Open to All Attendees

October 5, 2025

Time
8:00 am–6:15 pm	Registration
10:00 am–1:00 pm	Board of Directors Meeting Open to all Conference attendees.
2:30 pm–4:30 pm	Large Firm CEO Roundtable(201-500 employees) Open to all Full and Sunday Daily Attendees. Join large firm (201-500 employees) CEOs and other top executives for an interactive discussion of best practices, business management concerns and other industry issues. Open to all registered attendees.
2:30 pm–4:30 pm	Medium Firm CEO Roundtable(51-200 employees) Open to all Full and Sunday Daily Attendees. Join medium firm (51-200 employees) CEOs and other top executives for an interactive discussion of best practices, business management concerns and other industry issues. Open to all registered attendees.
2:30 pm–4:30 pm	Small Firm CEO Roundtable (1-50 employees) Moderated by SFC Open to all Full and Sunday Daily Attendees. Join small firm (1-50 employees) CEOs and other top executives for an interactive discussion of best practices, business management concerns and other industry issues. Open to all registered attendees. Hosted by the Small Firm Coalition.
2:30 pm–4:30 pm	Very Large Firm CEO Roundtable(501+ employees) Moderated by DPC Open to all Full and Sunday Daily Attendees. Join large firm (500 + employees) CEOs and other top executives for an interactive discussion of best practices, business management concerns and other industry issues. Open to all registered attendees. Hosted by the Design Professionals Coalition.
4:45 pm–5:45 pm	Fellows Connect: New Fellows Orientation & Business Meeting Open to all New Fellows Inductees and members of the Fellows Committee only. This combined session—bringing together two previously separate meetings—welcomes new Fellows to the College, provides guidance for those interested in becoming Fellows, and offers updates from Committee leadership on current initiatives. It’s an opportunity to connect, contribute, and stay engaged in the evolving work of the College of Fellows.
5:15 pm–6:15 pm	Women’s Leadership Forum Reception Open to all Full and Sunday Daily attendees.
6:00 pm–7:00 pm	Welcome Reception Kick off Fall Conference with us at the Welcome Reception – a great opportunity to catch up with old colleagues and make new friends!

October 6, 2025

Time
6:00 am–7:00 am	Fellows Charity Walk The College of Fellows Charity Walk raises money for the ACEC Scholarship Fund and is open to all attendees and guests. Registration Required.
7:00 am–8:00 am	Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors Open to all Full, Monday Daily, and Guest Attendees.
7:00 am–5:00 pm	Registration
8:00 am–9:45 am	Opening General Session Kaihan Krippendorff , Linda Bauer Darr, Daphne Bryant, John A. Rathke, PE, SE, FACEC, Mayor Todd Gloria, Jon Gray, Steven E. Lefton, FASLA, PLA, AICP, Joe Bates Open to all Full and Monday Daily attendees.
9:45 am–10:30 am	Networking Break with Exhibitors Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees.
10:30 am–11:30 am	Bridging Generations: Leadership Best Practices for Multigenerational Teams April Rai This session explores best practices for fostering collaboration, leveraging generational strengths, and...
10:30 am–11:30 am	Data-Driven Power Plays: How AEC Leaders Are Building AI-Ready Firms Shawn Weekly, Reg Prentice, David Harwood, P.E., P.Eng., Nora Swanson AI is only as powerful as the data behind it. Hear trailblazing AEC leaders share...
10:30 am–11:30 am	Engineering Economic Outlook: 2025 Engineering Industry Forecast and Q3 Engineering Business Sentiment Update Jon Gray, Joe Bates What lies ahead for the engineering industry—and how are firm leaders feeling about today’s business climate?
10:30 am–11:30 am	Engineering the Future: Real-World Technology Solutions for AEC Firms Discover real-world, field tested solutions transforming AEC firms today...
10:30 am–11:30 am	International Committee Open to all Full and Sunday Daily Attendees. The purpose of this Open Committee is to assist member companies and others in developing and carrying out ACEC’s advocacy agenda in international markets.
10:30 am–11:30 am	Member Engagement and Belonging Committee Open to all Full and Monday Daily attendees. All conference attendees are invited to join the Member Engagement and Belonging Committee as it discusses ways to increase engagement of all ACEC members in the Council and in leadership roles.
10:30 am–11:30 am	Strategic Integration: Mastering M&A in the Engineering Industry Discover how M&A, including partnership with private equity, can fuel growth and drive efficiency
10:30 am–11:30 am	Water & Environment Committee Open to all Full and Monday Daily attendees. Meeting of the Water & Environment Committee to discuss the committee's advocacy priorities.
11:45 am–1:30 pm	General Session Lunch Mike Walsh, Linda Bauer Darr, Daphne Bryant, Joe Bates, John A. Rathke, PE, SE, FACEC Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees. More information coming soon!
1:30 pm–2:15 pm	Networking Break with Exhibitors Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	AE & Environmental Industry M&A Trends An in-depth look at the latest M&A trends and deal pricing shaping AE and Environmental industry.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Aligning Tech and Business Strategy to Maximize Impact and Growth Explore strategies for bridging the gap, choosing technologies that create real value
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Contracting in the Age of Trump: How Will Federal Government Contracting Be Impacted by the Change In Administration? James F. Nagle Since January 20, 2025, changes in the federal acquisition process—both implemented and planned— have been seismic....
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Designing Your Firm for the Modern Workforce: Moving Beyond the Era of “More for Less” Peter C. Atherton, PE Building an agile and adaptive workforce has never been more important. This session will offer actionable suggestions on...
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Energy Committee Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees. This open committee meeting will discuss the latest policy objectives including engagement strategies of key agencies like FERC, EPA, and DOE. Also, discussion of the energy outlook for the next Congress and White House.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Geoprofessional Roundtable Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Making Data Great…with a Little Help from AI Eric Quinn, Dennis Boone, Brock M. Storrusten This eye-opening session breaks down how large language models (LLMs) process data—and how that can go wrong.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Risk Management Committee Open to all Full and Monday Daily attendees. Engineers, Attorneys, and Professional Liability Insurance specialists meet to discuss the pressing risk management issues of the day.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Surveyors Roundtable Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Workforce Committee Open to all Full and Monday Daily attendees. The purpose of this committee is to consolidate and organize all the various elements of ACEC’s workforce program from early education through workforce development, advocacy initiatives, and communications. The Committee will help drive the engineering industry’s workforce agenda through identification, development, and execution of workforce related priorities, programs, and legislative advocacy efforts.
3:15 pm–4:00 pm	Networking Break with Exhibitors Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees.
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	Alternative Ownership Transition Strategies: Finding the Right Fit at the Right Time Syvia Magid, Melissa Sanders Join this practical presentation on how to assess the needs of your company, potential ownership structures, and...
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	Future-Ready Teams: Successful AI Implementation Through Holistic Strategy, Culture, and Change Management Benjamin King, Reza Akhavian, Ying Liu This session reveals how one firm launched a full-scale digital transformation and upskilling initiative...
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) and Structural Roundtable Open to all Full and Monday Daily Attendees.
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	Mind the Gap: How to Turn Your Firm’s Data into a Living Knowledge Base Learn how to transform dumb documents into dynamic, digital assets
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	What Young Engineering Professionals Want! Joe Bates A Spotlight on the Firm of the Future Study on Workforce
4:00 pm–5:00 pm	What’s Next for AEC: Microsoft, AI, and the Frontier Firm Advantage An update on Microsoft capabilities and roadmap, highlights the evolution of AI copilots and Fabric-driven data
5:00 pm–6:00 pm	Reception with Exhibitors Start your Monday evening off with some networking and exploration of the Exhibit Hall before the kickoff of the ever-popular Pinewood Rally!
6:00 pm–7:15 pm	ACEC/PAC Pinewood Rally Open to all Full, Monday Daily, and Guest Attendees. Don’t miss the Annual ACEC/PAC Pinewood Rally in San Diego! See champions face off against tough new competition and vote for your favorite cars at this popular event!

October 7, 2025

Time
7:00 am–8:00 am	Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors Open to all Full, Tuesday Daily, and Guest attendees.
7:00 am–8:00 am	Technology Committee Open to all Full and Tuesday daily attendees. The Technology Committee is committed to providing value to our members by engaging and influencing our membership, clients, and future talent on the value of adopting digital technology by listening & engagement, education, and advocacy. We will discuss these efforts and any new issues brought up by attendees.
7:00 am–5:15 pm	Registration
8:00 am–9:30 am	General Session & ACEC/PAC Sweepstakes Drawing Debra Searle, Linda Bauer Darr Open to all Full and Tuesday daily attendees. More information coming soon! ACEC/PAC Sweepstakes Drawing Tickets are $200 each, with a limit of 5 per person. Click here for more details.
9:30 am–10:15 am	Networking Break with Exhibitors Open to all Full and Tuesday daily attendees.
10:15 am–11:15 am	Climate Risk & Liability: What Every Engineering Firm Needs to Know Yvonne Castillo Join this interactive benchmarking conversation with the ACEC Research Institute to explore how AEC firms are adopting, investing in, and measuring technology.
10:15 am–11:15 am	Concrete Infrastructure Reimagined: Advanced Strategies for Extended Service Life Eric Ouellet, Nicolas Tiburzi Attendees will discover innovative methods to boost performance and longevity in concrete construction through real-world studies that...
10:15 am–11:15 am	Federal Agencies and Procurement Advocacy Committee Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily Attendees. The purpose of this Open Committee is to undertake advocacy efforts with Congress and federal agencies to promote the interests of ACEC members engaged in contracting with the federal government. Anyone from any ACEC firm that works with federal agencies or has a desire to work with federal agencies may participate.
10:15 am–11:15 am	Market Intelligence Committee Open to all registered Full and Tuesday Daily attendees. Join the market intel committee for it's second in-person meeting. We will discuss committee matters, review a market update and have a roundtable discussion.
10:15 am–11:15 am	OpenSite+ Redefining the Future of Civil Engineering Through AI How AI is reshaping infrastructure as the engineer's co-pilot OpenSite+
10:15 am–11:15 am	Professional Practice Digital Evolution: Three Decades of Canadian Innovation in Engineering Regulation Explore how the Canadian landscape evolved from paper and electronic practies to a sophisticated digital environment
10:15 am–11:15 am	Tech Pulse: Benchmarking AEC Innovation with the ACEC Research Institute Joe Bates Join this interactive benchmarking conversation with the ACEC Research Institute to explore how AEC firms are adopting, investing in, and measuring technology.
11:30 am–1:45 pm	Awards Lunch Chaunté Lowe, Linda Bauer Darr Celebrate excellence and be inspired at the Awards Lunch, featuring distinguished honors across the engineering community and an empowering keynote from four-time Olympian and STEM advocate Chaunté Lowe.
1:45 pm–2:15 pm	Dessert in Exhibit Hall Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily attendees.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	BD in a Box: Empowering Growth at Engineering Firms Debra Andrews This 45-minute session provides a practical, engineer-friendly approach to BD—one that integrates seamlessly into daily workflows without disrupting project deadlines or billable hours.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Emerging Trends in Employee Ownership Andrew McCune, Joe Skorczewski, Mike Carragher, PE, Kate Marcotte This panel style discussion will focus on the changing environment in employee-owned companies, delving into the different types of employee ownership and...
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	From Drones to Digital Twins: Real-World AI in Infrastructure Inspections Jaime Kurten, Mike Giacco, Barritt Lovelace Discover how AEC firms are using drones, AI, and digital twins to transform bridge inspections and infrastructure monitoring.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Tax & Regulatory Affairs Committee Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily attendees. All conference attendees are welcome to attend, celebrate ACEC's advocacy successes in the tax bill, and discuss what's next for the committee.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	The ACEC Business Insurance Trust Group Captive ACEC Business Insurance Trust is excited to announce that it will be launching a Group Captive Insurance solution for middle-market ACEC member firms.
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	The Luxury of Creating Capacity for Retirement Retirement with intention, from early saving and planning to live after work...
2:15 pm–3:15 pm	Transportation Committee Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily attendees. The Transportation Committee develops and promotes industry priorities on transportation infrastructure issues before Congress, Federal and State agencies.
3:15 pm–3:30 pm	Networking Break
3:30 pm–4:30 pm	AI Meets Ethics: Redefining Professional Standards in the Age of Automation Michael J. Vardaro, Mark Blankenship, CPCU, LEED AP, Leo Argiris, PE This session dives into the ethical crossroads of AI adoption, where innovation meets accountability.
3:30 pm–4:30 pm	Contract Jeopardy! Whether you are the Ken Jennings of contracts and want to share your knowledge with your peers or are eager to find out how to minimize your exposure to claims, this session is for you. Join members of the Contract Documents Committee, learn about important contract clauses, and have some fun providing your response in…
3:30 pm–4:30 pm	Land Development Roundtable Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily attendees.
3:30 pm–5:00 pm	Engineering Firms with DBE Certifications: The New USDOT Policy and Next Steps Open to all Full and Tuesday Daily Attendees. This session will feature a working conversation with ACEC’s advocacy team, exploring next steps in developing recommendations for USDOT to minimize the impact on DBE firms as they pursue recertification under a new program.
5:00 pm–6:30 pm	Celebrate San Diego Reception Share learnings and insights gained over the past few days and relax with colleagues and friends while enjoying a little sunshine on the Grand Ballroom Terrace.

October 8, 2025

Time
7:30 am–8:30 am	Continental Breakfast Open to all Full and Wednesday Daily attendees.
7:30 am–10:00 am	Registration
8:30 am–9:30 am	Small Firm, Big Moves: Building an AI Strategy That Works Chris R. Mulleavey, PE, Brad Wermers, Dr. Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Karen Franz This session shares real stories from small engineering firms that are using AI to punch above their weight.
8:30 am–9:30 am	Win the Projects, Win the People: Marketers Vital Role in Talent Attraction Crista Reed, CPSM, James (Jim) P. Riney This session will offer practical, hiring-manager-approved ways teams can work together to market your firm as a workplace, create a robust hiring funnel, and ultimately support the overall success of your organization.
9:30 am–9:45 am	Networking Break
9:45 am–10:45 am	Tech Matchmaker: How to Find, Vet, and Grow Game-Changing Vendor Partnerships Andy Earnhardt, Nick Decker, Robert Rayl This fun, fast-paced session walks you through the art of vendor matchmaking: from crafting the perfect “profile” to spotting red flags and sealing the deal.