A September to Remember

By Chad Coldiron, Principal & Director of Development, Zweig Group

From The Zweig Letter

Takeaways from Zweig Group’s 2024 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala.

From September 17-19, 2023, Zweig Group hosted the 2024 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida. This year’s event was a fantastic gathering, bringing together some of the best performing firms in the AEC industry, along with other industry leaders committed to improving their workplaces and those who support these efforts. With a sell-out crowd of more than 400 attendees, the energy at the bayside venue was palpable, filled with inspiration and excitement for the future. Throughout the conference, the crowd engaged in numerous learning sessions and roundtable discussions on important topics such as recruitment and retention, operational excellence, professional development best practices, and the impact of AI and technology.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Return on Investment” and it could be seen throughout every moment of the week. In today’s technology and efficiency-driven society, we must see a return on investment from every moment we take away from our normal operations. The investment of our time and resources are yielding some of the greatest returns in history – even if that investment is in the form of time spent celebrating and learning alongside your industry peers and direct competitors. There can be huge returns from sharing your story and networking with others who share similar interests.

Here are some of my biggest takeaways from this year’s ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala:

•  Everything you know must change. One quote that stuck with me throughout the event was from Zweig Group President and CEO Chad Clinehens’ opening keynote: “Everything you know is wrong MUST CHANGE.” This powerful statement was inspired by U2’s ZooTV Tour in the ‘90s. Bono had this idea that instead of trying to run away from contradictions, such as being a rock star and a devout Christian, he would embrace them. ZooTV was a manifestation of their ideological take on the cyber-media revolution of the ‘90s. U2’s concert stage formed from 36 video screens flashed random collections of images and slogans from pop culture. One of those slogans was, “Everything you know is wrong.” During times of significant change, we must be willing to consider that much of what we know, or possibly everything we know, could be wrong or could become wrong in the future. Those times are upon us now and everything we know must change. Technological and economic forces are changing the way the AEC industry will operate in the future. This applies to things firms are designing and producing as well as how they are operating and growing their businesses. Change is not easy and rarely comes at a convenient time. Luckily, there are problems to solve at the root of this change and our industry has proven to be among the best at solving complex problems.
•  Technology’s impact on the recruitment and retention crisis. One of the biggest problems to solve is how the AEC industry will position itself to stop falling behind with recruiting and retention. We must start making up ground lost to other industries like technology or consumer products groups, which are gobbling up some of the best available talent at all levels. These high level talent pools have a specific interest in the advancement of AI and how they can embrace these new technologies to better themselves and their work. AI won’t completely solve some of our toughest challenges like recruiting and retention, but it could go a long way as it introduces tools that help design and operations professionals spend more of their time solving the problems they are interested in.
•  Marketing is a critical investment. A key takeaway from the conference was that award winning firms report operating at a higher profit level than others in the industry. Year after year Marketing Excellence Award winners prove that marketing is a key strategic investment that has a compelling return on investment. Zweig Group’s data shows that 56 percent of Marketing Excellence Award winners were fast-growth (20 percent growth year-over-year for three or more years) compared to 25 percent for all other firms. What this tells us is that firms that invest in their award winning marketing programs are more than twice as likely to be fast-growth firms. Additionally, 71 percent of Marketing Excellence Award winners were “high profit” firms versus 59 percent for all other firms. This message has been a consistent part of Zweig Group’s efforts to elevate the industry, but many firms still view marketing as an expense instead of as a key investment.
•  Training offers the highest ROI when it comes to employee experience. What can you do with more profits in your firm? You can give your employees what they are asking for. Participating in the Best Firms To Work For survey doesn’t just offer insights into the different sentiments within your firm; it also offers a strategic roadmap into areas that need further investment. The main theme from 2024 and the past several years has been training. The Best Firms To Work For with the top 10 highest employee sentiment scores for professional development had a voluntary turnover rate 27 percent lower than other firms. These same firms grew by almost 15 percent in total number of employees compared to 6 percent for all other firms. There were a number of stats that indicate training is where the highest ROI is in relation to employee experience.
•  The AEC industry deserves to be celebrated. This year’s black tie awards gala was at full capacity, showcasing the achievements of firms excelling in various categories, including Zweig Group’s Hot Firm Awards, Best Firms To Work For Awards, Rising Stars, Marketing Excellence Awards, and the coveted Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award. This celebration was not just about recognizing individual successes; it fostered a sense of community among attendees and celebrated our collective achievements. The AEC industry offers some of the best career paths around, largely thanks to what these award-winning firms are accomplishing.
•  Everything’s bigger in Texas. One final exciting announcement during the gala was that the 2025 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala will be held in San Antonio, Texas. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone again in a brand-new location! Looking ahead, Zweig Group plans to continue expanding this celebration, with ideas for an even larger awards gala in the future. It’s all about elevating the AEC industry, and we’re excited about what’s next.

Click here for more information about Zweig Group’s upcoming 2025 ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala. 

Chad Coldiron is a principal and director of development at Zweig Group. Contact him at ccoldiron@zweiggroup.com.