Summary: It is time to invest in yourself and the future of the profession at the AIA 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition April 30–May 2 in San Francisco. Learn new approaches to sustainable design, build new professional connections, and return armed with solid business intelligence, trends, and knowledge.

As architecture firms struggle with the effects of the downturn, we will focus on the new $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which promises investment in housing and infrastructure and a much-needed boost to the architecture profession and construction industry. More than 15 workshops at this year’s convention examine the economy and its impact on your career, practice, or specialty, including career advice, portfolio development, and firm valuation.

“The convention is a valuable resource for architects to learn, network, gain credits, fulfill your 2009 sustainable design LU requirements—and get things done,” says AIA 2009 Convention Advisory Committee Chair Patricia Belton Oliver, FAIA. “When times get tough people go back to school.”

Education has always been the backbone of the annual convention, and this year’s convention, The Power of Diversity: Practice in a Complex World, is no exception. With 500 program offerings—workshops, seminars, tours, and expo education—attendees will delve into all aspects of the profession, from sustainability to liability. The wealth of programming means it is possible to earn a year’s worth of learning units in four days. There is a valuable line-up of continuing education and workshops that look the turbulent economy in the face and give architects the strategic insight and perspective needed to steer their businesses and careers.

A turbulent economy also affects architects at a personal level, as the profession faces layoffs and stalled projects. Courses such as Surviving the Recession: An Employee and Employer Guide and Career Management focus on the issues impacting individuals on a day-to-day basis. Special programs, such as job coaching, résumé writing, interviewing skills, and portfolio development are now on the schedule.

Many of the keynote speakers represent the global reach of this year’s theme, the power of diversity. “We wanted to give members a look at the rich array of ways to approach architecture and practice and do it from wherever—not just LA or New York, but Wisconsin, Nebraska, or Brazil,” Oliver points out. “This is a group of architects who’ve slipped into global practice with complete comfort and ease and are intimate with working internationally.”

According to Oliver, a diverse, international-minded outlook makes for sound business strategy. “The world is huge and offers up so many opportunities,” she explains. “Housing or health care may slow down one place, but it doesn’t mean it is dried up in South America or the Eastern European bloc countries. The skills you’ve acquired working in one city are transferable.”

The year’s convention will also feature a new, full–day workshop led by industry experts who will discuss how to refine your business model, enhance and innovate client services, and develop new business strategies that you can implement immediately.

Even as the architecture profession bears the brunt of this current financial downturn, it is not a time to batten down the hatches. It is a time to reach out for knowledge on a global scale to reevaluate your practice and consider different ways to get work. This year’s convention will help you navigate an ever-more complex world and will leave you not fearful for the future of architecture, but inspired and ready to embrace its diversity.