Last week, more than 180 members of the Commercial Painting Industry Association convened in the hill country of Austin, Texas, for the fourth annual CPIA Leadership Conference.
Held from Oct. 20–23 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa and co-hosted by the CPIA and Technology Publishing Company, the event brought together painting contractors and coatings, materials and equipment suppliers for three days of networking, learning and celebrating successes in the commercial painting industry.
Keynote Sessions, Educational Tracks
This year’s CPIA Leadership Conference agenda was highlighted by three keynote sessions, as well as educational sessions across three separate educational tracks: the Executive Track, the Operations Track, and — new to this year’s conference — the Emerging Leaders Track, a compilation of sessions designed for upstarting professionals looking to take their commercial painting businesses to the next level.
Adventurer, author and photographer Brian O’Malley opened the first full day of the conference on Monday morning with his keynote, “The Secrets of an Adventurer,” where he covered his lengthy list of world travels, recapping the sights seen and accomplishments achieved, such as the scaling of Mount Everest and numerous African safaris, and applied lessons learned from his experiences to inspire enterpreneurs to overcome their fears and chase their goals.
Next, Kory Bieg, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Texas at Austin and the founder of architecture, design and research firm OTA+, presented his keynote, “Artificial Intelligence.” In his presentation and in the following panel discussion, Bieg and the audience discussed the current utilization of AI in the coatings and construction industry, dispelled some of the myths and false projections surrounding AI, and set realistic expectations for what users can expect in implementing AI systems into their workflows in the future.
The final keynote session, delivered on Tuesday morning, saw Kevin Nolan of Nolan Consulting Group discussing how to optimize your own business knowledge to build a succession plan and set your company up for generational success in “Building Organizational Muscle.” The founder of his own successful painting company in his past life and a current endurance athlete, Nolan shared practical and motivational advice from his decades of industry experience.
Receptions, Special Events
The conference officially kicked off Sunday evening with sunset views and premium refreshments at the Opening Reception at the Omni’s Hill Country Pavilion, sponsored by Benjamin Moore. During the reception CPIA co-founder Steve Hester welcomed and thanked attendees and sponsors alike, and set the stage for what the next few days would offer.
After Monday’s full slate of sessions, attendees were bussed to Wanderlust Wine Company in vibrant East Austin, where Sherwin-Williams hosted an evening reception dubbed “The Austin Vibe Experience.” As live music played inside, guests had the chance to sample on-tap wines from around the world, taste a variety of food truck treats, create splatter-paint vinyl record art and converse with their colleagues in a casual and eclectic setting.
During lunch on Tuesday, Charlie Lange, editor of Commercial Painting magazine, presented the eighth annual Elevation Awards for outstanding commercial painting projects completed over the last year. The following winning projects will be profiled in detail in the winter issue of Commercial Painting:
-New Construction: Reed College Watzek -Sports Center, Siegner and Company;
-Floor Coatings: Santa Fe Trail Middle School, Uni Floor Inc.;
-Mixed-Use/Commercial: Palace Theatre at TSX Broadway, EverGreene Architectural Arts;
-Institutional: Texas Children’s Hospital, Cherry Coatings;
-Ancillary/Misc. Services: York County History Center, Ralph E. Jones; and
-Judges’ Choice: Painted Burro Restaurant, Arteriors Decorative Painting Inc.
Then, after the final Leadership Conference sessions wrapped late Tuesday, CPIA members again hopped the buses into downtown Austin to visit the famed Franklin Barbecue for a dinner reception sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. Forgoing the smoked meat monger’s notoriously long lines, CPIA members celebrated old and new friendships and all that they had learned over the past two days over Texas-style brisket, ribs, pies and other delectable selections.
Sponsors
The CPIA and TPC extend their thanks to the following sponsors, whose support made this year’s CPIA Leadership Conference the largest and most successful event to date.
Platinum Sponsors:
-Sherwin-Williams;
-Benjamin Moore;
-Uniflex;
-Purdy;
-Kynar Aquatec;
-Graco;
-Harsco;
-International Union Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT);
-Tower Sealants;
-Tex-Cote LLC;
-Abrasives Inc.; and
-The Wooster Brush Company.
Gold Sponsors:
-PPG;
-Behr Paint; and
-McBrayer & Associates.
Supporting Sponsor:
-AltaVista Strategic Partners.
