Construction Financial Professionals Gather in San Diego to Learn from the Industry’s Best

PRINCETON, NJ (August 1, 2013) – The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) held their Annual Conference and Exhibition at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, June 22-26. With almost 1,000 people in attendance, the Conference was CFMA’s most highly attended event since 2009.

The General Session Speakers included: Josh Linkner of Detroit Venture Partners, who spoke about execution of great ideas, and maintaining and creative culture; Brantley Barrow of Hardin Construction Company, and Jeffrey Platt of Schilling Paradise Corp., who were CEO panelists and discussed their own roads to the “top”, engaging in a lively discussion about their experiences; Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group engaged the audience in a detailed analysis of the economy’s expansion and flexibility; and Rob “Waldo” Waldman or Wingman Enterprises, Inc gave an inspiring presentation about working as a team, entitled “Never Fly Solo”. One CFMA Member said, “The general sessions have been great. Good to have interactions with members on a wide variety of topics!”

In addition to the general sessions, attendees had the opportunity to earn up to 33 CPE credits by attending the mini-conferences, dawn peer groups, and breakout sessions.  This year, the Conference also featured Large, Medium, and Small – Firm CFO Roundtables, which proved to be quite popular, as they were attended by almost 350 people. Attendees described the sessions, where they discussed topics specific to companies of their size, as “extremely valuable”.

“Our Annual Conference has always been a wonderful opportunity for education, networking, and fun, and this year we were pleased to have so many of our members in attendance, taking full advantage of this top-rated member benefit.” Said Stuart Binstock, CFMA President and CEO. “Each year we try to take it to the next level, and set the bar a little higher. San Diego was wonderful, and I look forward to seeing everyone again in Las Vegas next year.”

In addition to the education opportunities that were offered, the Conference featured a large exhibition hall, with close to 100 exhibitors, where attendees were able to explore new vendors, interact with existing ones, and find solutions to any obstacles their company might face. The Exhibition hall was the home to the Sunday night welcome party and new member orientation, along with breakfast and luncheons with the exhibitors. The Conference also had a number of unique networking events, such as the golf tournament on Sunday morning, a Phillies vs. Padres game on Monday night, and the closing night party on Tuesday at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. CFMA Chairman Patrick Cebelak said, “In our industry, being successful relies on expanding your network of peers, continuing to learn and get quality education, collaboration and teamwork. Our Annual Conference is the one place you can achieve all of that at once.”

If you missed CFMA’s 2013 Conference, you can purchase the PowerPoint and audio sessions here. CFMA’s 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held on June 7-11, 2014 at Caesar’s Palace in the one and only Las Vegas, Nevada. CFMA invites you to put the odds in your favor by joining us for this wonderful event! For more information visit www.cfma.org.

The Construction Financial Management Association is the only non-profit individual member organization in the world dedicated to serving the financial professional in the construction industry. Established in 1981, it serves more than 6,500 members in 88 chapters across the United States and Canada, publishes an award-winning business journal, CFMA Building Profits, and offers a variety of educational and professional development and connection programs through its chapter network, at its Annual Conference & Exhibition, and distance learning via the Internet. Membership in CFMA provides construction financial professionals with unique opportunities for industry networking, career development, and personal and professional growth.