Going beyond limits at CONSTRUCT 2016

by Sylvia Wofford
If you design, build, specify, engineer, renovate, or operate in the built environment, you should register for CONSTRUCT 2016. The event, produced by Informa Exhibitions U.S., is heading to the live music capital of the world, Austin, Texas, from September 7 to 9. CSI is an official partner, and its 60^th Annual Convention will be taking place in conjunction with the rest of the festivities.

To see, touch, and experience new building products up close, attend exceptional educational sessions, and network with your peers and other industry professionals, plan now to attend the only national trade show and educational conference for the commercial building teams that specify and source building products.

When it comes to continuing education, CONSTRUCT has what you need. Depending on what option you register for, you can earn:

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up to 18 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Learning Units (LUs), including 16 Health/Safety/Welfare (HSW) credits;
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up to 18 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) applicable to CSI certification renewals; and
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up to 5 Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) Continuing Education (CE) units.

These credits can be earned through a variety of learning formats, including technical tours, exhibitor-led learning areas on the show floor, and more than 40 educational sessions.

CONSTRUCT strives to bring its attendees new features to look forward to each year and this year is no exception. The new offerings include a coffee lounge, interactive product experiences, a networking lunch, show-floor happy hours, and fire-resistance-focused sessions and products.

Ninety-five percent of the show floor is already booked! The show floor will be filled with hundreds of manufacturers and suppliers featuring products, business solutions, and the latest in technology for your project planning needs. You will be able to:

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discover the hottest new products and trends;
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get answers to your code questions;
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learn more about technical standards and interpretations;
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discover solutions to your current specifying challenges; and
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develop specs for a current project.

CONSTRUCT also supports the future of the industry by offering a variety of options for young professionals who are looking to learn, network, and enhance their careers. The Young Professional (YP) offerings are created for those individuals 35 or younger, just beginning their career. If you enjoyed YP Day in 2015, you will be impressed with this rock-star program this year. YP Day will be led by Cherise Lakeside, known in the Twitter world as #CSIKraken. Cherise works for Ankrom Moisan Architects as a specifier and is the immediate past president of CSI’s Portland Chapter and chair of the Institute Curriculum Prep Committee.

Some of the YP program highlights include “How We Roll at CONSTRUCT,” a PechaKucha-style presentation led by Beth Stroshane, Cherise Lakeside, Ron Leiseca, and Sandi Velleca. There will also be speed-mentoring with Beth Stroshane, Casey Robb, Charles Hendricks, David Stutzman, Eric Lussier, Faith Brown, Lee Ann Slattery, Liz O’Sullivan, Marvin Kemp, Mitch Miller, Ray Gaines, Ron Leiseca, and Vivian Volz. YP participants can also earn 2 AIA LUs by attending “Getting Started with the Architecture Licensing Exam,” presented by Michael Riscica and “Leadership Transition in an Architectural Firm,” presented by Charles Hendricks.

The keynote will be presented by Larry Winget, an edgy, cantankerous, opinionated Texan with a thought-provoking and hilarious message! He has established himself as an icon in the world of personal development. Winget will be presenting “The Cold, Hard, Ugly Truth About Success,” which is worth 1 AIA LU. The ‘Game-changer’ session, which is always a favorite at CONSTRUCT, will be presented by James Benham. His dynamic talk, titled “Future Forecast: How Drones, Sensors, and Integrated Apps are Rewriting all the Rules,” will sort through the latest trends, solutions, and devices in building technologies; it explores how they will rewrite the rules for construction projects. This session will also be worth 1 AIA LU.

Technical Tours are a great way to enhance your educational experience. CONSTRUCT is offering a field trip to Austin’s New Central Library. Be some of the first to view the best daylit library in the country, still under construction and not open to the public until 2017. This tour is worth 1.5 AIA LUs/HSW. Register now—space is limited to 30 per tour.

As always, CSI will host several events designed to foster industry connections and of course, have fun! The Austin Chapter of CSI will be hosting their event Wednesday evening at Brazos Hall—bring your cowboy boots and Birkenstocks. There will be a YP Mixer at The Container Bar Thursday evening, and the super-fun, CSI Night Out the next night, taking place at Maggie Maes to close out the show. Non-members are welcome to join these events, as well.

Austin, the live music capital of the world is rich in premier dining, and unique culture, and live music, exemplified in the long-running, award-winning concert show, Austin City Limits. CONSTRUCT 2016 & the CSI Annual Convention, however, will inspire you to go beyond limits.

Register today at www.constructshow.com—an added benefit of your CSI membership is exclusive rates. While you wait for September, be sure to review the Schedule-At-A-Glance on page 84 for the complete event line-up. Also, you can download the CONSTRUCT mobile app (brought to you by Firestone Building Products) to have session notes, event details, maps, and product manufacturer information easily accessible. Finally, be sure to connect with CONSTRUCT on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube,to stay up-to-date on what is going on with the show and in the industry.