CONFERENCE DAY ONE - Tuesday, August 26

Download the Full Event Guide to see the expert speakers, a full in-depth 3-day agenda, the hours of networking opportunities, and how you can get involved in the discussion - all in one document!

7:00 am Check-In, Coffee, & Networking

8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

  • Joshua Weyand Director, Emerging Technologies, Suffolk Construction Company

Maximizing ROI From New Tools

8:10 am Identifying & Targeting the Challenges That Will Yield the Highest ROI to Optimize Technology Spend

Synopsis

  • Finding ways to uncover opportunities for improved efficiency organization-wide
  • Quantifying each issue to be able to stack rank and evaluate which ones to target first
  • Defining the goals and objectives of introducing a new tool to be able to fail fast, and monitor investments
  • Balancing aspirations to innovate with needing to manage these processes to set your piloting program up for success

8:50 am Optimizing the Technology Evaluation Process to Ensure New Tools Will Enhance & Integrate with Your Existing Tech Stack

  • Jad Chalhoub Director of Business Analytics, Rosendin Electric, Inc.

Synopsis

  • Identifying which functions and expertise should be in the systems evaluation team
  • Mapping out the end user journey to understand ease of adoption and meeting their bespoke needs
  • Sharing the key factors to consider in the decision-making process for every technology vs. what needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis

10:00 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking

Enhancing Project Partner Collaboration

Track 1: Enhancing Project Partner Collaboration


Demonstrating the Value of Innovation


10.50 Aligning a Robust Project Technology Stack to Meet Client Budgets & Needs

  • Engaging the client in early conversations to establish conditions of satisfaction and priorities
  • Discussing the most impactful information to share with clients when presenting potential technology investments
  • Aligning the timeline for technology selection with project budgeting to ensure you can maximize the ROI for every tool

Cliff Cole, Director of Virtual Design & Construction, The PENTA Building Group


11.30 Fireside Chat: Maintaining Cross-Stakeholder Buy-In & Commitment to Implementing Innovative Construction Technologies on the Atrium Health New Bed Tower Project

  • Evaluating all of the implications of your chosen tech stack on each stakeholder
    up-front to ensure you mitigate challenges and maximize opportunities
  • Reviewing the role of the VDC versus operations teams in leading the successful implementation of tools, and how you can make this a more collaborative effort
  • Monitoring adoption of technology throughout your project to intervene with additional training and accountability measures where necessary

Josh Ellington, Virtual Design & Construction Manager, Rodgers

Samuel Anderson,
Construction Technology Specialist, Rodgers

Chance LaFratta,
Senior Virtual Design & Construction & Building Information Modeling Operations Manager, Adams Electric

Tyler Campbell,
Project Executive, Storey Program Management


12.40 Networking Lunch Break


Overcoming Barriers Between Different Stakeholder Systems


1.40 Improving Cyber Defenses to Manage Risk When Sharing Information Between Project Partners

  • Creating fortified sharing workflows that reduce the vulnerability to attacks, including single sign on and file storage layouts
  • Balancing cybersecurity with ensuring that partners are set up for success with adequate sharing permissions
  • Supporting data security with adequate training for all team members, helping them identify and flag potential risks

Sadia Janjua, Chief of Digital Transformation, Project Controls & Virtual Design & Construction, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

Dimitra Karachaliou, Associate Vice President, Digital Transformation Advisory, AECOM


2.20 Bridging the Gap in Technology Usage Between More & Less Experienced Team Members to Improve Standardization

  • Positioning your business as an inclusive partner of choice to both enabled and non-technologically enabled partners
  • Discussing the additional support mechanisms you can put in place to support partners with less technological maturity
  • Empowering less experienced team members to validate the information produced by AI models

Dana Erdman, Vice President of Technology & Innovation, Bulley & Andrews


3.00 Afternoon Networking Break

Building Information Modeling
Applying Technology in the Field
Technology & Innovation Strategy

3:40 pm A Look Into the Future State of Construction

  • Kristopher Lengieza Vice President - Global Technology Evangelist, Procore Technologies
  • Sasha Reed Senior Director - Strategic Business Development, Procore Technologies

Synopsis

The construction industry is under pressure—but it’s also full of possibilities. Facing labor shortages, rising costs, and growing project complexity, the industry is simultaneously being reshaped by rapid technological advancements. Join Kris Lengieza, Global Technology Evangelist as he unpacks key insights from Procore’s Future State of Construction report, revealing how data, AI, and connected platforms are transforming decision-making—shifting the industry from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven strategies. Discover what the future holds and learn how your organization can take meaningful steps today to build a strong data and AI foundation that will position you to thrive tomorrow..

  • Break away from near term problem solving to imagine the future of decision making in construction
  • Understand how past project data becomes a silent partner, helping avoid common pitfalls
  • Learn how automation, AI and robotics will augment rather than replace the workforce

Optimizing Piloting Efficacy

4:10 pm Panel Discussion: Transitioning from Pilot to an Enterprise-Wide Roll Out to Maximize Adoption of New Tools

  • Jennifer Suerth Senior VP, Virtual Construction, MEP & Operations Technology, Pepper Construction Company
  • Austin Lay Sr. VDC Manger, RCT, Layton Construction Co. Inc.
  • Ben Stocker Senior Construction Technologist, Skender Construction
  • Paul Hedgepath Director of Virtual Construction, M J Harris
  • Akira Togawa Senior Director - Business Automation & Intelligence, Harris Co.

Synopsis

  • Defining success KPIs and ensuring consistent tracking throughout your pilot to ensure systems improvement ahead of scale
  • Using core and ancillary data to understand the ROI of a technology from piloting to enterprise-wide implementation
  • Mapping the step-by-step process of scaling a new tool from initial pilot to business adoption and the hold points to implement along the way to ensure measured growth

4:50 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

  • Joshua Weyand Director, Emerging Technologies, Suffolk Construction Company

5:00 pm End of Conference Day One