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Here's What You Missed at the 2025 Annual Conference!
CII’S 2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIT A HIGH NOTE IN THE MUSIC CITY
CII extends our thanks the attendees, speakers, and participants who made the 2025 CII Annual Conference—held July 28–30 in Nashville—a truly memorable experience!
This year’s event featured:
• Insightful presentations from CII Research Teams
• Engaging invited talks and keynote speakers
• Recognition of excellence through award ceremonies
• A spectacular evening reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame
Your energy, ideas, and collaboration continue to drive innovation and excellence in our industry. We look forward to seeing you again next year, in Denver!
WHEN AND HOW TO FIND AC25 DOWNLOADS?
Event downloads will SOON be available to all conference attendees via the CVENT mobile app. Next week, they will also be live on the CII website. Members will be able to locate the conference presentations via a prominently placed tab on the homepage and/or by using CII’s search engine.
RESEARCH TEAM WRAP UPS:
Research Team 398: Fit-for-Purpose Tools for Implementing CII Best Practices and Managing Complexity
Are you searching for the most effective CII tools for your projects? Look no further than CII’s RT-398! This team has created and shared two specialized tools to enhance the application of CII research within member organizations. The Best Practice Primer offers a concise overview of the 17 CII Best Practices, delivering key insights and actionable steps for various project phases. Meanwhile, the Project Complexity and Management Tool builds on previous CII research, helping project managers simplify complexity assessment and management for improved project outcomes. Each tool includes practical use cases and a roadmap for CII companies to implement them effectively.
Research Team 410: Evaluating the Implementation and Value of CII Best Practices
Since the last Value of Best Practices study, industry needs have evolved and new Best Practices have been introduced. To re-examine the value of all 17 CII Best Practices in today’s capital project landscape, CII’s RT-410 has assessed their implementation across a growing dataset of organizations and projects. In this session, RT-410 shared initial findings on implementation trends and the impact of Best Practices on project performance. The team introduced the Customized Benchmarking Report – a complementary deliverable for organizations that submit survey data, which provides comparative insights and actionable recommendations for improving Best Practice implementation. The findings from RT-410 aim to help organizations improve internal processes and make informed decisions that will lead to performance improvements.
Research Team 411: Leading the Charge in Decarbonizing Capital Projects
Understanding and integrating the benefits of decarbonization is crucial for making your projects and supply chain future-ready. However, companies often struggle with measuring, tracking, and reporting carbon, as well as developing effective decarbonization strategies. In response, CII’s RT-411 created a practical framework to help members accelerate their progress towards reducing the embodied carbon emissions of capital projects. This resource builds on existing project management frameworks, adding carbon as a new dimension of analysis. The research team investigated the level of adoption of decarbonization within the capital projects sector and developed a guide to support companies from planning through execution. This guide facilitates the successful integration of decarbonization initiatives into capital project delivery, providing various resources to help organizations identify and analyze opportunities. The application of these resources was illustrated in two case studies. The presentation underscored the relevance of this topic and demonstrated how leveraging these insights can lead to more informed, data-driven decisions about adopting and investing in decarbonization practices.
Research Team 412 - Achieving Safety Excellence in Construction
Since CII published its original ZAT Best Practice in 1993, the industry has evolved to consider aspects like human behavior and performance, employee well-being, and the promotion of positive safety values in its safety programs. CII RT-412 conducted a comprehensive assessment of industry practice and research findings to identify the most impactful safety practices today. The team introduced Safety Excellence Techniques (SETs)—16 advanced practices to enhance human and organizational performance and significantly improve safety outcomes on construction projects. The team also created a SET Implementation Tool to evaluate the "health" of a project's safety program and enable project teams to assess their use and ensure they are "SET for safety." This presentation showcased the findings and tools developed by RT-412, offering attendees actionable insights to elevate their safety management systems and achieve excellence in project safety.
Research Team 414: Developing the Next Generation of Frontline Supervisors
Are you ready to future-proof your capital projects? This presentation showed how proactive planning can empower owners and contractors with the necessary human, technological, and equipment resources for excelling in a more complex and integrated construction environment. Research Team 414 has delved into the construction site of 2040, gathering insights from experts who predict the future of construction. Their findings have identified 22 essential work skills for frontline supervisors, compiled into a comprehensive playbook with training plans and retention strategies. The team shared how to equip your frontline supervisors with the essential skills for effective leadership in the future. They also presented a comprehensive overview of assessment, training, and retention tools to help you tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
Research Team 422: Enhancing Safety with Artificial Intelligence
How can AI make construction sites safer—and where should we focus its application? The RT-422 team has developed a comprehensive resource to guide organizations in identifying the most impactful areas within construction safety management that can benefit from AI integration. This research examined the underlying safety challenges across planning, engineering, and construction phases and mapped them to 19 real-world use cases demonstrating how AI can address these issues. From pre-construction risk assessment to real-time hazard detection, the resource offers a strategic overview of AI's potential to enhance safety outcomes. Whether you are beginning to explore AI applications or seeking to expand its role in your projects, this presentation offered a framework for understanding where and how AI can deliver the greatest value in job site safety management.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Ken Gronbach, Demographer at KGC Direct LLC; Demographic Strategies for Uncertain Times
Ken explored the common sense, easy to understand, counter-intuitive and very fascinating realm of demography with the CII audience. Ken brought us into his world of counting people and accurately forecasting future markets. He touched on which products or services will make it (and which won’t). Ken offered thoughts on which nations are demographically doomed as well as the countries and continents demographically positioned to excel. This thought-provoking session was sponsored by Victaulic.
Ken Simonson, Chief Economist at Associated General Contractors of America, Will U.S. Construction Thrive or Dive in the Rest of ‘25?
Ken addressed recent policy changes that have created uncertainties about the near-term outlook on the demand for various types of construction, along with cost and availability of both materials and labor. He covered recent developments are likely to affect our industry and provided his fearless forecast for the rest of the year and beyond.
Fernanda Leite, Associate Dean for Research, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Bridging Research and Practice: Innovation Through Collaborative Research
Fernanda discussed the need for stronger partnerships between academia and industry. In this talk, Dr. Leite highlighted how the Cockrell School of Engineering is catalyzing innovation through strategic collaborations with global industry leaders and federal agencies. She showcased major interdisciplinary initiatives—from the Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon (EPIXC) Institute and the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub to new degree programs in Robotics and Semiconductor Science. She outlined how these research pursuits are developing courageous engineers. The session spotlighted CII's role and opportunities to shape the future of capital projects.
Eli Embleton, Zachry Corporation, REACH - Mastering Your Emotions in Stressful Situations
Most people struggle to handle their emotions in stressful situations. In this presentation, Eli introduced a framework to give attendees a new superpower -- staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure. Key Takeaways:
• A powerful framework for understanding strong emotional reactions -- both yours and others'
• Tools for staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure
• Insights into what holds you back from achieving your true potential
AWARD RECIPIENTS:
CII is proud to honor several individuals for their continued dedication and contributions to the CII mission:
LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS:
• The James B. Porter, Jr. Award for Technology Leadership was presented to Martin Swaine with Shell
• The Carrol H. Dunn Award of Excellence was posthumously presented to Mr. Lou Cabano with Pathfinder, LLC. The award was accepted by Lou’s son, Steve Cabano.
• The Richard L. Tucker Leadership & Service Award winner was Tricia Thibodeaux with Fluor.
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL RECIPIENTS:
• Dave Bullard with Oracle Construction & Engineering was recognized with the Outstanding Volunteer Award.
• In Bae Chung with The University of Texas and Daniel Mehrabi with Arizona State University were each granted the Outstanding Student Award.
• Jeyoung Woo with Cal Poly Pomona and Behzad Esmaeili with Purdue University were each named the winners of the Outstanding Academic Award.
CII extends our thanks the attendees, speakers, and participants who made the 2025 CII Annual Conference—held July 28–30 in Nashville—a truly memorable experience!
This year’s event featured:
• Insightful presentations from CII Research Teams
• Engaging invited talks and keynote speakers
• Recognition of excellence through award ceremonies
• A spectacular evening reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame
Your energy, ideas, and collaboration continue to drive innovation and excellence in our industry. We look forward to seeing you again next year, in Denver!
WHEN AND HOW TO FIND AC25 DOWNLOADS?
Event downloads will SOON be available to all conference attendees via the CVENT mobile app. Next week, they will also be live on the CII website. Members will be able to locate the conference presentations via a prominently placed tab on the homepage and/or by using CII’s search engine.
RESEARCH TEAM WRAP UPS:
Research Team 398: Fit-for-Purpose Tools for Implementing CII Best Practices and Managing Complexity
Are you searching for the most effective CII tools for your projects? Look no further than CII’s RT-398! This team has created and shared two specialized tools to enhance the application of CII research within member organizations. The Best Practice Primer offers a concise overview of the 17 CII Best Practices, delivering key insights and actionable steps for various project phases. Meanwhile, the Project Complexity and Management Tool builds on previous CII research, helping project managers simplify complexity assessment and management for improved project outcomes. Each tool includes practical use cases and a roadmap for CII companies to implement them effectively.
Research Team 410: Evaluating the Implementation and Value of CII Best Practices
Since the last Value of Best Practices study, industry needs have evolved and new Best Practices have been introduced. To re-examine the value of all 17 CII Best Practices in today’s capital project landscape, CII’s RT-410 has assessed their implementation across a growing dataset of organizations and projects. In this session, RT-410 shared initial findings on implementation trends and the impact of Best Practices on project performance. The team introduced the Customized Benchmarking Report – a complementary deliverable for organizations that submit survey data, which provides comparative insights and actionable recommendations for improving Best Practice implementation. The findings from RT-410 aim to help organizations improve internal processes and make informed decisions that will lead to performance improvements.
Research Team 411: Leading the Charge in Decarbonizing Capital Projects
Understanding and integrating the benefits of decarbonization is crucial for making your projects and supply chain future-ready. However, companies often struggle with measuring, tracking, and reporting carbon, as well as developing effective decarbonization strategies. In response, CII’s RT-411 created a practical framework to help members accelerate their progress towards reducing the embodied carbon emissions of capital projects. This resource builds on existing project management frameworks, adding carbon as a new dimension of analysis. The research team investigated the level of adoption of decarbonization within the capital projects sector and developed a guide to support companies from planning through execution. This guide facilitates the successful integration of decarbonization initiatives into capital project delivery, providing various resources to help organizations identify and analyze opportunities. The application of these resources was illustrated in two case studies. The presentation underscored the relevance of this topic and demonstrated how leveraging these insights can lead to more informed, data-driven decisions about adopting and investing in decarbonization practices.
Research Team 412 - Achieving Safety Excellence in Construction
Since CII published its original ZAT Best Practice in 1993, the industry has evolved to consider aspects like human behavior and performance, employee well-being, and the promotion of positive safety values in its safety programs. CII RT-412 conducted a comprehensive assessment of industry practice and research findings to identify the most impactful safety practices today. The team introduced Safety Excellence Techniques (SETs)—16 advanced practices to enhance human and organizational performance and significantly improve safety outcomes on construction projects. The team also created a SET Implementation Tool to evaluate the "health" of a project's safety program and enable project teams to assess their use and ensure they are "SET for safety." This presentation showcased the findings and tools developed by RT-412, offering attendees actionable insights to elevate their safety management systems and achieve excellence in project safety.
Research Team 414: Developing the Next Generation of Frontline Supervisors
Are you ready to future-proof your capital projects? This presentation showed how proactive planning can empower owners and contractors with the necessary human, technological, and equipment resources for excelling in a more complex and integrated construction environment. Research Team 414 has delved into the construction site of 2040, gathering insights from experts who predict the future of construction. Their findings have identified 22 essential work skills for frontline supervisors, compiled into a comprehensive playbook with training plans and retention strategies. The team shared how to equip your frontline supervisors with the essential skills for effective leadership in the future. They also presented a comprehensive overview of assessment, training, and retention tools to help you tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
Research Team 422: Enhancing Safety with Artificial Intelligence
How can AI make construction sites safer—and where should we focus its application? The RT-422 team has developed a comprehensive resource to guide organizations in identifying the most impactful areas within construction safety management that can benefit from AI integration. This research examined the underlying safety challenges across planning, engineering, and construction phases and mapped them to 19 real-world use cases demonstrating how AI can address these issues. From pre-construction risk assessment to real-time hazard detection, the resource offers a strategic overview of AI's potential to enhance safety outcomes. Whether you are beginning to explore AI applications or seeking to expand its role in your projects, this presentation offered a framework for understanding where and how AI can deliver the greatest value in job site safety management.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Ken Gronbach, Demographer at KGC Direct LLC; Demographic Strategies for Uncertain Times
Ken explored the common sense, easy to understand, counter-intuitive and very fascinating realm of demography with the CII audience. Ken brought us into his world of counting people and accurately forecasting future markets. He touched on which products or services will make it (and which won’t). Ken offered thoughts on which nations are demographically doomed as well as the countries and continents demographically positioned to excel. This thought-provoking session was sponsored by Victaulic.
Ken Simonson, Chief Economist at Associated General Contractors of America, Will U.S. Construction Thrive or Dive in the Rest of ‘25?
Ken addressed recent policy changes that have created uncertainties about the near-term outlook on the demand for various types of construction, along with cost and availability of both materials and labor. He covered recent developments are likely to affect our industry and provided his fearless forecast for the rest of the year and beyond.
Fernanda Leite, Associate Dean for Research, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Bridging Research and Practice: Innovation Through Collaborative Research
Fernanda discussed the need for stronger partnerships between academia and industry. In this talk, Dr. Leite highlighted how the Cockrell School of Engineering is catalyzing innovation through strategic collaborations with global industry leaders and federal agencies. She showcased major interdisciplinary initiatives—from the Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon (EPIXC) Institute and the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub to new degree programs in Robotics and Semiconductor Science. She outlined how these research pursuits are developing courageous engineers. The session spotlighted CII's role and opportunities to shape the future of capital projects.
Eli Embleton, Zachry Corporation, REACH - Mastering Your Emotions in Stressful Situations
Most people struggle to handle their emotions in stressful situations. In this presentation, Eli introduced a framework to give attendees a new superpower -- staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure. Key Takeaways:
• A powerful framework for understanding strong emotional reactions -- both yours and others'
• Tools for staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure
• Insights into what holds you back from achieving your true potential
AWARD RECIPIENTS:
CII is proud to honor several individuals for their continued dedication and contributions to the CII mission:
LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS:
• The James B. Porter, Jr. Award for Technology Leadership was presented to Martin Swaine with Shell
• The Carrol H. Dunn Award of Excellence was posthumously presented to Mr. Lou Cabano with Pathfinder, LLC. The award was accepted by Lou’s son, Steve Cabano.
• The Richard L. Tucker Leadership & Service Award winner was Tricia Thibodeaux with Fluor.
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL RECIPIENTS:
• Dave Bullard with Oracle Construction & Engineering was recognized with the Outstanding Volunteer Award.
• In Bae Chung with The University of Texas and Daniel Mehrabi with Arizona State University were each granted the Outstanding Student Award.
• Jeyoung Woo with Cal Poly Pomona and Behzad Esmaeili with Purdue University were each named the winners of the Outstanding Academic Award.
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