CEO Tech Forum Nears, Anticipation Builds

CEO Tech Forum Nears, Anticipation Builds

Chicago Athletic Association, newly renovated and preparing to host next month's signature disruptive event.

DIAMANDIS, TULLMAN, HOWELL, SCOPANO, KRULAK, DOHERTY, BENHAM LEAD ALL-STAR LINEUP OF INSPIRING SPEAKERS FOR INTERACTIVE, TWO-DAY PROGRAM

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by ROB McMANAMY | March 8, 2016

Six weeks have passed since BuiltWorlds announced that it will host this industry's first-ever CEO Tech Forum, April 20-22, at the Chicago Athletic Association. Since then, we have been warmed by the wide interest and growing excitement that has been building around this disruptive C-level conference for national industry thought leaders, change agents, and collaborative problem solvers.

More top speakers have been added, our agenda has been rearranged to present even more insightful voices and audience interaction, and our high-level attendee list has been growing steadily. Even so, some guest slots do remain, so if you are interested — and why wouldn't you be? — then please visit our CTF 2016 home page for the latest on available tickets and area hotel information. 

This high-impact, collaborative event that will deepen attendees’ understanding of the unprecedented power and possibilities now available to those who design, build, operate, maintain, plan and trade in our vital, evolving $7-trillion industry.

“We could not be more excited about bringing such a meaningful, thoughtful, and ultimately useful program to this industry,” says Matt Gray, BuiltWorlds founder and co-chairman of Graycor, a 90-year-old, Chicago-area general contractor. “When we started BW in 2014, the goal from Day One has been to push this industry forward, to embrace change and innovation, and to foster greater collaboration across the board. Technology has opened up new worlds of once-unthinkable opportunities. Firms just need to know where to look.”

An Industry Who's Who

Disruptive technologies are changing so many practices so swiftly that it is extraordinarily hard for any CEO to stay abreast of all the daily changes that may affect his or her business. With that in mind, our CEO Tech Forum will present an all-star lineup of dynamic speakers, led by international innovation pioneer Peter Diamandis, co-founder of the X PRIZE Foundation, Singularity University, and Human Longevity Inc., as well as the author of best-sellers Abundance and BOLD. Diamandis will provide actionable intelligence on the game-changing disruptions ahead and how CEOs in and around the built space can best position themselves for the coming shifts and expected surge in new opportunities. 

He will be joined on stage by several more industry disruptors, including Howard Tullman, CEO of Chicago's seminal incubator 1871; Roger Krulak, SVP of modular construction, Forest City Ratner Cos. in Brooklyn NY; tech entrepreneur James Benham, founder of JBKnowledge Inc.; Smart Cities expert and AEC Hackathon founder Paul Doherty; and Stacy Scopano, senior industry strategy manager for Autodesk; and Newforma CEO Ian Howell. 

Also presenting will be thought leaders from industry tech providers like FieldLens, VRcade, Skycatch, MasterGraphics, and Hard Hat Hub, as well as representatives from venture capital firms and incubators like Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Caterpillar VC, Brick & Mortar Ventures, MetaPropNYC, and more. Engineering giants Arup and Thornton Tomasetti also will participate. For more details and updates on additional speakers and sessions, go to www.builtworlds.com/ctf-2016.

The evenings of April 20-21 also will feature networking and an exclusive tech trade show for hands-on trials with a wide variety of emerging and established new technologies.

Among the topics to be explored, experienced, and even experimented with:

• Wearables (headsets, helmets, armbands, etc.);
• Robotics;
• Modular Construction;
• Apps for Safety, Reporting, Documentation, Collaboration;
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones);
• 3D Printing and Scanning;
• Virtual Reality (VR);
• Big Data, IoT, Building Information Analysis;
• The Smart Future of Cities > Energy, Mobility, Urban Ecosystems, etc.;
• Engaging and retaining tech-savvy millennial talent.

Seats are filling up fast, but if you are a forward-thinking CEO who wants to join this compelling conversation, then plan on visiting the Chicago Athletic Association this spring. Our forum starts on Wednesday, April 20, at 5 PM CST, and concludes at 3:30 PM CST on Friday, April 22.

Limited spaces are still available for this exclusive, CEO-level event. 

To register, please click here. For more information, please contact BuiltWorlds advisor and CEO Tech Forum lead Paul J. Belair, BuiltWorlds, paul.belair@builtworlds.com, 330-283-9001.

For press inquiries, contact BW content lead Rob McManamy at rob.mcmanamy@builtworlds.com.