 Michael
Neville, AIA
Mid Summer Conference Chair
Maybe it’s the crisp clear air. It might be the beautiful blue
waters. Could it be a chance for a romantic weekend at the Grand
Hotel? Might the children enjoy an equestrian encounter? What is it
that lures a large chunk of the construction industry north to
Mackinac Island in August ?
It is all of the above and more. The
Annual Mid Summer Conference goes back 67 years and is the longest
running event on the AIA Michigan calendar. It continues to be a
perfect opportunity for fun, one-on-one contact with industry
leaders, and information sharing between the building and
construction industries.
With our partners at AGC of Michigan
we will once again create a stimulating and relaxing weekend. This
is not a contradiction. Stimulating programs, sometimes heated
discussions, cut throat golf and killer bocci are all designed to
rev up your adrenalin if you want it. These same events can also be
conducted in a relaxed atmosphere. Golf turns out to be an informal
mixer and bocci ends up in the Tea Garden.
Thursday begins on the “longest
porch in the world” at the Grand with a welcome reception sponsored
by the Detroit Brick Distributor Council. After dinner we will enjoy
an evening with the whole family at our traditional family night.
Due to unprecedented financial
stability throughout the country the design/construction industry
has changed dramatically. Not by choice, but to merely survive. This
year’s speakers will enlighten us on Michigan’s advantages in
Sustainable Design and explore alternate delivery systems which are
beneficial to both owners and the design/construction industry
firms.
Just think you can also earn a total
of 4 CEUs beginning on Friday morning with “Integrated Project
Delivery Utilizing Advanced Technologies” with Robert Middlebrooks,
AIA. “Bob” will touch on the advantages of utilizing the recent
advanced technology systems which have been the talk in the industry
for the past several years (BIM, 3D, 4D, 5D) and how these systems
can be integrated into a “new” delivery system called “IPD”
(Integrated Project Delivery). This delivery system shows how “true”
collaboration and teaming from all parties can make your projects
more successful and profitable with fewer headaches throughout the
duration of the project. On Saturday morning join us for a
discussion with Glen LeRoy, FAIA, FAICP on “Sustainable Michigan.”
Glen has been a distinguished keynote speaker throughout the
country. His presentation will explore how a proactive response to
climate change may better position Michigan for sustainable economic
development over the next several decades.
Friday evening features a short walk
to the Manoogian Foundation House on the West Bluff for an evening
reception in the former G. Mennen Williams Cottage. The bocci
tournament begins on Friday and the informal mixer Golf Scramble is
on Saturday. Bocci winds up with a glorious reception in the Tea
Garden Friday sponsored by the Great Lakes Fabricators and Erectors
Association.
As always there is plenty of free
time for golf or tennis. The Saturday evening cocktail party is
sponsored by the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors
National Association (SMACNA) and after dinner we will celebrate
this year’s conference with an Afterglo.
If you have attended in the past,
come back and meet old friends and make some new ones. Mentoring
happens here, new contacts are made. Continuing education programs
are a bonus. If you have not been on the porch at the Grand Hotel,
it is a unique experience. I’ll meet you there. |
