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The 2010 Architecture Conference and Product Show Committee is now accepting seminar proposals for its 12th annual conference.  This one-day event is co-sponsored by the Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) and Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Chicago Chapter. The committee is seeking non-proprietary programs with well-defined learning objectives, and presenters who are experts in their topics and experienced in presenting to a target audience.

Fifteen different seminars of 90 minutes/1.5 LU’s will be selected for five tracks:  Sustainable Design, Legal/ Business/Code, Green Standards, Technical, and Building Envelope. Seminar formats can be case studies, lectures, or panel presentations, and will be offered in one of the three sessions. It is preferred that seminars qualify for Health, Safety and Welfare.  Presenters will be requested to provide a PDF or link that can be offered to the attendees. Preferred topics will deliver the most current information on the latest techniques, trends and best practices that will enable design construction professionals to advance their knowledge and their practices.

Benefits

By becoming a presenter at the conference, speakers:

· maximize professional exposure

· share expertise

· enhance their leadership role in the profession

· become known as a valuable resource

· contribute to the continuing education of architects

· solidify your presence in the architecture community

· introduce yourself to new audiences

Marketing

In addition to visibility at the conference, presenters and program descriptions will be published in mailings to 8,000 design professionals in the Chicago and Midwest region, posted on the ALA and CSI website for four months, and included in each association’s publications. Although presentations must be of a generic, non-proprietary nature, the presenter and their company will be given credit during introductions. They may include their company logo on the first and last slides of the program, and on the first or last page of the handout.

Speakers will receive complimentary conference registration, including other seminars and the keynote. There is no fee or honorarium paid to presenters.

Evaluation Procedures

Potential seminar presenters must submit ELECTRONICALLY a completed application and any optional attachments that may further describe the proposed seminar to Lisa@LicensedArchitect.org.

A committee of ALA and CSI design professionals will rate and review each submission independently. Based on these ratings and review comments, the committee will then determine a balanced mix of topics that offer the most educational benefits to conference attendees and fit in the designated tracks.  Continuing Education: Seminars must contain 90 minutes of instruction. If the seminar was previously offered/registered as a 60-minute program, additional material must be added to qualify for 1.5 LU’s. In this case, most providers (including AIA) will require the provider to re-register under a different title and program number if it was previously registered for 1.0 LU’s.

Submissions will have a higher incidence of success if they incorporate some of the following characteristics:

· Technical content, clarity, quality and organization of ideas

· Speaker’s experience and knowledge of the subject matter

· Timeliness and relevance of topic to current industry and professional concerns

· Potential to contribute to a well-balanced program

· Practical application and universal appeal

· Uniqueness to this conference and previous year’s conferences; unduplicated

Deadline for Submission                   March 26, 2010

Notification                                       May 7, 2010

Please email the following application with the requested attachments to: Lisa@LicensedArchitect.org.  Questions call ALA: 847-382-0630 or CSI: 847-382-1924

About the Chicago Architecture Conference & Product Show

Now in its 12th year, this all-day event has attracted design professionals from a twelve state area, providing an opportunity to earn up to 6.0 Learning Units for Professional and State Requirements. Conference Registration has continued to grow and last year attendance was over 700, with seminar registration exceeding 350 professionals. Seminar presenters from across the country have been well received and a top reason 99% of last year’s attending professionals said they will return. 

Past presenters include: Patrick Ryan, CEO of Chicago 2016, the Bid for the Chicago Olympics; Adrian D. Smith, FAIA RIBA formerly of SOM; Robert Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief, Building Design+Construction; James R. DeStefano, FALA, FAIA, RIBA, CEO of DeStefano and Partners, Ltd. Three sessions of seminars are scheduled, with the exhibit hall open throughout the day.  

Drury Lane Conference Center is located in an upscale suburb of Chicago and convenient to O’Hare and major expressways.  There is free parking and a hotel on site.  A block of rooms will be available.

About ALA

The Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) is the second largest architecture association in Illinois and the USA recording a growth of 2600% in just eight years.  It is a national organization with over 1250 members and is known as a grass roots organization.  Its mission is to advance the architectural profession by fostering open communication through information, education and cooperation, and to support and improve the professional’s role in the built environment.   ALA has experienced record attendance at its dynamic programs and earned an excellent reputation with its numerous real services and its acclaimed magazine “Licensed Architect.”

About CSI

CSI Chicago is one of 43 chapters of The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), a professional association of 16,000 that provides technical information and products, continuing education, networking, and professional conferences to enhance communication among all building design and construction industry's disciplines.  The goal is to meet the industry's need for a common system of organizing and presenting construction documents. CSI's members include architects, engineers, specifiers, contractors, building owners, facility managers, and product manufacturers. Its policy of industry-wide membership has resulted in improved communication and unprecedented teamwork to develop innovative products and services of benefit to all involved in construction. 
(847)382-1924 www.csichicago.org