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Join us for an interactive group discussion with a general contractor panel to lead an explorative conversation about the project budget development process as it pertains to private-sector clients. 

Our goal is to provide clarity and innovative insights that will help you…
•    Understand + identify the reasons for the current increase in construction costs and new ways to mitigate
•    Develop techniques to educate clients and engage them more throughout the project lifecycle
•    Streamline the design process by setting accurate budgets early on, ideally preventing redesigns and potential income loss for clients.
•    Initiate more productive and impactful client interactions right from the project's inception.
•    Discover + discuss indirect factors that drive up costs that are not as widely known and often overlooked.

Who Should Attend?
•    MARKETERS & BUSINESS DEVELOPERS looking to further develop their construction knowledge and enrich future conversations with potential + current private sector clients.
•    PRINCIPALS & OWNERS looking to learn from the panel discussion, offer constructive feedback, and better help support their teams.

Schedule:

8:30am – Breakfast and registration 
9am – 9:10am – Welcome + Intros
9:10am – 10am – Panel Discussion

MODERATOR:

Perryn Olson, FSMPS, CPSM, CCMP - Chief Marketing Officer, REX.one

Perryn Olson, FSMPS, CPSM, CCMP manages marketing at REX Construction, REX Engineering, and REX Technology, including SuperDroid Robots. He is a sought-after B2B marketer focused on high-growth initiatives that integrate business development, recruiting, culture, and marketing.

He is a certified marketer with SMPS and the Construction Marketing Association, past president of SMPS Southeast Louisiana, and past co-chair of SMPS Southern Regional Conference. He has spoken and written extensively within the build and tech industries, and in 2014, he wrote the Construction Executive’s Guide to Brand Marketing and is quoted in numerous marketing publications.

PANELISTS:

Sarah Busch, LEED AP - Vice President of Operations, Landis Construction

Sarah Busch brings over 25 years of construction management experience to her present role as Vice President of Operations for Landis Construction. As such, she represents continuity of thought for the Owner, Owner Representative, and Design Team, all the way from project conception through preconstruction and operations phases. After obtaining a bachelor’s from Hollins University, Busch began her construction career as an intern working on the Harrah’s Casino project in the summer of 1998, and advanced steadily over the years to her current role. An authority on scheduling and site logistics, Busch has led construction teams to successful delivery of noteworthy projects in hospitality, education, multi-family, and historic renovation including numerous buildings at Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans), 425 Notre Dame Condominiums (New Orleans), and the iconic Hotel Monteleone (New Orleans). Busch is active in Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), guest lectures annually at Tulane School of Architecture, and is the current Board Chair for local nonprofit unCommon Construction.

Ryan Myers - Senior Estimator, Gibbs Construction

Ryan Myers is a senior member of the Gibbs Construction preconstruction team, bringing with him the wealth of more than 25 years of construction experience. He has been involved at every level of the commercial building process, from preconstruction, estimating, and business development to operations and executive leadership.

Ryan began his construction career at age 15 working in the field during summer breaks, graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from LSU and was a combination project manager/estimator for the first chapter of his career. In 2004, Ryan developed a preconstruction division in which he created new estimating systems and processes from scratch and formed cohesive teams as well as industry partnerships.

Ryan’s executive level experience combined with his serving on numerous project team selection committees as well as executive peer groups has given him valuable insight towards understanding how client’s objectives can be vastly different from project to project as well as the importance of establishing realistic budget goals in the early stages of project development and how to protect them throughout the design process. 

Over the last 4 years, our national and regional economies have experienced unique challenges and dramatic increases in construction costs.  With the recent rise in interest rates, Ryan recommended that we have this open forum panel discussion to discuss and help each other through this challenging time in our industry.

Bryan Hodnett - Vice President of Business Development, DonahueFavret Contractors

Bryan joined DonahueFavret Contractors in 2012 and has served many roles since that. He started his career in the Operations Department where he has successfully managed a wide variety of projects including hotel renovations, hospital additions, restaurants, historic rehabilitations, multifamily, and retail projects. Bryan is currently the Vice President of Business Development. In this role, he oversees the Business Development Department as well as the Marketing Team. He also works closely with the Operations and Preconstruction Departments. In 2016, Bryan was elected to the Board of Directors of DonahueFavret Contractors and became a vice president and shareholder in 2019.

Bryan received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and his Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. His civic activities include serving on the Board of Directors of Family Promise of St. Tammany and is actively involved in organizations such as GNO Inc, ABC, ULI, and LABI. He is a graduate of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute.