CONSTRUCTION WRITERS ASSOCIATION SCHEDULES OCTOBER MEETING IN CHICAGO
September, 2003
(Buffalo Grove, IL) The Construction Writers Association has scheduled its midyear meeting for Thursday-Friday, October 16-17, 2003, at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago, IL.
The Friday morning midyear meeting program will offer a variety of construction-related topics, including two marketing-related speakers who will headline the program. Denise Norberg Johnson, a former American Subcontractors Association president who has started her own firm, Penguin Peak Performance in Lincolnwood, IL, will be addressing "Marketing on a Shoestring." Karen Courtney, AIA, director of marketing for BSA LifeStructures, Indianapolis, IN, and the president-elect of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, will be addressing "The Importance of Branding" along with branding consultant Laura Musall of Hetrick Communications, Indianapolis, IN.
In addition, T.J. Ferrantella, president of Engineered Companies, Inc., Hammond, IN, and president of the American Institute of Constructors' (AIC) Certification Commission, will discuss the activities of the new Construction Certifications Coalition (C3) and the rapidly expanding role of certification in the construction industry. CWA members will also participate in a session called "horror stories," which will focus on lessons learned the hard way. In addition, the Walsh Group will present a preview of the afternoon tour to the new Millennium Park band shell, designed by Frank Gehry and currently under construction on the lakefront.
CWA Marketing Communications Awards and the CWA Website Awards will be presented at the Friday noon luncheon. The optional tour to the Millennium Park band shell will conclude the day.
Thursday morning will feature the association's new "Fundamentals of Construction Journalism" education session. George H. Harmon, associate professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, will present "Writing for the Web." Tony Breland, art and production director for Randall Publications, Tuscaloosa, AL, will discuss "Some Principals of Good Design," including what to do if you don't have photography. Brian Bowen, executive in residence at the College of Architecture of Georgia Tech and a retired construction manager from Hanscomb, Atlanta, GA, will present "The Construction Industry: Deconstructed," including basics such as terms and trends for the construction writer. Bowen is also the presenter of an in-depth three-day career development course sponsored by the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and Georgia Tech.
Thursday afternoon will begin with an optional river cruise with commentary presented by a guide from the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The architectural tour leaves the Michigan-and-Wacker dock at 1pm, costs $23, and lasts for 90 minutes. CWA's board of directors will meet at 3 pm Thursday afternoon, and observers are welcome. Attendees will gather for an informal, Dutch-treat dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy Thursday evening as well.
Registration fees are as follows: The Thursday morning education session, proceeds from which are reserved for CWA's scholarship program, is $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. The Friday morning midyear meeting, including the awards luncheon and the band shell tour, is $75 for members and $100 for nonmembers. Annual dues are $75 per year for an individual. Those wishing to join the organization may attend at member rates. Tickets for the architectural river boat cruise are $23, and the estimated cost for dinner at Maggiano�s is $35. Those registering after October 10 should add a $15 late fee.
Hotel Allegro is located at 171 W. Randolph in downtown Chicago. All events except the tours and the Thursday evening dinner get-together will be at the Hotel Allegro. Sleeping rooms, single or double, are available for $150 per night. CWA's room block is available through September 26, 2003. To reserve with a credit card, call the hotel at 800-643-1500 or 312-236-0123. Individual reservations must be cancelled 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid loss of first night's reservation fee.
CWA is a nonprofit, non-partisan, international organization for professional journalists, writers, editors, marketers and publicists serving the information needs of the construction industry. Information on the association�s activities is posted and updated regularly on the CWA website, www.constructionwriters.org .
CLICK HERE for Registration Form
For information:
Deborah J. Hodges
Executive Director
P.O. Box 14784
Chicago, Illinois 60614
Telephone 773 687-8726
Fax 773 687-8627
info@constructionwriters.org