American Council of Engineering Companies
Registration
Educational Sessions
Special Activities and Tours
EEA Gala
ACEC/PAC Activities
Exhibit and Sponsor Information
Hotel, Travel & Expense
Schedule at a Glance
Conference Brochure
About Washington D.C.
Home
ACEC Home

Schedule at a Glance

Click here for the full schedule (PDF)!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

2:00 pm-5:00 pm
CEO Roundtables
Executives are invited to attend these engaging group discussions led by CEOs and senior principals. These idea sharing sessions are consistently highly ranked by attendees and topics include profitability, business practices, liability, human resources, and marketing. Five roundtables are offered: Small firm (1-30 employees), Medium firm (31-100 employees), Medium-large firm (101-250 employees), Large firm (251-500 employees) or Very Large firm (501+ employees).

6:30-7:30pm
Welcome Reception with Exhibitors
Visit the convention supporting sponsors and vendors with the latest products and services for the industry.

7:30 pm-8:45 pm
Capitol Steps
Doug Segree Band
Opening Dinner with the Capitol Steps
Featuring the Capitol Steps and the Doug Segree Band

The only group in America that is funnier than the Congress, Capitol Steps is a troupe of current and former Congressional and Administrative staffers who satirize the very people and places where they were once employed. They monitor events and personalities on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office and other centers of power, taking a humorous look at issues and providing laughs for millions.

After the show, unwind with DC's Doug Segree Band, known for covering soulful renditions of rock and pop hits at every Washington Redskins home game.


Monday, April 26, 2010

Greg Ip
8:00 am-8:45 am
Opening General Session: The State of the Economy

9:00 am-10:15 am
General Session: Challenges to the Engineering Industry
Panel of Top CEOs: Robert B. Uhler, MWH Global; Leonard C. Rodman, Black & Veatch; and George J. Pierson, Parsons Brinckerhoff

10:45 am-12:00 noon
Business Development: How to Succeed in the New Economy
Richard Friedman, Friedman & Partners
One of the biggest challenges engineering firms face is maximizing returns from business development (BD) initiatives. Given the challenging economic landscape and fierce competition, it's imperative that firms engage as many staff as possible in BD. But to successfully develop a BD culture, a number of misperceptions need to be debunked. There is no "one-size-fits-all" BD mold—a fundamental concept that's the foundation to this interactive workshop. We will address the BD "holy grail": how to drive behavior to achieve a true BD culture using strategies such as education/training; establishing a culture of top-down accountability; tracking/reporting metrics; and incentivization/recognition.

"Sustainable Highway" is Not an Oxymoron: Green Business Opportunities For the Next Decade
Gary F. Demich, H.W. Lochner, Inc.
Building "Green" has become a well-known sustainability concept for office buildings, homes and even manufacturing plants, but it is in its infancy in the highway design and construction industry. Did you know it can reduce capital as well as operating costs? "Zero Waste," a well-known sustainability concept in the retail product manufacturing industry, is essentially unheard of for highway construction projects. This session will use the Mid-Currituck Crossing, a new route from the mainland to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, as one example of a project that is incorporating industry leading sustainability elements.

Construction Contract Administration — It is Not For the Faint of Heart
Nahom Gebre, Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., Inc.
Every project represents a significant investment of time, money and resources to all parties. Design professionals can increase their value to clients and increase the probability of a successful project by having a clear understanding of their role during construction and appropriately responding to the risk-generating events that are inherent on many projects. One defense attorney often describes the difference between the design phase and construction phase of a project as the difference between ice skating and ice hockey. This session will if you are prepared for "getting on the ice".

New Business Opportunities in the Federal Sector
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Bill Guerin, U.S. General Services Administration/Public Buildings Service (GSA/PBS); Department of State, Overseas Buildings Operations (DOS/OBO); and Paul Rauch, DOI, Fish and Wildlife Services.

Patrick Buchanan & Eleanor Clift

12:15 pm-2:00 pm
Keynote Luncheon and Political Debate: Opposing Perspectives on Today's Issues
Patrick Buchanan, Political Analyst for MSNBC and Eleanor Clift, Newsweek Contributing Editor

2:15 pm-3:30 pm
2010 Megatrends Affecting Engineering Firms — What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Lou Marines, Advanced Management Institute for Architecture & Engineering; James Cramer, Greenway Group
Megatrends affecting engineering firms in 2010 demand preparation and action. This program explains each trend and outlines actions to prepare for and leverage the changes they will bring about. The session will cover the many factors that evolve from the primary trends and discuss the effects they are having or are expected to have on the industry. Marines and Cramer will outline strategic actions firms can take to prepare for and get the most out of these trends.

Green Blues: Assessing Potential Legal Risks in the Expanding Green Building Market
Janice Marsters, Engineering Solutions, Inc.; Stephen Del Percio, Arent Fox LLP
The incredible growth of green building provides new business opportunities for engineers and other design professionals, but also involves unique legal risks. Many of these risks are unique to green building projects because of unique owner requirements, use of new technologies, and uninformed stakeholders. This presentation analyzes potential legal risks and suggests strategies to mitigate those risks.

NAECE Session: What Executive Must Know to Use — and Manage — Social Networking
By now we've all heard of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the various other social networking sites out there. But how do we use each of them appropriately? And how do we manage organizational uses as well as how our employees use them? This session will give a nuts-and-bolts look at how best to leverage — and manage — social networking for your organization.

New Business Opportunities in the Federal Sector
Robert Raines, Office of Engineering and Construction Management (OECM), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works; EPA HQ; and DOJ

4:00 pm-5:15 pm
Impact of BIM and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) on Company Business Practices
Terry Bennett, PLS, LLS, LPF, LEED AP, Autodesk, Inc.; Mike Williams, PhD, PE, Parsons Brinckerhoff; Stephen Del Percio, Arent Fox LLP
Design and construction is based on workflows going back to early last century when most of our infrastructure was built. This has limited most of our ability to reduce 15 to 20% of a project's overall costs coming from change orders and rework, or to analyze sustainable design approaches. This session will discuss how BIM tools and the value of IPD & VDC processes are reducing risk and liability in projects, while reducing costs and timelines.

Scenario Planning: Preparing to Thrive in the Challenges of a Different Tomorrow
Raymond Koganand, AIA, and Cara Bobchek, Kogan & Co.
Nobody can predict the future, but you can plan for it to increase your firm's competitive advantage. Scenario planning changes the way you make strategic decisions. By modeling a range of "alternative futures," you can develop and prioritize strategies that will allow you to capitalize on any future circumstances that arise. Through scenario planning, your firm will be better able to align itself with real market trends and position itself for long-term success.

New Business Opportunities in the Federal Sector
Mui Erkun, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Commander David P. Semnoski, PE, U.S. Coast Guard; Gregory Giddens, Customs and Boarder Protection; and Jacob Hansen, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Opportunities in the International Sector: Multilateral Development Banks Have Dramatically Increased Their Funding for Developing Countries — How to Find, Track, and Bid on Projects
David W. Fulton, Director of Business Liaison, Office of the U.S. Executive Director, The World Bank


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

8:00 am-10:00 am
Congressional Issues Briefing
Don't miss this key opportunity to hear from Members of Congress and ACEC's top lobbyists on the issues of the day.

10:30 am-11:45 am
SMART Teaming: How Effective Communication Can Lead to Business and Project Success
Paul D. Weisman, Weisman Consulting LLC; Michele Simos, Simos Consulting, Inc.
This session is aimed at senior leaders, BD professionals, and project managers who are ready to learn the principles and practices of a special form of communication known as dialogue. Once mastered, dialogue is a communication tool that facilitates openness, respect, trust, and produces results through shared interest and shared strategy. Learn the essential 4 core conditions of dialogue, the 5 principles of SMART Conversations®, and the skill of surfacing undiscussables. The positive power of teams and teamwork is unleashed once we know how to talk about the things we usually keep to ourselves.

New Business Opportunities in the Federal Sector
Joseph Gott, U.S. Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Military Construction; Terry Edwards, U.S. Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE); and Robert (Bob) Neary, Jr., U.S. Veteran Administration.

Federal Agency Business Opportunities in Energy Efficiency and Renewables
Federal agencies are required by executive orders and statutes to reduce energy use significantly over the next several years. Learn how to access opportunities in this new market.
Scott Sklar, The Stella Group, Ltd; Mindy Montgomery, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Ann Kosmal, General Services Administration, Office of the Architect

12:00 noon-1:30 pm
Exhibitor Roundtables and Networking Luncheon

2:00 pm-3:15 pm
Case Study: Utilizing Client Feedback to Promote Firm Success
Mike Phillips, AIA, Phillips Architecture
This case study illustrates the effectiveness of utilizing a client feedback system in a design firm's process. Discover how a simple technique, systematically focusing on methodology — not personality — created significant improvements for designers including: reduced mistakes & project liability, reduced wasted time & effort, increased firm profitability, increased value to the client, and enhanced professional satisfaction. Attendees will learn how to create a comfortable and effective feedback system in their firms.

Substance, Smoke and Success: The Reality of Integrated Teams & Delivery in the New Decade
Scott W. Braley, FAIA, FRSA, Braley Consulting & Training
Integrated Project Delivery is the rage — everyone talks about it, clients seem to want it, and A/E/C professionals are singing its praises so its potential for new business is great. Yet, what is the real substance of integrated delivery and what is just "smoke and mirrors?" Beginning with a clear distinction of what integrated project delivery is — and what it is not — this session addresses core impacts on marketing, team leadership, management methodology, accountability and risk/reward. It will discuss strategy, tactics and the pragmatic realities of the integrated delivery process.

3:45 pm-5:00 pm
Creating an Outrageously Successful Firm, in Good Times and Bad
Scott Hunter, The Hunter Partnership Alliance
This session will look at what it takes — year in and year out, no matter what is happening in the world economy — to have an outrageously successful organization. Attendees will discover that success has little to do with what you do, what you know, or how hard you work. Rather, truly successful leaders understand that certain principles can determine success, and they know how to use them to outperform the competition.

Embracing New Technology to Generate New Revenue Potential
David B. Palumbo, PE, Dewberry
New technologies in land design can enhance quality of traditional deliverables while enabling entry into new markets such as machine control, construction risk management, design build, and asset management. Technologies including GPS, laser scanning, 3D design, intelligent object modeling (4D, 5D, etc.), and GIS are the foundation elements for enabling these service potentials. Managing your firm’s transition to work flows that take advantage of new technology is critical and techniques will be discussed.

6:30 pm-8:30 pm
CYBERENGINEERING: What’s Driving the ENR 500 CIOs? Networking Dinner
For Workshop registrants only. Dinner ticket included in Workshop ONLY registration fee; $50 ticket purchase for full convention attendees AND those who are also registered for the workshop.

Engineering Excellence Awards Gala

6:30 pm-10:00 pm
2010 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala
The "Academy Awards" of the engineering industry


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

7:30 am-8:30 am
ACEC/PAC Sweepstakes Breakfast

7:30 am-8:30 am
CYBERENGINEERING: What’s Driving the ENR 500 CIOs? Workshop Breakfast
Additional registration for workshop required.

8:00 am-12:00 pm
CYBERENGINEERING: What’s Driving the ENR 500 CIOs?
Moderator: Cort Kane, COO, designDATA, outsourced CIO, ACEC; CIO Panelists include: James T. Walsh, Chief Technology Officer, AECOM (2009 ENR 500 #2); Cora Carmody, Senior Vice President, Information Technology, Jacobs Engineering Group (2009 ENR 500 #1); Janerie Wheeler, Vice President and Director, Information Services & Technology, Malcolm Pirnie (2009 ENR 500 #42); John I. Marinello, MCSE, Chief Information Officer, WSP Flack & Kurtz (2009 ENR 500 #61); and Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems, Inc.

What IT issues are central on the minds of ENR 500 CIOs of today? Where should you be focusing your efforts? In this half day workshop, CIOs from four of the engineering industry’s largest firms will give us their take on the following — and engage participants in a substantive discussion on the advantages and perils in each area, with advice on IT strategies you should be considering.

Substantial time will be spent addressing participant questions.

  • Managing the extended enterprise — managing remote offices, Cloud computing
  • Supporting the mobile workforce — how to effectively and securely manage your remote workforce
  • Retaining and protecting intellectual property rights — BIM and project management software issues, ownership of digital designs
  • What technology will firms be using in the next two-three years?
Additional registration is required for this workshop.

9:00 am-12:00 noon
Capitol Hill Visits

8:45 am-10:00 am
Presentation Design and Delivery Principles that Help Land the Project
Steve Wirtel, PE, Carollo Engineers
Understanding how to communicate more effectively with clients can significantly increase your return on investment for proposals and interviews. This session will help you become a more persuasive presenter by illustrating how people learn, retain, and recall information, making you better able to design presentation visuals that leverage your audience's cognitive capacity. And you'll be able to deliver an authentic presentation that maximizes persuasiveness. Whether you are a small or large firm, you will increase your win rate so you can grow your business and/or focus more time on your core competency…helping clients solve problems. And the skills learned will improve other presentations you make such as workshops, project updates, and technical conference presentations.

Ownership Transition: Is an ESOP Right for You?
David Cohen, Matheson Financial Advisors, Inc.; Robert Massengill, SES Advisors, Inc.
In tough times, many firms consider ownership transition options. This session will provide an overview of how an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) works and if an ESOP is right for your firm. It will focus on: the ESOP as an ownership transition tool; valuing your design firm for ESOP purposes; ways to finance and implement the transaction; tax benefits of an ESOP; S-corporation ESOPs; communicating your ESOP and getting your employees involved; and keeping the ESOP culture strong.

10:15 am-11:30 am
Improving Board Performance for Better Organizational Success
Doug Thompson, Thompson Strategy Consulting
A high performing board of directors is the cornerstone of a strong governance model. One way organizations can improve board - and thus company — performance is to develop a self-evaluation process that routinely examines the board and provides feedback to the board and the shareholders. When measures of success are defined, it provides a framework for discussion of what a 'good board' looks like in a design firm.

Rethinking Social Security Planning and 401(k) Design to Ensure a More Secure Retirement
Jim Mahaney, Prudential Retirement
The stock market collapse of 2008 has elevated the discussion of whether the 401(k) plan is a "failed experiment". In this presentation, learn how new innovation is helping 401(k) participants retire more securely by providing risk protection within the 401(k) plan and unique ways to maximize Social Security wealth outside of it. In the last three years, Jim Mahaney's unique ideas have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Kiplinger's, and Forbes.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       


ACEC 2010 Annual Convention and Legislative Summit
April 25-28, 2010
Washington, DC
The preeminent engineering conference for consulting engineers