It's almost that time of year again when construction-industry leaders gather in the nation's capital to share information that will help them—individually and collectively—set the course for business in the year to come. This year's McGraw-Hill Construction Conference Series, October 21–23, in Washington, D.C., offers a hat trick of special events: The 64th annual Outlook Executive Conference, ENR Construction Summit, and the Business Week/Architectural Record/AIA "Good Design Is Good Business" Awards Gala. The series is sponsored by McGraw-Hill Construction, the AIA's strategic partner composed of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering-News Record, Design Build, and construction.com. During the conference, you can attend continuing-ed sessions and earn up to five AIA/CES learning units.

The 64th annual Outlook Executive Conference will offer the solutions and insight you need in planning for organizational growth, specifically economic forces at work today that affect future construction activity; sectors of the construction industry that offer the best near-term opportunity; and political, social, and environmental trends that will most affect the construction industry. Speakers include:
• Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, AIA chief economist
• Bob Murray, vice president, economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction
• David Wyss, chief economist, Standard & Poor's Homeland Security Panel
• Edward Friedrichs, president and CEO, Gensler and Associates Architects
• Thomas Leppert, chairman of the board and CEO, The Turner Corporation.

The ENR Construction Summit, also called "The Owners' Summit," provides a interactive forum for senior executives to discuss key issues affecting the construction industry. Now in its sixth year, the summit will play host to some 300 high-level professionals from around the globe. Discussion topics include:
• Evolving owner requirements
• Beta testing construction innovation—materials and methods
• What makes the perfect owner
• Creating true partnerships among owner, designer, and contractor
• The successful hand-off: exporting the model of the pharmaceuticals industry.

Business Week/Architectural Record/AIA "Good Design Is Good Business" Awards Gala, honoring the 18 finalists selected to receive these awards, recognizes the relationship between owner and architect and demonstrates the best practices needed to achieve corporate goals through design. The program, also in its sixth year, jointly acknowledges architects and owners. This year's gala takes place in the historic National Building Museum Great Hall, one of the grandest spaces in all of Washington, D.C. All 18 finalists will be honored, and the "best of the best" will be announced.

The finalists are:
• University of Pennsylvania Department of Facilities and Real Estate Services, Philadelphia, by MGA Partners for the University of Pennsylvania
• Valeo Electrical Systems, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, by Davis Brody Bond for Valeo
• Arcs de Seine, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, by Skidmore Owings & Merrill for HRO Group
• Toys "R" Us, New York City, by Gensler for Toys "R" Us
• Abercrombie & Fitch Headquarters, New Albany, Ohio, by Anderson Architects for Abercrombie & Fitch
• Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York City, by Daniel Rowen Architects for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
• Trumpf Customer and Technology Center, Farmington, Conn., by Barkow Leibinger Architects for Trumpf America
• ING Direct, New York City, by Gensler for ING Direct
• Multi-Use Centre, Albany, New Zealand, by JASMAX Limited for Dominion Funds Ltd.
• The Boeing Leadership Center, St. Louis, by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum for the Boeing Company
• Texas Children's Hospital Clinical Care Center, Houston, by FKP Architects for Texas Children's Hospital
• Gasometer B, Simmering, Vienna, Austria, by Coop Himmelblau, Prix & Swiczinsky GmbH for GPA/WBV, Wohnbauvereinigung der Privatangestellten
• Cellular Operations Headquarters, Swindon, UK, by Richard Hywel Evans Architecture and Design for Cellular Operations
• Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Gateshead, UK, by Wilkinson Eyre Architects for Gateshead Council
• KeySpan Park Stadium, Brooklyn, N.Y., by Jack L. Gordon Architects for New York City Economic Development Corp. and the Brooklyn Baseball Corporation
• Hansen Construction Office Remodel, Aspen, Colo., by Harry Teague Architects for Hansen Construction
• Allsteel Headquarters, Muscatine, Iowa, by Gensler, for AllsteelInc.
• Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, by NBBJ for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Participants can choose to attend one, two, or all three events. For more information, visit Contruction.com. To register, log on or call 212-727-3820.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.