Best Performance by an Executive in a Leading Role

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Michael Allosso

Learn concrete ways to upgrade your next presentation. Designed to heighten presentation skills in personal settings as well as the board room and keynote speeches. How do you access creative energy? How do you begin and end? How do you transition? What is appropriate humor? All of these questions and more will be answered, demonstrated and performed in this fast-paced program.

Revenue Recognition Deep Dive

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Speaker: Tim Wilson and Tony Hakes – CFMA

This session will review the key differences between the current and proposed revenue recognition standards, and will also focus on the operational implications of the proposed new revenue recognition standard. Learn about separation of costs and revenues, input vs. output measures, loss accruals, warranty accrual requirements, cost capitalization differences, contract modifications, profit margin on materials, and variable consideration. Roll up your sleeves and prepare for a deep dive into the practical implications of changes in job cost accounting; WIP schedule calculations; revenue recognition calculations; software modifications; changes in communication between field operations and accounting; impacts on KPIs; and bonding relationships and best practices.

Developing Talent: Generating Success as your Family Business Evolves

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Greg McCann

Every family business is unique, but all share certain challenges, including looking at the need to recruit, retain, and motivate talent within and beyond that family. Within the framework of family businesses, how can you look to bring greater professionalization of talent to your family’s involvement, your management, and your ownership/governance? This workshop will help you find framework for seeing the stages of a multi- generational family enterprise and recognizing the normal tensions, challenges and opportunities to develop talent, and assessing the best practices for recruiting, retaining, and motivating talent.

Look in the Mirror: An Executive’s Role in Business Development

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Michael McLin – Maxim Consulting

In smaller companies, while everyone plays a role in sales and marketing, there is no person better at selling your company than the president and executive team members. The first step to effective business development is freeing up the executive team so that they can sell the work and close the sale. Critical to making this happen is strong organizational structure and process, and consistent execution of well-defined processes. Once this structure is in place, you have the time to evaluate your company’s potential for success, develop the strategy and ultimately align the marketing and branding to match the strategy so that the company, over time, can move to a dedicated sales force model.

Social Security & Retirement

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Robert Kron – Black Rock

As you approach retirement, it is more important than ever to understand the role that Social Security benefits can and should play in your overall retirement income plan.

Join us for an overview of:

• How Social Security benefits work for you and your spouse
• When and how to start receiving Social Security benefits
• Opportunities to increase your benefits throughout retirement

Interactive Break 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Learning doesn’t stop during the breaks. In addition to the networking and catching up with friends that you would expect at any meeting, breaks at NECA NOW will be opportunity to explore new topics, share experiences and gain insight.

During the breaks topic discussion leaders will facilitate conversations on a variety of subjects. One may deal with technology questions or features; another may handle implementing a new process; and another may delve into business decisions about developing a new area of expertise for your company.

The idea is to bring any leadership or business issue you are interested in to the meeting get the experience and insight from your peers.

NECA’s Premier Partners will be on hand to discuss the latest offerings and services that are available to electrical contractors and to join in the discussions.

Here are some of the topics that have been suggested –

• How do you manage business development in your company?
• What type of internal controls do you have on your office operations to prevent fraud? eg. Different people open mail from those who pay bill.
• Do you get management and field people together for team meetings on a regular basis?
• Do you encourage your management team to get involved with NECA chapter activities to interact with other contractors?
• How do I get started using prefab?
• How do you promote safety within your company?

It’s Showtime

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Michael Allosso

Designed to match the way we communicate and lead at work with our colleagues, employees and board members with the way we communicate at home with our partner, our children, guests and service people. Participants will be given tools to authentically maintain energy in both places with a special emphasis on how we honor others on a daily basis with our feedback. By the end, all will have at least two ways to maintain and accentuate excellence believably.

Business Development – Developing New Business for Electrical Contractors

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Mir Mustafa and Panel

NECA contractors from across the country will discuss the different ways their companies implement business development programs. No two methods are exactly the same; each strategy reflects the unique strengths and goals of these individual NECA contractors. NECA Director of Market Development Mir Mustafa will moderate the panel and field questions from participants. The business development panel will appeal to contractors with established business development strategies who want to expand, as well as to contractors who want to get started.

Process Before Planning: How to Utilize Your Family Involvement & Advisors More Effectively in Transitions

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Greg McCann

Family businesses are unique creatures. We all know that they are the economic engines that not only drive the U.S. (and world) economy, but also will create an estimated 78% of the new jobs that will lead us out of this great recession. Beyond their economic power they also, at their best, represent values-based decision making, longer-term thinking, and greater concern for their stakeholders. This workshop will teach a deeper understanding of how to effectively coordinate your family communication, values, and planning with your business; the ability to lead the re-visioning of your family’s involvement in your business to your stakeholders and advisors as a strategic advantage; and a framework to clarify the roles, expectations, and sequencing of your collaborative work with your team of advisors.

Trends That Drive Contractor Success

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Michael McLin – Maxim Consulting Technology

By 2020 Internet-connected devices will grow from 400 million today to 50 billion and smart phones will have the capability of storing and accessing as much information as IBM’s supercomputers. Technology will be even more critical in gaining new customers and recruiting key employees as everyone (employees, clients and competitors) will have hand-held access to the biggest, smartest, fastest computers in existence today and the workforce you hire has never lived without technology. Successful contractors understand the positive impact that technology has on business processes, the ability to respond to change, cost savings, efficiency and the bottom line.

Identifying, Developing and Retaining High Potential Leaders

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson – Maxim Consulting

Leadership development is once again on the forefront of executive’s thoughts as growth returns and the aging work force continues to leave the industry at an alarming rate. Realizing that leadership development efforts take years, this program presents a framework to identify those high potential leaders and to develop them using methods scaled down from the top companies in the world, so that they fit for any size of electrical contractor.

Cash is King Don’t let the Crown Slip

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Tony Stagliano, CFMA

Learn from a CFO, CPA, and surety professional as they address concerns about getting and keeping cash in today’s economy. Learn what a CFO and management team can do differently today, how to manage by numbers, how to fix common mistakes, how cash flow can affect your bond line, and what reports must be used in managing cash.

Recent Changes to the R&D Tax Credit

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Michael Siegel / alliantgroup

Did you know electrical contractors are eligible for highly lucrative tax credits for work they are likely already doing? In this interactive session, alliantgroup’s Managing Director, Michael Siegel, will be speaking about the recent changes to the Research & Development Tax Credit, which now allows hundreds of NECA members to benefit from this powerful incentive. Work with CAD/BIM, value engineering, design assist, system coordination, and PLC programming amongst many other activities qualify for the benefit. alliantgroup has helped NECA members save over $25 million through the R&D Credit. Michael, a licensed CPA, is a dynamic speaker who has a strong passion for helping businesses succeed.

Microgrid Installation Opportunities for Electrical Contractors

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Mir Mustafa

Microgrids are miniature versions of the larger grid. Because they can be disconnected from the utility grid and operated in island mode, they offer greater reliability while helping the utility grid stay balanced. They are an essential when dealing with on-site distributed generation (DG) from wind, solar, combined heat and power (CHP), and other assets. NECA contractors and microgrid experts will discuss what constitutes a microgrid, what it means for the host and utility, the anatomy of a microgrid, and most importantly how contractors can successfully deploy microgrid projects?

Tech Trends to Increase Productivity at Work and Home

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Joanna Pineda, Matrix Group International, Inc.

Technology, the Internet and mobile devices have changed everything in our lives — how we do business, how we communicate, how we learn, and how we have fun. Joanna Pineda will talk about the latest technology trends and what they mean for your business. iPad or Android tablet? What’s the best way to secure your laptop? What’s the best office suite app? She’ll also share her top 10 productivity apps, tools and gadgets.

Developing Talent: Generating Success as your Family Business Evolves

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Greg McCann

Every family business is unique, but all share certain challenges, including looking at the need to recruit, retain, and motivate talent within and beyond that family. Within the framework of family businesses, how can you look to bring greater professionalization of talent to your family’s involvement, your management, and your ownership/governance? This workshop will help you find framework for seeing the stages of a multi- generational family enterprise and recognizing the normal tensions, challenges and opportunities to develop talent, and assessing the best practices for recruiting, retaining, and motivating talent.

Managing Yourself for Optimum Personal Productivity

Afternoon Breakout Sessions 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson – Maxim Consulting

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Why is it that some people can accomplish a lot while others struggle to make it through their in-box? It is impossible to manage time but you can develop self-management skills to make you more focused and productive. This interactive and reflective session will identify the time wasters that prevent you from reaching your potential and provide you with 10 tips on how to maximize productivity!

Margarita Challenge 3:00 PM

Teams will have the task of creating the BEST MARGARITA this side of the Rio Salado using their “mixology” talent. Creative skills will be tested as teams compete against one another for the best Margarita recipe. The Margarita Challenge will tickle your taste buds and your funny bone as you watch your teammates perform in ways you’ve never seen before! This hilarious team-building activity increases communication skills, cooperation, task delegation, and performing under time constraints.

Location: Sunset Lawn

Bonfire and BYOI – Social Jam Session (Bring your own Instrument) 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Join other NECA members & staff in a collective “jam session.”

It’s Showtime

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Michael Allosso

Designed to match the way we communicate and lead at work with our colleagues, employees and board members with the way we communicate at home with our partner, our children, guests and service people. Participants will be given tools to authentically maintain energy in both places with a special emphasis on how we honor others on a daily basis with our feedback. By the end, all will have at least two ways to maintain and accentuate excellence believably.

Revenue Recognition Deep Dive

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: CFMA

This session will review the key differences between the current and proposed revenue recognition standards, and will also focus on the operational implications of the proposed new revenue recognition standard. Learn about separation of costs and revenues, input vs. output measures, loss accruals, warranty accrual requirements, cost capitalization differences, contract modifications, profit margin on materials, and variable consideration. Roll up your sleeves and prepare for a deep dive into the practical implications of changes in job cost accounting; WIP schedule calculations; revenue recognition calculations; software modifications; changes in communication between field operations and accounting; impacts on KPIs; and bonding relationships and best practices.

Recent Changes to the R&D Tax Credit

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Michael Siegel / alliantgroup

Did you know electrical contractors are eligible for highly lucrative tax credits for work they are likely already doing? In this interactive session, alliantgroup’s Managing Director, Michael Siegel, will be speaking about the recent changes to the Research & Development Tax Credit, which now allows hundreds of NECA members to benefit from this powerful incentive. Work with CAD/BIM, value engineering, design assist, system coordination, and PLC programming amongst many other activities qualify for the benefit. alliantgroup has helped NECA members save over $25 million through the R&D Credit. Michael, a licensed CPA, is a dynamic speaker who has a strong passion for helping businesses succeed.

Microgrid Installation Opportunities for Electrical Contractors

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Mir Mustafa/NECA

Microgrids are miniature versions of the larger grid. Because they can be disconnected from the utility grid and operated in island mode, they offer greater reliability while helping the utility grid stay balanced. They are an essential when dealing with on-site distributed generation (DG) from wind, solar, combined heat and power (CHP), and other assets. NECA contractors and microgrid experts will discuss what constitutes a microgrid, what it means for the host and utility, the anatomy of a microgrid, and most importantly how contractors can successfully deploy microgrid projects?

Process Before Planning: How to Utilize Your Family Involvement & Advisors More Effectively in Transitions

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Greg McCann

Family businesses are unique creatures. We all know that they are the economic engines that not only drive the U.S. (and world) economy, but also will create an estimated 78% of the new jobs that will lead us out of this great recession. Beyond their economic power they also, at their best, represent values-based decision making, longer-term thinking, and greater concern for their stakeholders. This workshop will teach a deeper understanding of how to effectively coordinate your family communication, values, and planning with your business; the ability to lead the re-visioning of your family’s involvement in your business to your stakeholders and advisors as a strategic advantage; and a framework to clarify the roles, expectations, and sequencing of your collaborative work with your team of advisors.

Technology Trends That Drive Contractor Success

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Michael McLin – Maxim Consulting

By 2020 Internet-connected devices will grow from 400 million today to 50 billion and smart phones will have the capability of storing and accessing as much information as IBM’s supercomputers. Technology will be even more critical in gaining new customers and recruiting key employees as everyone (employees, clients and competitors) will have hand-held access to the biggest, smartest, fastest computers in existence today and the workforce you hire has never lived without technology. Successful contractors understand the positive impact that technology has on business processes, the ability to respond to change, cost savings, efficiency and the bottom line.

Managing Yourself for Optimum Personal Productivity

Morning Breakout Sessions A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson – Maxim Consulting

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Why is it that some people can accomplish a lot while others struggle to make it through their in-box? It is impossible to manage time but you can develop self-management skills to make you more focused and productive. This interactive and reflective session will identify the time wasters that prevent you from reaching your potential and provide you with 10 tips on how to maximize productivity!

Interactive Break 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Learning doesn’t stop during the breaks. In addition to the networking and catching up with friends that you would expect at any meeting, breaks at NECA NOW will be opportunity to explore new topics, share experiences and gain insight.

During the breaks topic discussion leaders will facilitate conversations on a variety of subjects. One may deal with technology questions or features; another may handle implementing a new process; and another may delve into business decisions about developing a new area of expertise for your company.

The idea is to bring any leadership or business issue you are interested in to the meeting get the experience and insight from your peers.

NECA’s Premier Partners will be on hand to discuss the latest offerings and services that are available to electrical contractors and to join in the discussions.

Here are some of the topics that have been suggested –

• How do you manage business development in your company?
• What type of internal controls do you have on your office operations to prevent fraud? eg. Different people open mail from those who pay bill.
• Do you get management and field people together for team meetings on a regular basis?
• Do you encourage your management team to get involved with NECA chapter activities to interact with other contractors?
• How do I get started using prefab?
• How do you promote safety within your company?

Best Performance by an Executive in a Leading Role

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Michael Allosso

Learn concrete ways to upgrade your next presentation. Designed to heighten presentation skills in personal settings as well as the board room and keynote speeches. How do you access creative energy? How do you begin and end? How do you transition? What is appropriate humor? All of these questions and more will be answered, demonstrated and performed in this fast-paced program.

Cash is Still King – Don’t let the Crown Slip

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Tony Stagliano, CFMA

Learn from a CFO, CPA, and surety professional as they address concerns about getting and keeping cash in today’s economy. Learn what a CFO and management team can do differently today, how to manage by numbers, how to fix common mistakes, how cash flow can affect your bond line, and what reports must be used in managing cash.

Look in the Mirror: An Executive’s Role in Business Development

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Michael McLin – Maxim Consulting

In smaller companies, while everyone plays a role in sales and marketing, there is no person better at selling your company than the president and executive team members. The first step to effective business development is freeing up the executive team so that they can sell the work and close the sale. Critical to making this happen is strong organizational structure and process, and consistent execution of well-defined processes. Once this structure is in place, you have the time to evaluate your company’s potential for success, develop the strategy and ultimately align the marketing and branding to match the strategy so that the company, over time, can move to a dedicated sales force model.

Social Security and Retirement

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Robert Kron – Black Rock

As you approach retirement, it is more important than ever to understand the role that Social Security benefits can and should play in your overall retirement income plan.

Join us for an overview of:

• How Social Security benefits work for you and your spouse
• When and how to start receiving Social Security benefits
• Opportunities to increase your benefits throughout retirement

Identifying, Developing and Retaining High Potential Leaders

Morning Breakout Sessions B 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Speaker: Bruce Wilkinson – Maxim Consulting

Leadership development is once again on the forefront of executive’s thoughts as growth returns and the aging work force continues to leave the industry at an alarming rate. Realizing that leadership development efforts take years, this program presents a framework to identify those high potential leaders and to develop them using methods scaled down from the top companies in the world, so that they fit for any size of electrical contractor.

Plenary Session 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Speaker: BridgeWorks

When Generations Collide

The Conference’s Second Plenary Session, When Generations Collide, is brought to us by The Generations People who are part of BridgeWorks’ multigenerational team of experts and speakers enlighten, motivate, and offer practical solutions for solving the generational issues that plague today’s workplace and marketplace.

Desert Dessert Party 8:00 PM

Join us at The Kivas for a Western dessert, drinks and dancing party that will have you celebrating up a storm! Sample great dessert specialties and then dance off the calories to high-impact, top-notch contemporary country and country rock — from Hank Williams to Pink Floyd, ZZ Top to The Who. Additionally, you can try your hand at Cowboy Games like Quick Draw and Roller Roper or gaze through a high-powered telescope and learn mysteries of the sky from an astronomer!

Location: Desert Kivas

Golf Tournament

In this tournament everyone will play their own ball. Awards will be given to the foursomes that place first, second, and third. There will be prizes for Men’s and Women’s Closest to the Pin and Men’s and Women’s Longest Drive.

The Faldo and Palmer courses at Wildfire are hosting the RR Donnelley LPGA Golf event March 11–17, which will leave the courses in excellent shape for the NECA Now Golf Tournament!

You can request your foursome or we can place you in one based on your handicap. For any questions please contact Katie Nolan, katie@necanet.org. Fee $159 (Golf fee include greens fees and cart – additional tournament options include foursome registration, club rentals ($65) & handicap entry)

Location: Wild Fire Golf Club

Networking Reception 6:30 PM

As the sun sets on the Sonoran desert, join us on the Ballroom Lawn for a reception to kick off NECA Now. This will be an evening full of food, music and networking with the southwestern flair that Arizona is known for. You will be able to take a tethered ride up in a hot air balloon with a magnificent view of the entire Valley of the Sun. The musical entertainment for the evening will be both fascinating to listen to and to watch.

Location: Ballroom Lawn

Conference Opens-First Plenary Session 5:00 PM

Speaker: Marshall Goldsmith

NECA NOW’s First Plenary Session Focuses on Leadership Lessons delivered by one of the world’s most influential business thinkers, executive coach and best-selling author Marshall Goldsmith, at our first plenary session on Monday afternoon, April 15.

Leadership Breakfast 7:30 AM

The Leadership Breakfast will take place before the District Council meetings and features remarks from National leaders. Anyone attending a District Council meeting is invited to attend the breakfast.

Location: Grand Canyon 6