SOUTH FLORIDA
BUILD EXPO
November 15-16, 2023 | Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center
Exhibit Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Classes Start at 9:30 a.m. Each Day




























































































































































































Selling in the construction industry during and post COVID is challenging. Some of the tried and true methods are less effective and many new ones are not as effective as they were at the onset. How do you adjust your sales strategy to continue to produce profitable business, increase revenue and even grow in this time period? Giving up on sales is a mistake and will be realized often when it’s too late. What we’ll cover:
- Is outside sales still relevant
- Is Zoom the new normal
- Is face to face selling possible
- How can you integrate digital selling with traditional selling?
We will dive deep into all these areas and you will come out with a baseline to build a sales plan. Many construction industry related companies are thriving in this climate. This is a chance for you to be one of those experiencing success.


Scott will also talk about what the true home of the future will encompass looking forward, covering the newer ideas of lighting, home automation, and architecture.


There is something innately precious and memorable about living in a home that you designed. A home where countless dinners are cooked, where laughter rings loudly, where tiny footsteps grow quicker with each passing year, and where love knows no bounds. Choosing to design a custom-built home is a magnificent life step as you are taking action to turn a dream into a reality. We want to help you make that happen. Today, we are going to share with you the five steps to designing a custom-built home so that you may know what to expect of this journey.


Scott will also talk about what the true home of the future will encompass looking forward, covering the newer ideas of lighting, home automation, and architecture.


MIKAEL KAUL, AIA, NCARB, PA, teacher, international lecturer and practicing architect, recipient of the AIA Merit Award 2021 for an innovative Christian Church and Convention center in Taipei, Taiwan will elucidate and compare guiding generative principles of this award-winning design of a vertical campus in a tight urban setting and comparatively juxtapose with a highly speculative ReGenerative Urban intervention in downtown Miami.
Objectives: enumerate shifting formative aspects and development agencies of design, to antithetical, non-object/non-building design paradigm to experiential intervening design paradigms
Issues: Verticality, Vertigo and abandoning Vestiges of gravity
Mikael J. Kaul is a Swedish born, European and US trained licensed architect with international academic and professional experience and has been teaching and practicing architecture nationwide and internationally for over 40+ years. He holds dual Masters degrees, from the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm and from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and a Master of Architecture degree from Cornell.
Mikael is a Fulbright Scholar with a teaching career that commenced at Cornell University and expanded to over a dozen institutions nationally and internationally. He most recently taught at University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University in Ft Lauderdale in Florida.
Mikael is licensed to practice in Sweden and the European Community, has served as a junior Architect with the WHO (World Health Organization with the United Nations) in the Philippines and has received commissions in Australia on both coasts, worked in Italy, Paris, England, Sweden, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, in NY, Florida and also in the state of Texas. He has been awarded Teacher of the Year a couple of times, won Studio Project of the year and received design awards for his buildings.
Mikael has lectured and served as juror at Rice University, Princeton University, University of Michigan, University of Houston, Syracuse University, M.I.T, Rhode Island School of Design, Cranbrook Academy of the Arts, University of Western Australia, University of Sydney, University of Tennessee, University of Texas, SciArc, Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia Tech, University of Southern California, Shih Chien University and The University of Taipei, Hong Kong Polytechnic and many others.
Mikael thrives on the difficult and unusual and gravitates to a purposeful preservation of the planet, the integrity of ideas and the meaningful pursuit of built or imaginary form.
Ayenk INC International Architects, with offices in Miami, Kazakhstan, China and Taiwan, under the design lead of Mikael Kaul AIA, won the Miami Chapter of the AIA MERIT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE for ARCHITECTURE for the Christian Church and Convention Center in Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.. October 2021.


Scott will also talk about what the true home of the future will encompass looking forward, covering the newer ideas of lighting, home automation, and architecture.


Beating the Price Objection
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Don't Kill your Golden Goose-Lawsuit Protection, Tax Reduction & Estate Planning Strategies to Protect & Perpetuate your Business
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Discover the tools you can use to become invincible to lawsuits, save thousands in taxes, and achieve financial peace of mind. By the end of the presentation you will know how to:
- Protect 100% of your assets from lawsuits. You will learn how to make yourself so unattractive to a plaintiff attorney that they will never pursue a lawsuit against you.
- Save thousands of dollars each year in taxes. You will learn five tax reduction strategies most people fail to utilize, which could save you more than $10,000 each year in taxes.
- Avoid probate and eliminate all estate taxes.
You will be taken through a checklist of items that are important to every estate and business succession plan. You will learn what you should be doing now to prepare for successful business and estate secession.
He has authored and co-authored several articles and books on the subject including The Asset Protection Bible and How to Achieve Financial Peace of Mind through Asset Protection. His career has been credited with helping thousands of people save millions of dollars. Larry Oxenham is a nationally recognized speaker who has trained thousands of professionals at hundreds of conventions, conferences and seminars across the country.
Senior Advisor, American Society for Asset Protection Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Google Partner Teaching: Generate More Online Leads With a SEO Driven Website
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 8
This Class offers Live training, Q&A, and unfiltered discussions on how to…
- Increase your lead flow
- Building your website properly
- INDEFFINATELY rank higher on Google
- Break through the clutter of competitors and increase sales
- Ad Agency / marketing company tricks to watch out for
Attendees will receive access to free marketing tools and reports.
To get the maximum out of this class, bring your laptop or username and passwords to your Analytics, Google Tools, website or anything similar.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Get Paid Faster with Liens, Bonds and Contracts
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
In this one hour presentation, Alex will explain the rules, exceptions and best practices when it comes to your construction contracts, liens, bond claims and getting paid. He will dive deep into pay-when-paid, stop work, indemnity, venue and legal fee contract provisions as well as how to apply the 45 day, 90 day, and 1 year rules for liens and bond claims. Finally, Alex will share his 20+ years of construction law experience on some hidden traps and treasures in the lien law.
Target Audience: Contractors, subcontractors, and construction material suppliers
Working harder than the competition and providing positive results, Alex has been described as the attorney most of his competitors aspire to be. Known for finding the best path among a variety of options to achieve a client’s particular goals, Alex serves as litigation counsel to many state wide and local contractors and material suppliers. He is publisher and weekly contributor to the award winning blog and podcast, The Lien Zone.
Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar, he has been repeatedly selected by his peers for the inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Florida Super Lawyers within the specialty of construction law. An AV Preeminent lawyer and ranked a 10 out of 10 by AVVO, Alex has been a highlighted speaker at the National Association of Credit Managers All South Conference; International Summit & Expo on Health Facility Planning, Design and Construction; Masonry Association of Florida expo; Plumbing Contractors Association annual conference; Roofing Contractors Association assembly; Florida Home Builders Annual Conference; Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Recovery; Associated Builders and Contractors; and a variety of other trade groups. His articles have appeared in numerous construction industry publications, including the Construction Lawyer,American Bar Association Journal of the Forum on the Construction Industry; Building Florida; Southeast Construction; Construction Executive; Florida Home Builder; Coatings Pro; Journal of Light Construction; and Professional Remodeler. Alex has also served as Chariman of the Miami-Dade Council of the Florida East Coast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors.
He received his B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in mechanical engineering and his J.D. from the University of Miami, with honors.
Automating your Processes with QuickBooks and Apps for Contractors - Level 1
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 6
We are living in a time that requires efficiency and organization. Having tons of paperwork and loose ends that take up your time and effort to grow and be more efficient is not the ideal picture. Join my class and learn all about being financially efficient with QuickBooks and the Apps. Learn what is the right QuickBooks for you and the different apps that are available for your builder's business. Learn the solutions that can completely change your perspective about accounting and project management.
Target Audience: • Architects • Engineers • Designers • General Contractors • Subcontractors • Commercial Builders • Home Builders • Developers • Real Estate Professionals • Building Managers • State Planners • Spec Writers • Government Agencies • Municipalities • Facility Managers • Property Management Firms • Military/ Corp. of Engineers • and any business owner in the construction industry
Vanessa Vasquez superpower is to bring solid financial education and strong strategies to Entrepreneurs and Accountants. Destroying the kryptonite of small business, which is lack of financial knowledge, Vanessa presents the correct tools and processes for businesses to grow and expand.
Her main focus has always been helping her clients streamline their small business financial management processes through education and the application of technology.
With 20+ years of experience and as a Latina Entrepreneur Wonder Mom, Vanessa recognizes the importance of providing learning opportunities and financial solutions for the rapidly growing small business community all around the globe.
Español
El superpoder de Vanessa Vasquez es brindar educación financiera y estrategias sólidas a empresarios y contadores. Destruyendo la kriptonita de las pequeñas empresas, que es la falta de conocimiento financiero, Vanessa presenta las herramientas y los procesos correctos para que las empresas crezcan y se expandan.
Su enfoque principal siempre ha sido ayudar a sus clientes a optimizar los procesos de gestión financiera de sus pequeñas empresas a través de la educación y la aplicación de tecnología.
Con más de 20 años de experiencia y como una emprendedora latina Mama Maravilla, Vanessa reconoce la importancia de brindar oportunidades de aprendizaje y soluciones financieras para la comunidad de pequeñas empresas de habla hispana en rápido crecimiento.
Effective Marketing for a Relationship-Based Business
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Success in the construction industry is framed by building and maintaining strong relationships with the firms that hire you. In this presentation, we will explore the how marketing can be effective in the 21st Century construction industry.
We will discuss best practices with branding, your online presence as well as your sales related proposals, collateral and jobsite visibility. We will also cover in detail how to find NEW relationships with proven techniques that will take your firm to the next level of success.
Target Audience: Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers of all sizes
Rob Melis is the founder and President of Construction Marketing Inc., a digital agency representing firms exclusively in the US construction industry. Rob is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Dallas with a focus in business marketing.
After serving 4 years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the US Army, He has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, marketing and video production. In 2010, he founded Construction Marketing Inc which is one of the most successful and innovative marketing firms in the construction industry. He is an expert in branding, market positioning and all things related to creating a strong and effective presence on the internet.
Rob is a visionary in his effort to help firms in the construction industry achieve success with modern and smart approaches to marketing that allows them to achieve their business goals. He and his team work tirelessly and creatively to shape the perceptions surrounding their clients and position them to growth and leadership in their roles.
Rob is a widely published and interviewed thought leader with well-respected insights regarding marketing within the construction industry.
Electronic Payments 101
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
An inside look and accepting electronic payments - Credit Cards, Debit Cards, E-Checks, ACH, etc.
Using technology to simplify paying vendors and suppliers electronically.
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Financial Managers
In my professional work experience I have spent the last 15 years in executive leadership roles in the financial services industry. I have forged partnerships with Merchant Processing Banks, Authorization Networks, Payment Gateways and Consumer Lending Institutions.
We then present these partnerships to prospective clients to facilitate the collection of payments, paying suppliers and vendors, allow clients to offer consumer loans for their services and save clients money on all of their financial service needs.
Previously I spent 30+ years working in the sporting goods and athletic footwear and apparel industries in several executive management positions including District Sales, Regional Sales, Director and VP of Planning, Allocation, Distribution, Pricing and Inventory Control for major corporations such as Foot Locker, FootAction, and Nike. I held similar VP level positions as Bombay and Kirkland’s.
Introduction to Construction Cost Estimating
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5

Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member/professor, head of the department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
Under 10 Minutes – Chief Marketing Officer will give you a Step-By-Step Marketing Plan
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 8
In under 10 minutes Fractional CMO, Joshua Ramsey, will give you a marketing plan that he guarantees, if followed, will boost your business over the next 90 days!
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
10 Things Your Construction Lawyer Won’t Tell You (But Should)
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 3
Having to hire a lawyer can be stressful. In this one hour presentation, Alex will explain ways to find and vet a potential attorney, what should and should not be in the engagement agreement, what should and should not be on the lawyer’s bills, how to find out if your lawyer has malpractice insurance, and in the unfortunate situation of having to fire a lawyer, ways to handle the process to minimize any impact on your case.
Target Audience: Contractors, subcontractors, and construction material suppliers
Working harder than the competition and providing positive results, Alex has been described as the attorney most of his competitors aspire to be. Known for finding the best path among a variety of options to achieve a client’s particular goals, Alex serves as litigation counsel to many state wide and local contractors and material suppliers. He is publisher and weekly contributor to the award winning blog and podcast, The Lien Zone.
Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar, he has been repeatedly selected by his peers for the inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Florida Super Lawyers within the specialty of construction law. An AV Preeminent lawyer and ranked a 10 out of 10 by AVVO, Alex has been a highlighted speaker at the National Association of Credit Managers All South Conference; International Summit & Expo on Health Facility Planning, Design and Construction; Masonry Association of Florida expo; Plumbing Contractors Association annual conference; Roofing Contractors Association assembly; Florida Home Builders Annual Conference; Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Recovery; Associated Builders and Contractors; and a variety of other trade groups. His articles have appeared in numerous construction industry publications, including the Construction Lawyer,American Bar Association Journal of the Forum on the Construction Industry; Building Florida; Southeast Construction; Construction Executive; Florida Home Builder; Coatings Pro; Journal of Light Construction; and Professional Remodeler. Alex has also served as Chariman of the Miami-Dade Council of the Florida East Coast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors.
He received his B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in mechanical engineering and his J.D. from the University of Miami, with honors.
Automatizando Tus Procesos con QuickBooks y Aplicaciones para Contratistas - Nivel 1
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 6
Vivimos en una época que requiere eficiencia y organización. Tener toneladas de papeleo y cabos sueltos que requieren su tiempo y esfuerzo para crecer y ser más eficientes no es la imagen ideal. Únase a mi clase y aprenda todo sobre cómo ser financieramente eficiente con QuickBooks y las aplicaciones. Aprenda a configurar su QuickBooks correctamente y las diferentes aplicaciones que están disponibles para su negocio de Construcción. Conozca las soluciones que pueden cambiar completamente su perspectiva sobre la contabilidad y el manejo de proyectos.
Audiencia: • Arquitectos • Ingenieros • Diseñadores • Contratistas generales • Subcontratistas • Constructores comerciales • Constructores de viviendas • Desarrolladores • Profesionales inmobiliarios • Gerentes de edificios • Planificadores estatales • Escritores de especificaciones • Agencias gubernamentales • Municipios • Gerentes de instalaciones • Firmas de administración de propiedades • Militares / Corporación de Ingenieros • y cualquier dueño de negocio en la industria de la construcción
Vanessa Vasquez superpower is to bring solid financial education and strong strategies to Entrepreneurs and Accountants. Destroying the kryptonite of small business, which is lack of financial knowledge, Vanessa presents the correct tools and processes for businesses to grow and expand.
Her main focus has always been helping her clients streamline their small business financial management processes through education and the application of technology.
With 20+ years of experience and as a Latina Entrepreneur Wonder Mom, Vanessa recognizes the importance of providing learning opportunities and financial solutions for the rapidly growing small business community all around the globe.
Español
El superpoder de Vanessa Vasquez es brindar educación financiera y estrategias sólidas a empresarios y contadores. Destruyendo la kriptonita de las pequeñas empresas, que es la falta de conocimiento financiero, Vanessa presenta las herramientas y los procesos correctos para que las empresas crezcan y se expandan.
Su enfoque principal siempre ha sido ayudar a sus clientes a optimizar los procesos de gestión financiera de sus pequeñas empresas a través de la educación y la aplicación de tecnología.
Con más de 20 años de experiencia y como una emprendedora latina Mama Maravilla, Vanessa reconoce la importancia de brindar oportunidades de aprendizaje y soluciones financieras para la comunidad de pequeñas empresas de habla hispana en rápido crecimiento.
Cash Flow Management for Contractors
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 1
Cash flow in construction is complex, but managing your company's cash flow shouldn't feel impossible. What you need are a few simple, actionable strategies that will take your cash flow management from chaotic to clear and productive.
- What cash flow is, and why it matters
- Why its different from profit or revenue
- How it impacts GROWTH
- How it impacts your team’s PERFORMANCE
- Organizational cash flow management
- Tracking & Forecasting
- Cash flow tracking for every project
- *Comes with a free Cash Flow Tracker tool
Target Audience: Construction subcontractors and General contractors
Scott Peper co-founded Mobilization Funding in 2013. It was Scott’s vision and strategy that transitioned a series of investments into the successful business Mobilization Funding is today. Prior to Mobilization Funding, Scott spent 16 years in the medical device industry with Angio Dynamics and Stryker Orthopedics. Before entering the medical device industry, he was the founder and principal, the Wellness Zone a health and fitness company focused on individual wellness programs for executives. Scott received his Bachelor’s in Business with a concentration in Marketing and Hospitality Management from Keuka College in New York.
Solar Crash Course – the Essentials that You Need to Know
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 9
This session will focus on the basics of solar and an intro to the solar industry: How it works, what are the different type of systems, what are the components that go into a solar system, considerations in contractor selection, material specification, and scheduling.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, Remodelers and Developers that are considering super energy efficient homes and communities.
Daren Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Solar, is a Miami native with a passion for construction and sustainability. While working as assistant project manager for a 57,000-panel solar farm installation in North Carolina, Daren saw the vast opportunities that solar offers homeowners, businesses, the economy, and the environment. Daren founded Goldin Solar in 2014. Daren’s YouTube show ‘The Green Stuff’, explores the intersection of modern life and sustainability. Prior to founding Goldin Solar, Daren worked as Project Manager and Site Superintendent for residential and commercial construction projects for General Contractors in Texas, and Florida building: schools, auditoriums, commercial office building, commercial interior buildouts and a utility-scale solar farm for Apple in North Carolina. Daren holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering from University of South Florida and an MS degree in Civil Engineering concentrating in Construction Engineering & Project Management from the University of Texas in Austin. Daren’s leadership continues to guide Goldin Solar to being one of the top ranking solar installers in Florida by customer feedback and volume of solar and battery backup installed.
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Sealants and Applications - 1.0 AIA Credit/HSW
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 10
This course helps you to understand the difference between the various construction sealant technologies. Identify and choose the best sealant for the correct application.
Understand the basic principles of sealant design. Review the correct application procedures for proper sealant installation.
Target Audience: Contractors, Design Professionals, Property Managers in the Residential / Commercial Business.
Steve Raleigh has over 35 years of sales and marketing experience in the construction materials industry focusing on Commercial, Residential, Industrial, Transportation and private label markets. I have extensive training in the following areas of construction materials: Waterproofing System (above & Below grade systems), Sealants (Urethane, hybrids & Silicone Systems), Cementitious Repair Materials, Epoxy Systems (Injection, Overlays, Grouting & Flooring), Stucco and EIFS.
Common Construction Sales Mistakes
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers.
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Rebranding Your Construction Industry Firm - The Right Way!
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Your brand is more than just your logo. It is everything your customers see and know about your firm. Eventually all organizations reach a point they need to modernize or even change their brand. It could be a change of ownership, a desire to sell the firm or just wanting a brand refresh.
Rebranding can be a challenging experience with negative outcomes, but it doesn’t have to be. I will go over in detail how to craft your new brand and how to roll it out without disrupting your business operations. My team and I are branding experts and we do this for construction industry clients frequently. Rebrand with confidence!
Target Audience: Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers of all sizes
Rob Melis is the founder and President of Construction Marketing Inc., a digital agency representing firms exclusively in the US construction industry. Rob is a graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Dallas with a focus in business marketing.
After serving 4 years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the US Army, He has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, marketing and video production. In 2010, he founded Construction Marketing Inc which is one of the most successful and innovative marketing firms in the construction industry. He is an expert in branding, market positioning and all things related to creating a strong and effective presence on the internet.
Rob is a visionary in his effort to help firms in the construction industry achieve success with modern and smart approaches to marketing that allows them to achieve their business goals. He and his team work tirelessly and creatively to shape the perceptions surrounding their clients and position them to growth and leadership in their roles.
Rob is a widely published and interviewed thought leader with well-respected insights regarding marketing within the construction industry.
Offering Consumer Loans
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
A look at ways to close more business by offering consumer loans for your residential projects.
Target Audience: Business Owners, Operations, Financial Managers
In my professional work experience I have spent the last 15 years in executive leadership roles in the financial services industry. I have forged partnerships with Merchant Processing Banks, Authorization Networks, Payment Gateways and Consumer Lending Institutions.
We then present these partnerships to prospective clients to facilitate the collection of payments, paying suppliers and vendors, allow clients to offer consumer loans for their services and save clients money on all of their financial service needs.
Previously I spent 30+ years working in the sporting goods and athletic footwear and apparel industries in several executive management positions including District Sales, Regional Sales, Director and VP of Planning, Allocation, Distribution, Pricing and Inventory Control for major corporations such as Foot Locker, FootAction, and Nike. I held similar VP level positions as Bombay and Kirkland’s.
Implementing QuickBooks and Apps for Contractors - Level 2
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 6
Learn how to be efficient with the tools and resources available for automation. When you finish this class, you will know how to use QuickBooks, how to properly set up QuickBooks, and how to troubleshoot for proper job profitability reporting. Join me to unfold the world of apps and how they work for your benefit. Understand the ecosystem available for you and how you can be more productive right now.
Target Audience: • Architects • Engineers • Designers • General Contractors • Subcontractors • Commercial Builders • Home Builders • Developers • Real Estate Professionals • Building Managers • State Planners • Spec Writers • Government Agencies • Municipalities • Facility Managers • Property Management Firms • Military/ Corp. of Engineers • and any business owner in the construction industry
Vanessa Vasquez superpower is to bring solid financial education and strong strategies to Entrepreneurs and Accountants. Destroying the kryptonite of small business, which is lack of financial knowledge, Vanessa presents the correct tools and processes for businesses to grow and expand.
Her main focus has always been helping her clients streamline their small business financial management processes through education and the application of technology.
With 20+ years of experience and as a Latina Entrepreneur Wonder Mom, Vanessa recognizes the importance of providing learning opportunities and financial solutions for the rapidly growing small business community all around the globe.
Español
El superpoder de Vanessa Vasquez es brindar educación financiera y estrategias sólidas a empresarios y contadores. Destruyendo la kriptonita de las pequeñas empresas, que es la falta de conocimiento financiero, Vanessa presenta las herramientas y los procesos correctos para que las empresas crezcan y se expandan.
Su enfoque principal siempre ha sido ayudar a sus clientes a optimizar los procesos de gestión financiera de sus pequeñas empresas a través de la educación y la aplicación de tecnología.
Con más de 20 años de experiencia y como una emprendedora latina Mama Maravilla, Vanessa reconoce la importancia de brindar oportunidades de aprendizaje y soluciones financieras para la comunidad de pequeñas empresas de habla hispana en rápido crecimiento.
Contractor's Cash Flow: Preparation and Management
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5

Preparing and managing the contractor's cash flow. What's important for the contractor is not only predicting "how much", but also the timing of the expenses as well as the incoming payments. This helps the contractor both calculate the maximum expected debt (credit line) as well as the time-cost of the money (cost of borrowing). This seminar takes a glance at these topics with some important tips.
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member/professor, head of the department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
Google Partner Teaching: Generate More Online Leads With a SEO Driven Website
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 8
This Class offers Live training, Q&A, and unfiltered discussions on how to…
- Increase your lead flow
- Building your website properly
- INDEFFINATELY rank higher on Google
- Break through the clutter of competitors and increase sales
- Ad Agency / marketing company tricks to watch out for
Attendees will receive access to free marketing tools and reports.
To get the maximum out of this class, bring your laptop or username and passwords to your Analytics, Google Tools, website or anything similar.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Construction Finance is More Than Rates and Fees
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
For most builders, relationships with lenders is all about rates and fees. In reality, there is a lot more to consider. According to PwC, the most common reason for failure in construction is due to slow payments; therefore, builders should look beyond the rates and dive into the services, speed of delivery and the technology that is used by your lender. Join us as we take a look at the deeper side of lending and get into the operations of the draw, the math behind rates and fees, and equip you with questions to ask that will help guide you as you build lender relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how build time can impact rates and fees.
- Predict the effect that the draw process (speed of payments) can have on project timelines.
- Discover how leveraging technology can facilitate operational efficiencies.
Target Audience: Presidents, CEOs, GCs, CFOs, Accountants, Owners, Finance Managers/VP
Andrew Poulsen is the VP of Sales for CoFi, the only marketplace for construction finance. Andrew graduated with a Bachelors in International Business Management from Utah ValleyUniversity and has been working in FinTech and ConTech for almost a decade. Having spent the last 7 years working strategically with banks and credit unions to improve their portfolios, his extensive background with finance, institutional operations and risk analysis has positioned him to be a key component to help guide builders in the financing process. As the father of two kids and the husband to a spectacular wife, he enjoys spending his free time with family in the mountains or on the lake.
Implementando QuickBooks y Aplicaciones para Contratistas - Nivel 2
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 6
Aprenda a ser eficiente con las herramientas y los recursos disponibles para la automatización. Cuando termine esta clase, sabrá cómo usar QuickBooks, cómo configurar correctamente QuickBooks y cómo solucionar problemas para obtener informes adecuados de rentabilidad por proyectos. Únase a mí para descubrir el mundo de las aplicaciones y cómo funcionan para su beneficio. Comprenda el ecosistema disponible para usted y cómo puede ser más productivo en este momento.
Audiencia: • Arquitectos • Ingenieros • Diseñadores • Contratistas generales • Subcontratistas • Constructores comerciales • Constructores de viviendas • Desarrolladores • Profesionales inmobiliarios • Gerentes de edificios • Planificadores estatales • Escritores de especificaciones • Agencias gubernamentales • Municipios • Gerentes de instalaciones • Firmas de administración de propiedades • Militares / Corporación de Ingenieros • y cualquier dueño de negocio en la industria de la construcción
Vanessa Vasquez superpower is to bring solid financial education and strong strategies to Entrepreneurs and Accountants. Destroying the kryptonite of small business, which is lack of financial knowledge, Vanessa presents the correct tools and processes for businesses to grow and expand.
Her main focus has always been helping her clients streamline their small business financial management processes through education and the application of technology.
With 20+ years of experience and as a Latina Entrepreneur Wonder Mom, Vanessa recognizes the importance of providing learning opportunities and financial solutions for the rapidly growing small business community all around the globe.
Español
El superpoder de Vanessa Vasquez es brindar educación financiera y estrategias sólidas a empresarios y contadores. Destruyendo la kriptonita de las pequeñas empresas, que es la falta de conocimiento financiero, Vanessa presenta las herramientas y los procesos correctos para que las empresas crezcan y se expandan.
Su enfoque principal siempre ha sido ayudar a sus clientes a optimizar los procesos de gestión financiera de sus pequeñas empresas a través de la educación y la aplicación de tecnología.
Con más de 20 años de experiencia y como una emprendedora latina Mama Maravilla, Vanessa reconoce la importancia de brindar oportunidades de aprendizaje y soluciones financieras para la comunidad de pequeñas empresas de habla hispana en rápido crecimiento.
Solar – What You Need to Know as a Construction or Design Professional
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. | Room 9
Solar is a unique trade in the construction world, and can be very different from other more typical construction trades. In addition, the solar contractor typically plays a stronger role in design, and consultation with the designers of the ground up construction project due to the fact that it is a relatively new industry and MEP engineers are less familiar with particular solar design considerations. For that reason, timing of onboarding a solar installer is crucial to avoid rework in both design, and construction work performed. This talk will explore important considerations for architects, MEP engineers and General Contractors and how to interface with solar professionals during the project delivery process.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, Remodelers and Developers that are considering super energy efficient homes and communities.
Daren Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Solar, is a Miami native with a passion for construction and sustainability. While working as assistant project manager for a 57,000-panel solar farm installation in North Carolina, Daren saw the vast opportunities that solar offers homeowners, businesses, the economy, and the environment. Daren founded Goldin Solar in 2014. Daren’s YouTube show ‘The Green Stuff’, explores the intersection of modern life and sustainability. Prior to founding Goldin Solar, Daren worked as Project Manager and Site Superintendent for residential and commercial construction projects for General Contractors in Texas, and Florida building: schools, auditoriums, commercial office building, commercial interior buildouts and a utility-scale solar farm for Apple in North Carolina. Daren holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering from University of South Florida and an MS degree in Civil Engineering concentrating in Construction Engineering & Project Management from the University of Texas in Austin. Daren’s leadership continues to guide Goldin Solar to being one of the top ranking solar installers in Florida by customer feedback and volume of solar and battery backup installed.