Following a brief presentation on the topic of Cash Flow Management, join your like-minded peers for thought-provoking roundtable discussions about this issue that is challenging small construction financial professionals. As a second topic attendees will address the many challenges of Risk Management and conclude with an open forum. This session is intended for the CFOs/financial management staff of contractors with revenues of $1-25M.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the CFMA training, support and programs that can assist with your development
• • Learn important findings by the Speaker Development Task Force like: o What makes a successful session o What things should a speaker do to be successful o What should a speaker
• Understand the topics available for presentations and for serving as an SME
• Learn the best practices for a successful presentation, both in person and via webinar

What will tax policy look like in a post-election administration? Is your business positioned for success to take full advantage of the available opportunities? This session will cover new tax policies, provide an overall tax update, and discuss the necessary changes contractors must make to reduce their overall tax burden. Hear stories and learn strategies from a construction tax veteran and a former IRS attorney who now sits on the other side of the table.

Learning Objectives:

• Tax deferral tactics
• Current tax update
• New case laws that can affect you
• How to avoid an audit and how to prepare should one occur
• Overall strategies for reducing your tax burden

How are mobile devices, drones and wearable devices evolving everyday life of consumers? Get ahead of the learning curve and hear about the up-and-coming technology solutions your peers are already utilizing. This dynamic session will sort through the latest trends, solutions, and devices and how they will rewrite the rules for communication and efficiency. Attendees will discuss real companies that are researching and implementing the latest technologies, see demos of the next generation of technology, and review the technology tools and strategies they can implement today to be ready for the tech of tomorrow.

Learning Objectives:

• Review a brief history of virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearable devices
• Explore how drones are introducing consumers to data mobility, visualization, access, and efficiency
• Analyze case studies of how industry leaders are using innovative technology to inspire collaboration and design

During this comprehensive overview of transitioning the ownership of a construction company to key employees, family members, private equity firms, and other construction companies, attendees will learn ways to properly plan and identify techniques and strategies to address the current owner’s transfer and succession planning objectives, including: maximizing net cash from the transaction; evaluating the opportunity to keep family lineage involved in future ownership; considering long-term key executives’ ownership skills and resources; and considering outright sale to the marketplace. Each of these transaction options will be closely examined, including transaction party identification, transaction structuring, and transaction threats and opportunities, as well as net after-tax cash flow to seller and balance sheet repercussions to the buyer. Various examples and case studies will provide a detailed, in-depth look at alternative approaches and identify pros and cons to each type of transaction.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn what questions need to be addressed prior to the financial partners’ transaction approval.
• Participants will gain an in-depth look at the current advantages and disadvantages of various types of ownership transfer techniques specifically used in the construction industry.
• Participants will understand the tax implications, both positive and negative, for each type of transaction format evaluated.
• Participants will understand various ownership transition techniques by taking an in-depth look at various case studies to apply to their own transition strategies.
• Participants will learn how banks, surety firms and other underwriters analyze a contractor’s financial statement under each type of ownership redemption technique.

A leading Risk Manager of one of the largest North American construction companies, a senior claims accountant and Mr. Daar will address their experiences with current issues regarding builders risk claims, including resultant damage from faulty workmanship, design, DE-5 issues and the intracacies of proving a Delay in Start-Up claim after a major constuction loss.

Learning Objectives:

• Awareness of recent trends in builders risk coverage
• Learn coverage issues regarding DE-5 exclusions
• Address Delay in Start Up cliam issues

All contractors have key third parties that use their financial information and must be kept informed with timely, accurate data. Often, these third parties require different information and use it in various ways; if they typically work with GCs, they may not understand how a specialty trade contractor’s financial results may vary. This panel of a CPA, banker, surety agent, and GC prequalification manager will be moderated by a specialty trade CFO to explore how each party uses financial indicators to assess a contractor’s stability and study what factors are unique to specialty trade companies. Participants will gain an understanding of the primary differences between the key financial indicators and benchmarks of GCs vs. specialty trade contractors so that they can be prepared to explain any areas of concern. In addition, the specific data that matters most to each user, and why, will be discussed, helping participants to best tailor their reporting for maximum effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how the benchmarks used by third-party users are different from internal uses, and which internal benchmarks should be monitored to avoid surprises.
• Identify the primary areas of variation of benchmarks/indicators between GCs and sub-specialty contractors, and the reason behind them.
• Understand the different uses of financial data by bankers, sureties and pre-qualifications.
• Provide best practices for reporting and explaining financial information to each of these users, including how to avoid common pitfalls and frustrations in the reporting

From macros to workflows, the repetitive work of finance and construction processes are changing rapidly. Machine learning promises an automated future. This session will explore what can be achieved and what's coming in the next five years.

Learning Objectives:

• Know who will lead and what will follow with Automation
• Have Actionable Steps for Quick Wins in Automation
• Learn Business Process Checklists to Identify Big Leaps
• How Machines learn from Big Data in Construction Firms

This session will cover the advantages and disadvantages of construction equipment leasing arrangements. Learn how leases are currently recorded on financial statements and the impact on: bank underwriting; surety underwriting; prequalification criteria with federal, state, and local municipalities; and other users of the financial statements. The benefits of leasing, including tax deductions and potential other tax benefits under a leasing arrangement, will also be discussed. The session will also cover the changes to lease standards related to ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and will examine the FASB changes as they relate to operating leases. And, it will address the impact of the changes in the rules related to financial reporting and underwriting, balance sheet presentation, income statement presentation, footnote disclosures, and tax implications.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to understand potential other methods to secure equipment for construction projects outside of traditional lease and buy arrangements.
• Participants will gain an in-depth look at the current advantages and disadvantages of leasing equipment under an operating lease and a capital lease arrangement.
• Participants will gain an understanding of available tax benefits to the lessee and the lessor under an operating lease and a capital lease arrangement.
• Participants will develop an understanding of the recently issued lease accounting standard update and learn how to implement the related accounting changes at their Company.
• Participants will learn how banks, surety firms and other underwriters analyze a contractor’s financial statement under the current vs. proposed lease pronouncements.