After a hiatus of a decade of going to out-of-town industry conferences, I recently was able to attend the ULI Fall Meeting in San Francisco. After living through two ICSC meetings a year and several USGBC GreenBuild gatherings over my prior 15+ years, I thought I was done and didn’t see a lot of value to bring back to our little boutique civil firm in Indianapolis.

I was wrong. For so many reasons.

Relationships – I remember literally running from meeting to meeting to drinks to dinner to whatever (especially at ICSC). What I experienced was a pretty natural enjoyable social time that reinforced relationships I already had. Nobody wants to have to travel 2200 miles to meet with people from your home town, but seeing my people that I hadn’t connected with in a minute and getting into a different social dynamic with those I already know was a great bonus. More than “business connections” – that’s how friends are made.

The Built Environment – Every place is different and taking the time to really see what’s special can be game changing. San Francisco pays attention to its public spaces – big and small – and it is intentional about it. Turning a corner in a development that was completed in 2019 and seeing a cutout that frames a plaza or a midcentury building perfectly is just thoughtful – and it happens again and again walking the City.

The Priorities – Obviously, the tour and sessions which I chose drove this impression, but it really does feel like priorities for projects are starting to shift. How the users of a space, both before and after the development, are having much more of a driving impact on projects. Although not purposeful, this thread traveled through my tours, personal interactions, and sessions. Through affordable housing, adaptive re-use, and even parks, much more attention is being paid where it should be.

Serendipity – I could talk about this all day. Be open to the opportunities in front of you. I had a couple of chance meetings that have already paid off in connections after the conference AND in the way that I think about projects and approaches. Whether it’s a student, a salesperson, a businesswoman dressed to the nines, or a disheveled landscape architect – being open to conversations and connections really made the time between worthwhile. Side note here – While on a tour I noticed a marquee for a concert not far from my hotel. It was an artist I’d always wanted to see, but never had the chance to see and was during a time when I didn’t have anything planned. You bet I went.

Room to Grow – Not for me, but for my team. If I’m honest, the biggest reason I haven’t been to a similar conference in a few years is because I didn’t feel like I could. It benefitted the company, clients and employees for me to be in to answer questions and coordinate deadlines. I took the jump (after making some changes over the past couple of years) and it probably benefitted them more to collaborate and solve issues on their own than if I HAD been in the office.

At the end of the day, it was not about the amount of revenue I could win or new project possibilities. It was about the connections and enthusiasm – which will grow into value for our company, our Clients, and ultimately our community!