Commodity Prices and the International Construction Marketplace

Are the past year’s shortages and price shocks in steel, copper and other commodities a rare market occurrence or are they a sign of things to come? How will the burgeoning markets in China and India continue to impact worldwide commodity prices and availability?

Speaker: Stephen S. Poloz, Senior Vice-President & Chief Economist, Export Development Canada (EDC)

Measuring Productivity in Construction

Productivity: It’s the latest term used in business to equate competitiveness and profitability. But how does productivity apply in the diverse world of construction? Who measures it? How is it measured? Who benefits the most from enhanced productivity and what does it mean for you as a contractor? Join an expert panel as construction productivity is examined historically, and what future productivity trends in areas such as human resource management, scheduling and materials handling will have the greatest impact on your bottom line. Find out what the industry is doing to increase productivity through initiatives from the new Canadian Construction Innovation Council. Put your firm to the test and see if your productivity measures up!

E-Learning

With the growing availability of online training and education, ensuring that the construction industry has access to a workforce that is up to date in its knowledge and skill base may be only a few keystrokes away. CCA through its Gold Seal program is one example of how it is venturing down the road of E-learning. This session will provide an overview of the many potential applications of e-learning to the construction industry and highlight the developments underway in online delivery of Gold Seal Education.

It IS Easy Being Green

The Growing Rise of the Green Building Movement: Increasingly, contractors are being required to incorporate sustainability and green building considerations into their everyday work. The past several years have witnessed new tools, standards, and organizations come into existence in order to help contractors become more familiar with sustainable buildings and the shift to greener building structures. This session will wade through these new resources and tools in order to better inform participants about the advantages and benefits that can be realized from thinking green!

Taking that First Step – Exporting to the U.S.

Come and learn first-hand from your colleagues and peers how Canadian contractors have successfully entered the U.S. market. Representatives of small to medium-sized Canadian construction contractors will relate their experiences in a roundtable open discussion. This is not a theoretical, academic how-to seminar but a frank, practical information exchange of real experiences. Learn from those that have already taken the steps. How do you find a U.S. partner? What is the best way to market your firm to potential U.S. clients/partners? What are some of the pitfalls and tips?

What’s New in Public Works Procurement Law?

How do internal and external trade agreements affect public works procurement in Canada? Are municipalities permitted to invoke local or other preferences (union/union-free) in the award of construction projects funded in part by federal infrastructure programs? How have external trade agreements like NAFTA affected federal public works procurement? Is public works procurement in Canada becoming too litigious? Has the pendulum swung too far one way?

Family Business: Issues, Succession and CAFE

With the average age of business owners rising steadily higher, many are asking themselves who will take over their businesses and how. Join Wayne Morsky and other members from the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises (CAFE) as they discuss how to effectively plan and implement the transition of ownership and management of companies. CAFE offers an outsider’s perspective and an insider’s understanding of family business. CAFE’s objective is to educate, inform and encourage its members in areas of unique interest to family business, through a stimulating program of activities that provide the best sources of information and professional advice available.

Developing a Business Plan and the Risks that Impact Execution

Construction risks can’t be eliminated - but they can be managed. Cost overruns, schedule delays, input costs, human capital issues and legal disputes can quickly undermine a project’s performance and profitability, potentially impacting the viability of both the project and the contractor. Today, scarce capital funds, tight margins and heightened stakeholder scrutiny leave little room for error, further magnifying unexpected risk events. A thorough understanding of organizational risk tolerance and risk profile can influence the amount and/or cost of capital available to be allocated to a specific project and influence how external stakeholders view the organization.

Through the development of a business plan many of the key risks can be mitigated and/or avoided before they occur. In addition, a well thought out business plan can benefit your organization internally, and externally with respect your bank and bonding company. This session will deal with the key components of a business plan: Executive Summary, Company Summary, Definition of Services, Market Description, Key Strategies, Organization and Management Skill Sets and Financial Models.

Follow Your Instincts

If you dare to do business, LuAn Mitchell believes you’ll also have to dare to follow your instincts. At the core of LuAn’s success is her belief in the 11th commandment - Go Gut. She is a speaker who motivates her audiences to face challenges head on, encouraging them to follow gut instinct in achieving success, fulfillment and happiness. Following those instincts can mean wrestling with yourself and some sleepless nights, but that’s all a required part of getting rid of fear and achieving your goals. LuAn offers suggestions on how to recognize that voice inside and tap into it, rather than suppressing it. And if your instinct is buried under layers of conditioning, she has ideas on how to recognize instincts and begin to act on them. LuAn believes the more you rely on instinct, the more you’ll recognize them, and the more you’ll benefit from following your instincts.

Where Do You Go When the Well Runs Dry?

Several construction companies have attempted to reorganize their affairs under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act or the Company Creditors Arrangement Act after their financial well has run dry. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is hosting an informative seminar on the benefits and detriments to proceeding under the B&IA or CCAA provisions to reorganize a construction company. This seminar will consider the effect on provincial lien legislation and the impact on the players in the process including liabilities of officers and directors. This seminar will be of interest to any parties active in the construction industry including owners, banks, government authorities, contractors, subtrades, suppliers, designers, insurers, sureties and brokers.

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