Something for everyone

With both a virtual and an in-person conference this year, ElevateAEC has something for everyone.

In his 2003 book A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market, John Allen Paulos shares the quote, “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” At the time, the American mathematician and Temple University professor certainly did not realize how that quote would be so commonly used to describe life 17 years later as the world experienced its worst pandemic in nearly 100 years. At Zweig Group, the first part of that quote was certainly our theme last year as we grappled with how to approach our 2020 ElevateAEC Conference. Once we decided we must go virtual, it was important that we messaged the event as an opportunity to include more people and content, as opposed to being messaged as the unfortunate alternative. It worked. The virtual event in 2020 was a huge success with more than 1,800 registrants. More importantly, it forced us to do something that we had discussed for years – find a way to provide access to awesome thought leadership and networking opportunities to a larger group of people.

Now in 2021, and especially in recent weeks with the delta variant of COVID-19, we still find ourselves in uncertain times. However, one thing is certain: ElevateAEC 2021 has something for everyone. With both a virtual and an in-person conference this year, we’ve got options for every preference. The pillars of ElevateAEC – Networking, Learning, and Celebrating – are standing tall in our lineup for the next two months. Up first is our virtual conference kicking off next week and running for four weeks. It is free for our clients and includes the 2021 ElevateHER Symposium. The in-person event takes place November 3-5 and will be a highly-anticipated return to responsible in-person events with an awesome schedule of speakers and networking sessions. Read more about these two exciting events that many people inside Zweig Group and beyond have been working toward:

• The 2021 Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium. This event starts a week from today, and we are really excited to be able to provide more than 30 hours of thought leadership free to our clients. The virtual conference will run from September 13-October 7. This four-week event is focused on a variety of topics covering every aspect of driving purpose and performance individually and as a firm. Our 2021 ElevateHER Symposium includes an incredible lineup of speakers including Rose McClure, S.E., P.E., LEED AP BD+C, and Yislle Santos Rivera, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP. Those are two sessions you will definitely not want to miss! As many of you experience on a daily basis, work schedules have not slowed down. The AEC industry is busier than ever and having the convenience of expanding your knowledge and earning continuing education credit hours from anywhere you choose is awesome, and we are excited to be able to make this available to everyone. How could we ignore the feedback from 2020 where quotes like, “Due to my work schedule, I would not have been able to attend had this not been online” were so common? So get signed up for the 2021 Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium and encourage other colleagues to register as well!
• The 2021 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala. Our traditional in-person event is back, and we cannot wait to see you in Denver. Despite the uncertainty in COVID, it is important to note that this event was planned at the peak of the pandemic earlier this year, so we have a number of features you should know about:
  1. Plenty of space. We have lots of room indoors and outdoors for our event, so distancing is not an issue.
  2. Event space is secluded. The event space is all together away from the common areas of the hotel. That means our event space is all ours; you will not need to leave our space for any of the learning sessions, and there won’t be other hotel guests moving though our space. Additionally, elevators with direct access to the guest rooms are in our space, meaning you will never need to move through other areas of the hotel if you choose not to.
  3. We will adapt as necessary. The space and experience will adapt to current guidelines to keep attendees safe, and to allow us to have a great in-person experience. Hyatt precautions will be in place. You can read more about those here.
• Our speaker lineup is top notch. Bill McConnell, CEO of Vertex, is back to share the industry outlook. Sandra Paret, CEO of STG Design, will share insight into the workplace design of the future. To close out the conference, former architect and now co-founder and designer at Janus Motorcycles, Richard Worsham, will share an inspiring story of design and entrepreneurial adventure. We’ll even have a lineup of these beautiful machines on-site so you can experience them yourself. For you bikers, we’ll have an organized ride through the mountains after the conference concludes on Friday. Our highly acclaimed black-tie awards gala returns on the evening of the first full conference day, Thursday. This new schedule will allow you to map out your own Rocky Mountain adventure Friday afternoon, or head home and get a full weekend in. So pack your bags, dry clean that gala gown and tux, and party hop over to Denver, Colorado. In the inspiring words of the great Lumiere, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you, invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair as the Zweig Group team proudly presents the 2021 In-Person ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala in Denver! Join the Zweig Group team from November 3-5. Register with confidence, but also know that space is limited.

Click here for more information on both conferences. I hope to see you online next week or in Denver in November, or both!

Chad Clinehens is Zweig Group’s president and CEO. Contact him at cclinehens@zweiggroup.com.