Conference Educates Building Service Contractors

After each seminar, attendees have the opportunity to ask questions to get more details and help for their challenges PHOTO COURTESY OF BSCAI

Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) is asking its members to “Think Big” this year during its Contracting Success Conference. Taking place at the Sheraton Dallas Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, the annual show is the association’s biggest event each year.

The conference attracts more than 500 building service contractors and provides plenty of opportunities for learning and networking. By attending, members can earn credits toward their CBSE certification. 

As a bonus, the Contracting Success Conference is co-located with the ISSA Show. For just the price of BSCAI’s event, attendees receive complimentary access to ISSA’s massive exhibit hall, featuring more than 700 booths, as well as the George W. Bush and Darren Hardy keynote speeches.

Education Sessions
If BSCs have questions or are looking for business guidance, then the Contracting Success Conference is the place to be.
 
More than 20 seminars will be offered over the three days. Education is often presented by BSCs for BSCs. This peer-to-peer approach let’s attendees learn from contractors who have been there before. They can share best practices and pitfalls to avoid.

Seminars are broken into six industry tracks — finance, general management, human resources, marketing and technology, operations, and sales — which lets attendees customize their schedule to subjects that matter most to them. Topics covered this year include mergers and acquisitions, healthy buildings, company growth, recruiting, staff retention, management, immigration policies, employee onboarding, customer service, growing sales, certifications and more.

In addition to the breakout sessions, this year’s seminar program is highlighted by two keynote speakers.
 
First up is Chris Voss on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 4:30 p.m. Voss is a former FBI lead international kidnapper negotiator and current CEO of the Black Swan Group. His company solves business communication problems by using hostage negotiation strategies. Voss’ particular methods focus on discovering company namesake “Black Swans,” which are small pieces of information that have enormous effects towards an outcome. His session, “Never Split The Difference,” will teach attendees communication skills that are necessary for business success.

On Friday, Nov. 2, at 8:45 a.m., Seth Mattison, co-founder and chief movement officer of Luminate Labs will present “The Future Of Work Today: Insights From The New World Of Work.” Mattison is an author and expert on workforce trends and generational dynamics. His company advises managers on changes happening in talent management, leadership and the workplace. Mattison’s keynote will present research and case studies that demonstrate how collaboration is the best way to compete in this rapidly changing business landscape. 

Before the convention officially begins, BSCs have the opportunity to attend two other highly informative seminars for an additional registration fee, on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

First, the Bidding and Estimating Seminar is a must-attend class for contractors new to the industry. It provides a step-by-step approach for pricing services, as well as the components of a cost estimate.

New this year is the Selling Boldly Seminar, presented by Alex Goldfayn, sales expert and best-selling author. During his interactive seminar, Goldfayn will teach BSCs how to increase sales by gathering testimonials, asking for referrals, upselling and more.