NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON E-CONSTRUCTION & PARTNERING

PITTSBURGH, PA

COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, MUNICIPAL

THE CHALLENGE

When the Federal Highway Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wanted to host a two-day, national workshop on e-Construction and Partnering in the City of Pittsburgh’s picturesque Station Square, they tasked McCormick Taylor to assist in the effort. Our communications professionals supported all phases of conference development, including event planning, venue coordination, online reservations, event facilitation and staffing, and financials tracking and closeout. McCormick Taylor collaborated with the FHWA, PennDOT’s Highway Administration Deputate and Bureau of Innovations, and the PA State Transportation Innovation Council. The national workshop promoted information exchange among state DOTs regarding strategies, tools and technologies for transitioning to a paperless environment in project construction. Partnering content focused on relationship building and information sharing between project owners, contractors and sub-contractors, design consultants, material providers and other who have a vested interest in advancing projects, avoiding claims, providing a quality project at a fair price and profit in a safe environment.

HOW WE HELPED

McCormick Taylor designed the branding package to give all event materials including an online web presence, promotional content, event programs, PowerPoint templates, and informational displays portrayed a consistent, recognizable look that was readily associated with the national workshop. We also provided programming assistance to engage subject matter experts from across the nation as keynote speakers in general sessions and presenters for a series of breakout sessions. Breakout session topics were organized among four informational tracks for which attendees could register in advance, using online registration and payment tools that were also organized by McCormick Taylor. We coordinated travel arrangements to and from airports and other key arrival/departure locations for all attendees, and we arranged paid exhibit space for vendors to help fund the event. During the event, McCormick Taylor communications specialists facilitated breakout sessions and, when the event was over assembled the workshop summary report and coordinated all closeout financials with project sponsors to ensure proper, timely processing of travel vouchers and hotel invoices for workshop keynotes, presenters and attendees.

RESULTS

McCormick Taylor effectively helped plan, facilitate, and promote e-Construction and Partnering as part of FHWA’s Every Day Counts – Round 4 (EDC-4 Initiative) through shared successes and cautionary tales, and spun a thread that networked all participants for ongoing collaboration long after the workshop’s conclusion. More than 200 representatives from state Departments of Transportation from as far away as Hawaii, design consultants, contractors and their professional associations, together with local and regional government representatives, and other industry leaders participated.