This program provides an overview of the body of knowledge that every Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) should know. Takeaways will include the seminar workbook, CFMA’s Study Guide for the CCIFP exam.

This interactive workshop will provide opportunities to put the public speaking tips presented into practice. You will learn how to improve your confidence and effectiveness when making presentations by practicing, observing, &/or providing feedback on multiple short presentations. Facilitators and participants will offer constructive feedback to help everyone polish their presentation skills. Limited capacity. Pre-Registration is required, along with Pre-Work: developing a 5-minute presentation that you will deliver to the larger group. Pre-work details will be emailed upon registration.

In this session, lawyers will conduct a dynamic mock trial on legal matters near and dear to the construction financial professional’s heart — payment, change order, and delay disputes. The trial will address payment applications, change orders, field directives, liquidated damages, labor inefficiencies, delays, and other common obstacles to getting paid. Participants will be sworn in as jurors and charged with considering testimony, evaluating exhibits, questioning witnesses, and deliberating on a final verdict.

Based on one of the core courses of the Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) certification, this all-day preconference seminar examines the scope of coverage provided under the commercial general liability (CGL) policy with an emphasis on key provisions that impact contractors. Learn how the policy applies to some of a contractor’s biggest exposures, such as pollution, contractually-assumed indemnification obligations, and damage to the project under construction. Common endorsements that broaden or restrict the scope of coverage, or otherwise alter the basic policy terms and conditions, are also reviewed. Whether you work for a contractor, or assist contractors in some aspect of their risk management program, you will leave this course with takeaways you can put to use immediately. Attending this course will also put you well on your way to passing the corresponding course in the CRIS curriculum.

Learn how to make important points and influence decision-makers by using stories to make financial information relevant and meaningful for your audience. In this unique session, you will discover how to communicate with stakeholders to achieve better results and, by interacting with your peers and using a case study, draw from your own and others’ experiences to craft a financial story that will move your audience into action.

Engage in a highly interactive, challenging, and fun ethics learning game, the e-Factor®! After reviewing AICPA Code of Professional Conduct updates and resources, attendees will bring to life real business ethics scenarios via this educational board game. Working with peers and experts, you’ll actually practice solving ethical dilemmas through this competitive team-based approach. Many business issues that we face have an ethical dilemma at their core - this session will provide practical lessons that you can take out of the workshop to apply at work and elsewhere. Plus..there will be prizes for the winners – though you just can’t lose when learning!

Cash flow is one of the most important issues facing contractors today. As the market continues to stay strong, companies are faced with starting new projects, hiring staff, and investing in assets to support the business. More companies go bankrupt due to cash flow issues than due to profitability. Many things can and should be done to improve cash management practices. We will explore a range of tools and techniques, from simple to complex, that allow firms to manage and control cash flow. Examples include contractual negotiation strategies, pricing and bidding practices, development of cost and resource-loaded schedules that tie to billing activities in the schedule of values, use of 12-week cash flow forecasts, project closeout procedures, and managing the billings and collection cycle. An interactive cash flow simulation provides hands-on experience that enhances the learning outcomes.

This session will take a varied approach to address the complexities of current construction taxation issues. Through presentation, panel discussion, and Q&A you will learn how to maximize profitability on out-of-state projects and add value to ownership transitions. Subject matter experts will share the tips, tricks, and traps in construction taxation, and together you will explore the Tax Planning Opportunities Contractors Don’t Want to Miss.

In this uniquely entertaining educational event, your team will operate as a construction company by selecting and managing strategic initiatives that need to generate the greatest profitability. This learning game presents risks, obstacles, and rewards to challenge your construction financial management expertise, collaborative decision-making, and communication skills. Enhance your ability to evaluate strategic initiatives by working with other industry professionals to win the game. There will be prizes for the winners — though you just can’t lose when learning!

Take a deep dive into work-in-progress (WIP) so that you know what to look for and what questions to ask when reviewing a job schedule. Construction financial professionals can help turn bad jobs around if they're able to identify warning signs early on. This course also helps explain the nuts and bolts of how to account for loss jobs and recognizing change orders.