Business of Design Consulting

Wednesday, March 4 - Saturday, March 7, 2020
New Orleans, LA

This course carries 22.5 PDHs (Professional Development Hours)

Faculty: Steve Walker, srwalker & associates; Brett Stewart, XL Catlin Design Professional; Matt Fultz, Matheson Financial Advisors; Barbara Irwin, HR Advisors Group, LLC; and Richard Friedman, Friedman & Partners

ACEC’s highly regarded Business of Design Consulting course is a unique playbook for building leadership and managing your firm at the most effective levels. The 3½-day agenda is taught by an experienced faculty of industry practitioners and highlights current strategies for a wide array of critical, need-to-know business topics that will keep your business thriving despite a churning business environment, including how to manage change and build success in performance management, strategic planning and growth, finance, leadership, ownership transition, contracts and risk management, marketing, and more!

>> Click to Download the Full Agenda!

Day One

12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. — Registration

1:00-5:00 p.m. — Leadership — Steve Walker, srwalker & associates

• The Leadership path
• Personal Vision

— Horizons — Steve Walker, srwalker & associates

• Strategic planning
• Trends and opportunities
• The Discipline of Market Leaders
• Growth Horizons

Day Two

7:45-8:30 a.m. — Continental Breakfast

8:30-12:00 noon — Execution and Performance — Barbara Irwin, HR Advisors Group, LLC

• Change and transition
• The change game

— Performance Management and Generations — Barbara Irwin, HR Advisors Group, LLC

• Elements of performance success
• Generations in the workplace
• Challenges and best practices

12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. — Lunch and Networking with attendees

1:00-5:00 p.m. — Contracts and Risk Management — Brett Stewart, XL Catlin Design Professional

• Legal Liability for Design Professionals
• Pre-Project Planning and Risk Analysis
• Contracting Do’s and Don’ts
• Communication and Documentation
• Contract Administration

Day Three

7:45-8:30 a.m. — Continental Breakfast

8:30-12 — Finance — Matt Fultz, Matheson Financial Advisors

• Fine-tuning financial management in uncertain times
• Driving value in a volatile market
• Long-term financial and valuation results: setting the stage
• Accounting principles and practical financial tools

12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. — Lunch and Networking with attendees

1:00-5:00 p.m. — Business Management & Ownership Transition — Matt Fultz, Matheson Financial Advisors

• Financial exit strategies when market conditions are at all-time lows
• Retirement planning: internal ownership transition issues, internal buy-outs, stock plans, ESOPs
• Gearing stock expansion programs to the new market realities
• The "ins and outs" of mergers and acquisition in the recovery decade

Day Four

7:45-8:30 a.m. — Continental Breakfast

8:30-12:00 noon — Marketing & Business Development —  Richard Friedman, Friedman & Partners

• A comprehensive view of your entire get-work effort
• Using the five-stage system for a balanced, multi-layered marketing program
• Starting with strategy finding your differentiators
• Broadcasting your message through brand-building
• Winning with one-on-one selling
• Building a high-touch, high-return customer service program
• The vital role of business development

 

Registration

Early Bird thru January 17, 2020

ACEC Members: $1895
Non-members: $2095

Standard after January 17, 2020

ACEC Members: $2095
Non-Members: $2295

 

Location

Hyatt Centric French Quarter
800 Iberville St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 1 888-421-1442 (mention group code G-AMCO)
Hotel Deadline: Thursday, February 6, 2020 (or until the block sells out)