How to Plan a Conference Agenda and Schedule Speakers

The annual AGC conference is a multi-day event in November that draws some 500 people to The Hotel Captain Cook. The event features a variety of professional development tracks, a popular awards luncheon, a vendor trade show, and evening networking events, all of it capped off with a fun and fancy Saturday night dinner gala attended by about 640 people.

Tickets to the gala sell out within 10 minutes of availability.

“So, very clearly, our members and community see a lot of value in this event, and we’re so proud of it,” Sullivan says. “It’s an event our members have really come to enjoy after a busy construction season. I think it’s a testament to how unparalleled this event is for our industry. It’s a great networking event for the commercial construction industry across the state.”

AGC hosts other events throughout the year, from clay shoots to golf tournaments to luncheons. But the conference is the largest, most complex, and most sustained gathering of members as it unfolds across several days.

“We really aim to make sure this is an event where people can feel connected to the industry,” Sullivan says. “They’re getting great information to take back to their team. We’re really proud of that. There’s a big bang for the buck there.”

AGC’s membership is a prime example of a statewide network that wouldn’t have an opportunity to come together if not for the annual conference—which is notable given the volume of work that’s relationship-based, with companies enlisting various contractors, subcontractors, and vendors.

“Our members can oftentimes be competitors on bid days, but when they collectively come together for the greater good of the construction industry, it’s just really wonderful to see the camaraderie that happens,” she says. “It is so important for our members to have those connections. In construction especially, facilitating the opportunity for them to reestablish those partnerships and make new partnerships to help grow their business and help them build a better Alaska is something we’re really proud to help with.”

Sullivan credits an industrious and dedicated conference committee and subcommittees for building substance and meaning into their annual conference. “They spend months curating a speakers lineup,” she says.

Go-to topics include safety, agency updates, and contractor reports. At the most recent conference, topics on mental health and workforce recruitment and retention were well attended.

There can be roadblocks, Sullivan says, in recruiting speakers. Travel and weather can pose issues. “But I think there’s this great benefit of Alaska being a bucket-list destination for people,” she says. “You can work with the speaker so they can make the most out of their visit here. That can really help.”

The lure of visiting Alaska is an asset that Arctic Encounter has capitalized on, as well. Blackwell says thought-leaders and policy-makers who specialize in Arctic issues have a vested interest in experiencing Alaska.

“By and large, those who work in the climate and Arctic space are interested in extreme environments and environmental change and witnessing that firsthand,” Blackwell says. “We’ve leaned into that brand.”