Build Business Panels Emphasize Clients, Networking, Leadership

 

Congratulations to Maria Loitz, CPSM, of BVH Integrated Services Inc., in Bloomfield, CT! Maria is the lucky winner of three nights' free accommodations at the New York Marriott Marquis during Build Business 2004.

A panel discussion is an effective, efficient vehicle for gathering information and a range of expert opinions on any topic. The Build Business Planning Committee has put together 11 panels for the conference this August, covering topics from strategies for succeeding in the public and private sectors and the education market, to firm management, leadership, media relations, diversity, real estate financing, and the value of design.

The Build Business panels will include national and regional clients who will discuss activity in their market sectors, upcoming projects, selection criteria, and decision-making processes.

As a marketer or business developer responsible for securing work for your firm, attending these panel sessions offers you an opportunity to expand your network of clients, firm leaders, and media and to hear the latest thinking and dynamic trends in customer care, firm management, leadership, business development, and marketing.

Thursday, August 12
10-11:30 am

Panel: Follow the Money! Financing Real Estate and Development
Panelists: James W. Montanari, Senior Managing Director, Staubach Advisory Services
Kevin P. Fitzpatrick, President, AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp. (invited)
Moderator: Laurin McCracken, AIA, MCRS, FSMPS, Marketing & Strategies Offi cer, Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
Join this panel of experts in the debt and equity real estate fi nancial markets as they share their expectations on the fl ow of money into the real estate market over the next 18 months to 3 years. Return to your firm with first-hand knowledge, gained from internationally renowned industry leaders, about where viable marketplace activity will occur.

Panel: Strategies for Succeeding in the Private Sector
Panelists: Judith Nitsch, P.E., President, Judith Nitsch Engineering Inc., and Chair, Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Physical Facilities Committee
Tom Gormley, Vice President of Design & Construction, HCA Healthcare
Bill Hoy, Senior Vice President of Design & Project Management, Marriott International
Mike Crickenberger, Vice President, Global Business Development, Dupont Safety Resources
Moderator: Richard T. Anderson, President, New York Building Congress
Competition is tough and getting tougher. Find out what you and your firm must do to build business in today's marketplace. In this informative session top-level buyers of professional services from across the nation will reveal what prompts them to buy, what differentiates proposals, what engenders their loyalty, and what they see on the horizon.

Thursday, August 12
1-2:30 pm

Panel and Workshop: Principles for Principals
Panelists: Thomas A. Zimmerman, FAIA, President, PSMA, and Executive Vice President, SWBR Architects & Engineers PC
Patricia Lancaster, FAIA, Commissioner, City of New York Buildings
Stuart Koshner, Principal and Co-founder, RCDolner
William Fife, Corporate Vice President and Director of Aviation Services, DMJM+Harris
Moderator: Joan Capelin, FSMPS, President, Capelin Communications Inc.
Gain increased awareness and understanding of the process of client engagement as you learn to apply basic, crucial principles to marketing- and business-related decisions. PR legend Joan Capelin, author of Principles for Principals (SMPS, June 2004), leads a panel of industry leaders in candid discussion of the principles behind their powerful decision-making and marketing strategies. Participants and panelists will work together in small groups to analyze relevant case studies.

Panel: What Education Clients Think and Need
Panelists: Michael Kolk, R.A., Director, City University of New York Programs, Dormitory Authority State of New York
Donald E. Moore, Managing Director of Design and Construction, New Jersey School Construction Corp.
William Parrish, Managing Director of Design and Construction, Newark Public Schools
Marcelo Velez, P.E., Assistant Vice President of Design and Construction, Columbia University
Moderators: Gwendolyn Powell Todd, Ed.D., FSMPS, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, and Kevin Willis, Senior Vice President of Eastern Region, Don Todd Associates, Inc.
Education projects at all levels seem to be partially or fully funded and increasing in number. How do we distinguish ourselves from the many firms presenting to clients? How do we best use our marketing dollars? Clients and owners in the K-12, community college, and college/university sectors discuss their preferences and requirements. In this session, you will:
• develop an increased understanding of what education clients want
• understand the impact of education projects on a local community
• identify what is unique about each type of education project, including funding sources
• learn best practices to use in the future.

Thursday, August 12
2:45-4:30 pm

Panel: Building Rapport with the National Business Media
Invited Panelists: Representatives from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Newsweek/Time, and CNBC/MSNBC
During this interactive session, editors and reporters from leading national business media will provide insight into what constitutes news. The panel will focus on how A/E/C fi rms can obtain coverage in these hard-to-break-into outlets. You will learn how to:
• evaluate a story for national news coverage
• pitch an appropriate story to the national media
• interact with top national editors and reporters.
Hosted by the SMPS National Public Relations Committee

Panel: Doing Business in the Public Sector
Panelists: Edward A. Feiner, FAIA, Chief Architect, US General Services Administration, Design Excellence Program, Washington, DC
Larry S. Kirk, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Finance & Administration, Capital Projects & Real Property Management, State of Tennessee
Marc Boddewyn, Vice President of Design & Construction, Hudson River Park Trust
Moderator: Patricia Lancaster, FAIA, Commissioner, City of New York
Top-level government personnel will share critical information on how to succeed in the federal marketplace, including:
• key selection criteria and differentiators they look for when selecting a firm
• pending new projects and the process for prioritization
• effective marketing strategies.
If your company is currently doing business in the public sector or is considering doing so in the future, you won't want to miss this session.

Friday, August 13
8-9:30 am

Keynote Session: Lessons from Legends—Designing The Successful Practice
Panelists: J. Robert Hillier, FAIA, Chairman, The Hillier Group
Charles Thornton, Ph.D., P.E., Co-Chairman, The Thornton-Tomasetti
Group, Inc.
Moderator: Raymond F. Messer, P.E., President and Chairman of the Board, Walter P. Moore
The Professional Services Management Association's highest honor, the Leonardo da Vinci Award, recognizes individuals who have achieved notable levels of excellence in the A/E/C profession and who set the standard for enterprise management. Join our distinguished panel of award recipients as they share their experience and insights on building a successful practice—and career—in the design and building industry.

Friday, August 13
1-2:30 pm

Panel: The Business Case for Diversity—Our Client's Perspective
Panelists: Wilfred Chabrier, General Manager of Business and Job Opportunity, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Elizabeth "Libby" Williams, Diversity Consultant, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation/APS
Keith Hines, Manager of Corporate Purchasing, Altria Corporate Services Inc.
Mark Rosenthal, President, MTV Networks (invited)
Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, State of Maryland (invited)
Commentators: Elizabeth Geary-Archer, President, Out of the Box Marketing Strategies, Inc., and Craig A. Holmes, Director of Business Development, Engineering Consulting Services Ltd.
Moderator: Gwendolyn Powell Todd, Ed.D., FSMPS, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Don Todd Associates, Inc.
What does diversity mean in the A/E/C industry? Why do owners value diversity? What is the effect of diversity in our firms? Does diversity factor into the decision to hire consultants? Following this discussion you will:
• understand how diversity impacts networking, client relationships, and business development strategy
• understand what clients expect from service providers
• know how diversity impacts the bottom line
• be aware of best practices that increase diversity in daily work.
Hosted by the SMPS National Diversity Committee

Panel: The Value of Design in Buildings
Panelists: Gene Kohn, FAIA, RIBA, JIA, Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Kendrick A. McCabe, P.E., Mechanical Engineer and Sustainable Design Specialist, Jacobs Facilities, Inc.
Robert Griffin, AIA, President, Odell & Associates (invited)
David Thurm, Vice President of Real Estate Development, The New York Times (invited)
Moderator: Norbert Young, FAIA, President, McGraw-Hill Construction
Future buildings will be sustainable, healthy environments blending seamlessly into the surrounding natural environment while projecting a sophisticated architectural image. These buildings will be capable of producing their own energy, minimizing waste, and generating clean air. Join a nationally recognized buyer, an architect, and an engineer as they share perspectives on the collaboration necessary to meet the needs of this growing market.

Friday, August 13
2:45-4:30 pm

Meet the Press Roundtables
Invited Journalists: Senior editors from Architectural Record, Building Design & Construction, Construction.com, and Engineering News-Record, among other publications
How do you get your story told or your company featured in the trade media? Sit down with local, regional, and national editors and your peers to discuss upcoming editorial content in industry publications, what editors consider news, how to approach reporters with story ideas, and your public relations challenges.
Hosted by the SMPS National Public Relations Committee

Saturday, August 14
9-10 am

Flying Lessons for Future Eagles
Panelists: Jeremy Kon, P.Eng., President & CEO, UMA Group
Roger Severin, President, Olsson Associates (invited)
Patty McManus, Vice President, Olsson Associates
Moderator: Victoria Pao, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, McGraw-Hill Construction
Inspired by the popular interview series in SMPS's Marketer, this program will spotlight the leaders of distinguished firms and explore their exceptional careers. Learn how these dynamic individuals have achieved extraordinary success: Grown profits, expanded staff, opened new offices, won professional acclaim, differentiated their firms, and secured major work all over the country—and the world. Hear about their success strategies, their visions for the future, and their marketing cultures.

The registration brochure for Build Business will be mailed to members this month. To print a PDF of the brochure now or to read about the other sessions and networking events planned, visit www.buildbusiness.org. [ return to top ]