West Hartford, CT – There will never be a “one size fits all” solution to address the specifics of every construction project. In today’s economic climate, managing construction risk effectively has become a business imperative. It is critical to create a fluid approach, based upon best practices, to manage any possible risks to the budget and schedule.
Owners, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Developers commonly look to push project risk to other members of the project team and continue to struggle with no real practical tool to manage risk. But regardless of where costs or time are increased, the overall project is affected.
Private and public sector owners, along with design and construction industry owners, will identify and define these risk issues on Thursday, March 28, 2013 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Norwalk Inn and Conference Center in Norwalk, CT. Registration, Lunch, and Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. To register, go to http://www.construction.org/ and click on the “Fairfield County Owners Forum” link under the Programs and Events section.
The University of Hartford Construction Institute’s 2013 Owners Forum series uniquely focuses on understanding risk management issues on a construction project. Entitled “Identifying and Defining Risk … A Working Session”, this program is the first in a series of two Fairfield County Owners Forums. In this program, a public and private owner, along with a developer, will engage in an open dialogue with a panel of design and construction industry experts to identify and define risk issues on a construction project.
The second program, to be held on May 23, will focus on the panel’s response to each of the unique risk issues raised, and methods to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate risk. Audience participation will be critical in this second follow-up program.
By engaging a joint panel of owners and industry professionals in a discussion of existing risk perceptions, this forum series seeks to explore a more effective framework to minimize risk from all aspects of a construction project, as well as how to build an effective project team when parties are trying to commonly transfer risk.
Although only the third Owners Forum presented in Fairfield County, this series of Owners Forum discussions have been delivered by the Institute for 14 years, and throughout Connecticut. And there is never a lack of challenges or questions from those involved in the design and construction industry, according to George Perham, chair of the Institute’s Fairfield County Task Force and Vice President at Antinozzi Associates in Bridgeport.
“Each and every year, these Owners Forums address the most pressing and timely issues in our industry, and in Connecticut,” stated Perham. “Risk may not be a new issue, but we must tackle this segmented process of risk management and develop a more collaborative system of distributing the impact of risk. As our industry becomes more complicated with building technology, integrated practice, and sustainable design, it is refreshing to discuss issues like this and not just listen to, but maybe solve, each other’s challenges.”
The 2013 Fairfield County Owners Forum will be moderated by Joseph McGee, Vice President, Public Policy & Programs from The Business Council of Fairfield County and led by the following participants:
CUSTOMERS
- Private Owner – Nestles
- Dennis Julio, National Director of Real Estate & Facilities
- Public Owner – Town of Fairfield
- Twig Holland, Director of Purchasing
- Developer – Bridgeport Landing Development, LLC (Steel Pointe)
- Mark Summers, Project Coordinator
- Developer – Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, LLC
- Clay Fowler, Chairman & CEO
PROVIDERS
- Engineer – Ryan Malin, Principal; AKF Group, LLC
- Construction Management – Tom Walsh, Senior Vice President; A.P. Construction Company
- Surety – Gary Giulietti, President; Lockton Companies
- Legal – Raymond Garcia, Principal; Garcia & Milas, PC
- Architect – Michael Ayles, Principal; Antinozzi Associates, PC