture is the competitive differentiator when it comes to attracting, engaging, and retaining superstar team members.
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New M&A Trends Every A/E/C Executive Should Understand
Private equity and family offices are aggressively moving into the A/E/C sector and providing a compelling option for ownership transition. PSMJ's Karl Wohler is joined by Bob Polino, of Austin Brockenbrough, Tom Gambino of Prime Engineering, and Doug Lake, the founder of Godspeed Capital for this lively luncheon discussion. Doug will outline why Godspeed is interested in the A/E/C sector. Tom and Bob will discuss why they chose the private equity recapitalization path for ownership transition.
STRATEGY & GROWTH I The New A/E/C Leadership Development Strategy: Could Action Learning Accelerate the Process?
Leadership transition is occurring at an increasing rate as Baby Boomers head off to part time and full-time retirement, and incoming A/E/C talent craves leadership opportunities. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity to reframe your leadership development process using a process called action learning. Take advantage with answers to key questions:
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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Nowhere to Go But Up: Adjusting A/E/C Compensation Structures in the Face of Rapid Inflation
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Marketing Beyond Proposals: It's Time to Turn Overhead into Revenue!
Are you getting maximum ROI in your firm's marketing staff? Most A/E/C firms count on a crew of marketing professionals (graphic designer, digital media coordinator, proposal coordinator, etc.) with skills to sell proposals. But there's a revenue stream you may be missing if you aren't also involving these contributors in design and engineering projects. Clients recognize that for projects to be successful, they need to communicate with constituents effectively throughout the project, and that's more than just putting information on a webpage, putting a note in a mailbox, and a couple of social media posts to keep everyone informed. Why not take advantage of the skills on your marketing team to drive additional revenue for your firm? Get real examples of how one firm is doing this and how you can apply their lessons learned to differentiate yourselves in the market and diversify your service offerings..
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TRACK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT Why Agile Project Management is the Future of A/E/C
The AEC industry is bursting with opportunity. And capturing that growth and profitability demands strong project management skills. While it can be difficult for AEC firms to adapt their methods of project management to the ever-changing needs of clients with agile project management, this is all about to change. Agile project management allows for more flexibility in both the planning process and in how projects are executed. Join Unanet's Lucas Hayden, Director of AEC Strategy as he discusses why agile project management practices have become the future for AEC and steps you can take today to increase your Agile IQ.
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TRACK 1: STRATEGY & GROWTH The Triple Play - Tax Incentives for the A/E/C designers and developers
Don’t leave money on the table. Learn how you can put money back into your A/E/C business through specialty tax incentives such as the R&D Tax Credit, 45L Tax Credit and the 179D Deduction:
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TRACK 2: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT A/E/C M&A Foundations: Are You Ready to Play Let's Make a Deal?
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Is Your Firm Leveraging Brand Assets? Unleash the Power of Messaging on Social Media to Keep Pipelines Full
What's your A/E/C firm's social media strategy? If it's little more than some Instagram posts and throwaway tweets, you may not be able to count on it as a new project driver when this currently hot market starts to cool. Join master marketer and A/E/C rainmaker Frank Lazaro for action steps you should take NOW to use the power of your brand to rethink your social media strategy. With a new generation of clients making decisions and moving to more remote connections, a strong online strategy is more important then ever:
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TRACK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT The 10% Problem: Why A/E/C Firms Are Not As Profitable as They Should Be ![]() Planifi▲ We know firms are busy, but most are not as profitable as they should be. In this session we’ll discuss the impact of small project overruns having outsized performance impacts across the firm that go beyond financials, it’s like death by a 1,000 cuts. We’ll discuss what most firms are doing today and how you can improve with a little planning and communication. |
Your A/E/C firm’s culture isn’t on your website or mission statement, it’s how your employees describe working for you. To counter growing disengagement, “culture” has become the connective tissue that bonds the best people to firms and creates a sustainable competitive advantage, and it’s been what everyone is talking about since we moved to remote workforces. Problem is, a lot of leaders don’t know how to move from talk to action. So what are you doing to define, establish and maintain yours? Straight-talking talent expert Barbara Bruno gives us the candid, tough questions to ask ourselves and other leaders about our culture, why it isn’t attracting the best talent, and may in fact be driving away critical mid-career leaders .
Sponsored by:
Meet in the hotel lobby
Led by PSMJ Founder and CEO Frank Stasiowski, FAIA, this provocative discussion with fellow A/E/C executives challenges you to shift your thinking about emerging trends with potential to radically reshape your firm.
Last year’s discussion on the death of timesheets was a standing-room only hit…stay tuned to see what we attack this year! NOTE: Admission limited to PSMJ PRO Members. Learn more about PSMJ PRO membership and join now or on-site!
If you can't make it to Frank's Hot Topic Breakfast, join your Fellow A/E/C THRIVE attendees for breakfast in the general session room.
The last 2+ years of accelerated adoption of AI + automation, distributed + hybridized work, and other trends have driven many A/E/C firms to discard legacy processes, and adapt and innovate quickly to an entirely new world. So what’s next? Leading futurist Erica Orange examines the looming impact of macro technological, sociocultural and economic trends to help us expand our vision of the possible -- and develop future-proofed action strategies to capitalize on growth opportunities..
TRACK 1: STRATEGY & GROWTH Don’t Accept Mental Health Differences at Your Firm… Embrace Them!
Could a new way of looking at mental health issues at your A/E/C firm be key to stronger talent recruiting and increased profitability? DS Architecture’s Jeffrey Meyers has committed his firm to building a cognitively diverse workforce and has discovered significant benefits to successfully accommodating mental health conditions. From ADHD to Bipolar Disorder to Depression, mental health affects thousands of the most creative, productive, and essential A/E/C professionals. Research shows that embracing the mental health of your employees has a powerful positive influence on efficiency, productivity, and employee retention rate. Meyers will share his personal story of creating an environment where neurodivergent people thrive and how to use a cognitively diverse workforce as a competitive advantage.
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TRACK 2: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Show Me the $$$ – How A|E|C Firms Qualify for the Research and Design Tax Credit ![]() Vice President of Business Development CTA▲ Join Corporate Tax Advisors (CTA) as they demystify the federal research and development (R&D) tax credit for A|E|C firms. This session discussion is focused on alternative avenues for reducing overhead rates (specifically, direct labor expenses), increasing cash flow, increasing profit-to-earnings ratios, identifying permanent tax savings, and reducing effective tax rates to fund your strategic initiatives and growth. Additionally, learn what it takes to qualify for the tax credit; understand current rules, legislation, and recent changes, and explore the activities that qualify for the R&D tax credit and IRS audit analytics.
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Execute the Perfect A/E/C Pursuit Strategy: How to use Pull-Through Marketing, Networking, and Lead-Warming
How can you stop wasting time chasing the wrong projects? How do the most successful A/E/C networkers make it look easy? What's the best way to leverage your firm's unique strengths? Join master A/E/C seller-doer Bill Hinsley for step-by-step roadmap to establish new client relationships.
• How to stop wasting time chasing projects
• How “pull-thru marketing” can make your firm a client magnet • Deciding which clients to pursue • What keeps you from networking effectively? • How to network like an introvert • How to use social networking effectively • Differentiating your firm from all the rest • How to “thaw out” your cold calls. |
TRACK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Seven Pillars of Highly Successful AE Firms
Culled from experiences working with more than 3,000 AE firms over 25 years, this session will reveal the seven common characteristics of every successful firm. Success comes in many flavors. For some, it’s money; for others, it is peer recognition, awards, or fame; for most of us, it’s having access to challenging or exciting projects.
Regardless of how you measure success, by adopting these Seven Pillars you will create the framework from which you and every member of your firm can achieve their professional goals. During this session, you will learn how to:
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TRACK 1: STRATEGY & GROWTH I No More Bad Promotions! A/E/C Leadership Transition Through the Eyes of a Blue Lobster
The A/E/C industry is notorious for promoting really good technical employees into leadership roles -- where they fall flat on their faces. What if we approached leadership transition by supporting the self-development of a select group of employees who aspire to, and have the potential to be, future leaders of the organization and our industry? The Blue Lobster Program provides opportunities for participants to develop their business skills, emotional intelligence, sense of purpose, and passion for organizational leadership. This 2-3 year program utilizes a variety of modalities and deliverables to support participants as they explore leadership topics, gain exposure to all areas of your organization (technical, administrative, and operational), and practice the skills and abilities needed to lead your company into the future.
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TRACK 2: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT How to Deliver Projects On-Time & On-Budget That Actually Make Money Your firm has delivered projects for years, but are you leveraging industry best practices to optimize project margins? Your firm’s success is based on your team’s ability to deliver projects on-time and on-budget while delighting your clients, all while turning a profit. If you’re looking to enhance project delivery practices while protecting project margins, this session is for you. Tapping into 20 years of project delivery experience as well as business transformation projects with dozens of AEC firms, we’ve identified 5 key strategies your firm can employ to optimize project delivery and increase your firm’s bottom line. .
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TRACK 3: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Is Your Marketing Stuck in 2020? Leverage Emerging Trends for Growing Your A/E/C Firm
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the AEC industry like no other crisis before it. While operations have pivoted to new workstyles and leaner processes, the most successful firm leaders have converted their growth strategies to adopt Account-Based Marketing and Sales (ABM/S) and Digital Channel integration. If these aren't key planks in your business development strategy, you could be missing out on significant opportunities to maintain a healthy pipeline as an aggressive growth environment starts to cool. Leading A/E/C A/E/C growth strategist, podcast personality, and industry thought leader, Judy Sparks, joins us to reveal:
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TRACK 4: STRATEGY & GROWTH II Keeping Your Strategy Alive: Beyond the Once-a-Year Retreat
Your A/E/C firm’s strategic plan needs consistent application to be successful, but that that doesn’t mean you can keep it a static map to revisit once a year. It MUST be agile enough to evolve, so treat it as a living document. Luckily, there are several things you can do, and several tools you can use, to keep your strategic plan nimble. Learn the concept of emergent strategy and how it complements your firm’s strategic plan discipline. We’ll dive into the application of guiderails that focus efforts at all levels in your firm to keep goals in sight while allowing your strategy to exploit new opportunities. You’ve got a strategic plan… let’s build on it, and be more successful! You’ll learn:
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Join your colleagues to celebrate A/E/C firms achieving superior performance with the presentation of PSMJ's Circle of Excellence, Platinum Award, Premier Award for Client Satisfaction, and A/E/C Building a Better World Award.
As firm leaders, we often run from fire to fire, dealing the pressing issues of the day. But how intentional are we to identify and eliminate our key deficiencies, the big-picture structural issues that contribute to sub-optimal firm growth and goal attainment? Barry Barber of 5,500-strong engineering and design powerhouse Kimley-Horn has spent his career challenging the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality, first as Executive Vice President for Human Resources and now as Chairman of the Board. In his powerful keynote address, Barry will reframe our thinking by asking the right questions about our firm’s culture, ownership transition planning, employee and client satisfaction, skilled talent motivation, geographic, market, and client diversity, remote work practices, and much more. Plus we get a candid and revealing insider’s view from the top of one of the most successful (#10 on ENR’s Top 500, 15-time FORTUNE Best Places to Work) design firms as they answer the same questions.