Note that the events below are optional and require an additional fee.

Challenges Restorers & Insurers Face when Working Together: Closing the Gap
Expert Panel: Paul Gross, CodeBlue; Dale Sailer, DKI; Rusty Amarante, CR, Belfor; Greg Mier, State Farm Insurance

Co-Moderators: Pete Consigli, CR, WLS, G. Pete Consigli Group; Brandon Burton, Dri-Eaz
This unique pre-convention workshop will be a constructive cross-industry discussion on the challenges and issues faced by restoration contractors and insurance claims professionals when working together for successful resolutions of insured losses that involve damage repair and restoration services.

Delivered in an interactive, moderated panel format, the panelists will represent the industry covering: a global leader in full service restoration, a leading network of independent full service restoration contractors in North America, a property damage repair management network, and a major property and casualty North American insurance company.

The restorer's viewpoint along with the viewpoint of an insurer and managed repair network will be delivered in frank and honest dialog to search out solutions to common problems that will benefit the victims of water and fire damage or other covered perils in an insurance policy. Additionally, position papers outlining the top challenges faced by each group will be presented, along with offering constructive solutions. An executive summary will be distributed to all workshop attendees.

RIA's Mold Refresher Continuing Education Course
Presenter: Michael Pinto, CSP, CMP, Wonder Makers Environmental, Inc.
This comprehensive course is specifically geared for those who need continuing education credits to maintain and update their knowledge in the mold and environmental fields. Prerequisites include attendance at either the Mold Remediation Technician or the Mold Remediation Supervisor courses; or attendee may hold an advanced designation in mold remediation. This is not an entry-level course. Required course book is Fungal Contamination, Second Edition, which is available through RIA's Bookstore at www.restorationindustry.org.

Note that the events below are optional and require an additional fee.

Strategies for Survival: Construction 3.0
Presenter: Ted Garrison, Garrison & Associates
As we emerge from the worst recession since the Great Depression, businesses in all industries find it's a new marketplace. Restoration professionals are encouraged to use a "whole-mind approach" in addressing industry challenges if they want different results.

This post convention workshop features keynote speaker Ted Garrison, offering strategies which can be used immediately to improve company performance and profitability using "Construction 3.0."

The Construction 3.0™ philosophy is a whole-brained approach that takes several separate successful initiatives, all of which have a common foundation, and molds them into a single comprehensive strategy that can redefine the restoration industry. At the heart of the strategy is the idea that value must be increased for all stakeholders because nothing else is sustainable. By combining these initiatives into a cohesive strategy, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

The key elements of the Construction 3.0™ philosophy include the following:
• A more effective leadership style and strategic thought process
• A value-driven approach to marketing
• An increased emphasis on innovation and collaboration
• An effective approach to risk management and increased emphasis on LEAN construction methodologies
• Maximum and effective use of technology and measurement

Practical take-away workshop applications include:
• Constructing strategies to exploit your competitive advantage
• Positioning your company as a problem-solver, not a peddler, so you never have to compete on price again
• Minimizing risk by developing a project-wide approach to risk management
• Creating a measurement process to increase performance and profitability

The result is a business workshop built on cutting-edge strategies and ideas from successful business people that offers action steps necessary for survival in today's hyper-competitive marketplace.

Project Management Workshop
Presenters: Chuck Violand, Violand Management; Tim Hull, Violand; Edward H. Cross, Edward H. Cross & Associates 
This day-long course is a new prerequisite for those pursuing their Water Loss Specialist (WLS). Taught by some of the industry's most knowledgeable (and entertaining) instructors, discussions will focus on:Risk Management: A Cradle to Grave Overview; The Estimating & Scoping Process; Sales & Negotiation: Part 1; Executing the Contract "Package;" Project Sequencing & Quality Control; Case Study Interactive Exercise; and Legal & Contracts. May be attended for CEC credits. (For more information on RIA's WLS certification, visit www.restorationindustry.org.)