Annual Convention to Provide Valuable Opportunities in Energy Efficiency Market The energy efficiency and renewable energy market is one of several business opportunity sessions to be presented at the upcoming Annual Convention, April 25-28, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Capitol Steps comedy troupe will poke good-natured fun at our elected representatives and political process. Federal agencies have been directed by executive orders and statutes to dramatically reduce energy use over the next several years. In the session titled Federal Agency Business Opportunities in Energy Efficiency and Renewables, two federal officials and an industry analyst will provide important insights on opportunities in this growing market. The Convention also features the Capitol Steps comedy troupe, which will entertain at the Opening Reception and Dinner; the 44th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala—the “Academy Awards” of engineering—hosted by Emmy Award-Winner Ross Shafer; a stellar lineup of speakers; and exciting social activities. Click here for Convention registration information. Register by January 31 and receive 2009 registration rates. Washington D.C. is a popular destination in the spring so make your hotel reservations early! Contact the Grand Hyatt Hotel directly at 202-582-1234 and reference ACEC. For more information, contact meetings@acec.org or call 202-347-7474.

Industry Trends Survey Projects Nearly Flat Firm Revenue Growth in 2010 ACEC Member Firms responding for the 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey Report projected average revenue growth of less than 2 percent for 2010. On those revenues, the respondents forecast average net profit before taxes of 10.55 percent—a drop of more than 50 percent from their year-ago forecast. The survey respondents projected limited revenue growth in the Energy/Power (5.14 percent) and Transportation (3.26) sectors and forecast declines in the Buildings (-4.77 percent), Environmental (-4.06 percent), Residential (-3.94 percent), Industrial and Process (-2 percent) and Water/Wastewater (-0.7 percent) sectors. The primary strategies firms plan to use to boost their profit margins in these difficult economic times include: work more efficiently; shift to more profitable market sectors; and implement or improve quality management system. At the bottom of the list were reduce staff; and outsource to foreign sources. This and other pertinent industry data are now available in the just-released 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey—a comprehensive statistical analysis of current engineering firm operations, including projections on the future marketplace. To purchase a copy, click here.

Landmark Supreme Court Case Opens Door to Corporate Funding of Election Ads On January 21, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations have the same right to engage in independent political speech as individuals. The case has a number of major ramifications for how corporations can spend their money to influence federal elections. The decision permits corporations to make unlimited independent expenditures to advocate the election or defeat of specific federal candidates. The case is also noteworthy for the restrictions that it keeps intact. For example: The ban on corporate and union contributions to candidates and political parties is still in effect. Corporate donations still cannot be made directly to a federal candidate or a federal political party committee. Corporations still cannot coordinate their campaign spending with a candidate, political party committee, or their agents. Federal law governing the operation of PACS remains unchanged. State and local campaign finance laws in connection with contributions to state and local candidates must, at present, continue to be followed. ACEC has been in close communication with the law firms of Pillsbury and Wiley, Rein on the legal interpretation of the Citizens United decision. For more detailed information on this case, click here to access Wiley, Rein’s Election News Alert and click here to read Pillsbury’s Client Alert.

NOLA Green Course Highlights Multi-Market Opportunities; Early-Bird Extended to Jan. 29 Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets Feb. 23-26, New Orleans Participants in ACEC’s Feb. 23-26 Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets course will be guests of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a private briefing and special boat tour of the new $1.3 billion Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier. The state-of-the-art structure is designed to bring the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to 100-year levels of protection by the 2011 hurricane season. The four-day Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities course takes an in-depth look at the challenges of going into green markets, through recent examples of sustainable transportation, buildings, and water projects. The unique faculty mix of leading practitioners, academics and government experts will present a diverse curriculum that examines key environmental planning and design processes and showcases applications of sustainable engineering. Topics to be covered in the in-depth course include: Sustainability as Business Strategy The Business Case for Delivering Sustainable Projects Conducting Sustainability Audits and Assessments for Clients Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Costing Risk Management for Sustainable Projects Application of BIM Software in Sustainability Sustainable Urban Water Management, Transportation Projects, Buildings. The afternoon field trip will also stop at the 9th Ward’s Field of Dreams project, which includes sustainable athletic fields and related infrastructure that were funded by contributions to replace facilities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Click here for the course brochure with full agenda and faculty details. To register at the lowest advance price, click here.

Manage Most Effectively with "Business for Engineers" Course, March 10-13 The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT ACEC’s highly regarded A/E industry business management course is a comprehensive update on the elements and functions of the successful firm—focusing on “things they don’t teach in engineering school.” The course, which will be presented March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT, will update practices in critical operational areas of finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, business management, human resources, and information technology. Presenting the marketing & business development segment of the agenda, David Stone, Stone & Company, notes that in today’s marketplace, “while work is slower, there’s more than enough out there for your firm… and we’ll show you how to win it.” Stone will identify and talk through the key elements of the “win business” equation in our fast-moving electronic communications age by integrating the fundamentals of marketing outreach with the realistic brand-building potential of e-mail and the Internet. Created for firm owners, principals, executives, and managers, this on-target update of management priorities is a solid investment for success. For the full agenda and faculty information, click here. For details and to register at the early-bird price, click here.

Qatar Megaprojects: An Inside Look at New Market, Steps for Getting Involved Infrastructure Megaprojects in Qatar: An Inside Look at New Market Opportunities Feb. 16, 1-2:30 p.m. ET (Note special time) The Persian Gulf nation of Qatar is budgeting nearly $25 billion through 2014 to significantly upgrade its infrastructure through a series of megaprojects that include an airport expansion, a new container port, a causeway linking Qatar and the nearby island state of Bahrain, railroad expansion, new highways, and a massive urban revitalization project. Dao M. Le, senior commercial officer, U.S. Embassy in Qatar, and speakers from the Qatari Public Works Authority and senior officials in charge of these projects, will brief participants with detailed information, projected timelines for development, and the next steps for U.S. design firms interested in getting involved. This online event is a unique opportunity for firms considering work in the Persian Gulf region. For details and to register, click here.

Online Seminar Uncovers Engineering Opportunities in the Smart Grid Engineering the Smart Grid—New Opportunities for Engineering Companies Feb. 10, 1:30-3 p.m. The Smart Grid is changing everything for energy utilities. This timely online seminar examines one of the industry’s hottest topics—the Smart Grid. What’s hype and what isn’t? How and where the Smart Grid will benefit engineering and utilities stakeholder groups? Participants will learn how the Smart Grid is creating opportunities for engineering firms to team with energy utility owner-operators in re-engineering the grid to meet 21st century needs, through new and more efficient ways to build it more quickly, more efficiently and at lower cost. Presenters Richard Zambuni, Bentley Systems, and Juan Torres, Iberdrola Engineering and Construction, will present the engineering and the utilities perspectives on the subject. Torres will outline his firm’s vision of the Smart Grid and show how it has impacted their approach to substation design and other projects. Participants in this interactive seminar will: Learn about the Smart Grid—hype or reality? Examine the physical infrastructure from "source to switch" Gain information to leverage Smart Grid funding from owner-operators and governments (Note the Administration’s commitment of $4.5 billion to Smart Grid projects) Hear how an international engineering company is taking advantage of Smart Grid opportunities Learn how new workflows and new information modeling technology will help engineers in delivering the Smart Grid more efficiently Engineering firms and consultants working with energy utilities and in environmental sectors will find this seminar of particular value. For details and to register, click here.

Get Online Sneak Peek at Industry Trends Survey Results, 2010 Expectations 2010 Industry Trends’ Hot Markets: Sustainability, Health Care, Water Projects February 3, 1:30-3 p.m. Ron Ewing, Dewberry, and Terry Bennett, AutoDesk, present an early look at the important statistics and industry expectations from ACEC’s just published 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey Report. The comprehensive study predicts that growth market opportunities for 2010 are particularly strong in several areas, led by green infrastructure and health care facilities. This online seminar delves into what’s hot and what’s not as reported by survey respondent firms. Available for purchase in both print and downloadable versions, the 2010 Report, which was co-sponsored by Autodesk, cites emerging market demands that are driving the need for projects in specific market sectors, and reveals firms’ aggregate responses to current business challenges, from flattening salaries to innovative company practices to boost efficiency to BIM adoption and more. Click here to register.

Commissioning Services Market: Here's the Who, What, Where and Why Commissioning: A Market Growing in Size, Impact and Professionalism Feb. 18, 1:30-3 p.m. More and more owners are asking for Commissioning. This online seminar presents an overview of the Commissioning process including specific markets where Commissioning is used. Michael King, ARCOM; Earle Kennett, NIBS; and Patrick Prendergast, GBA/ViroCon Inc., will describe the process from concept to delivery, answering the key questions, including: Who should provide these services and why? Design A/E, Contractor, or Independent? What standards are being referenced or appropriate for the project? What building systems should be commissioned? What do you need to include in an RFQ or RFP for Commissioning? What’s the Commissioning process for a project? Contract Agreements and Project Issues—E&O Liability; Means & Methods; Job Site Safety; Schedule, etc. What’s the impact on the design team’s scope of services? What’s the typical cost/savings for Commissioning services? For details and to register, click here.

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The American Council of Engineering Companies 1015 15th St., NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005-2605 Phone: 202-347-7474 - Fax: 202-898-0068 www.acec.org - E-mail:acec@acec.org Alan D. Crockett, Director, PR • Gerry Donohue, Designer