The Dirt World Summit 2023 was organized by BuildWitt and sponsored by Ariat. It was a one-of-a-kind three-day event held in Houston, Texas. The summit was attended by some of the biggest contractors in the industry. All with a mindset of “The Dirt world needs to connect and grow to solve industry’s worsening challenges.”
Here is a brief account of the Summit and our experience at the event.
Highlights of the Dirt World Summit 2023
Several key speakers delivered breakthrough sessions on business leadership and the dirt world challenges.
Jocko Willink - Former operation and military professional; Joe Hart - CEO of Dale Carnegie; Dave Turin - Mining on the Discovery Channel; Elizia Paul - Houston District Engineering; Wally Adamchik - Firestarter, were some of the notable speakers.
Day 1 was on improving leadership skills and how to influence others by former Navy SEALs and combat veterans Jocko Willink and Jamie Cochran. While day 2 was on workforce challenges and ways to address them.
The key highlight - Day 2’s educational session on talent retention stood out. Speakers discussed effective ways to address workforce issues in the current economic climate.
Additionally, several entrepreneurs, contractors, and enthusiasts talked about the key challenges they are facing in the industry right now. These included:
- How to survive tough times in the industry?
- How to tackle recruitment issues?
- How do you influence youths to be part of the dirt world?
Image Source: BuildWitt
Aaron Witt, the CEO of BuildWitt, says, “There are many industry events partially covering leadership and workforce, but none entirely dedicated to it. Until now…”
It was interesting to see how different people from the industry were all united to solve common business problems. There was not even a single dull moment. Each session was on the money.
Crucial Topics Addressed at the Dirt World Summit
Here are some critical challenges addressed at the event -
- Construction jobs are not getting filled faster despite higher industry opportunities. In 2031, nearly 41% of the industry's workforce will retire; however, most millennials are not enthusiastic to join. It means millennials are interested in something other than getting their hands dirty. Also, they feel the industry work is not stable as work can get over as soon as a construction project is over.
- The construction production rate is still not equal to the market demand. Since the youth section is not actively engaging with the dirt world’s working community, the production rate is not yet equal to the market demand. This mismatch is impacting the completion of existing construction projects.
- About the need for more people-centric leadership & open talks on mental health in the construction industry. The Dirt world needs a people-centric leadership focusing more on the humane part of the job, the crew's safety, mental health, and concerns.
Meet & Greet Sessions with Industry Leaders
Beam AI’s Enterprise AE, RC Orlan, got an incredible opportunity to meet industry experts and collect many insightful findings. He met with Marvin Joles - Owner of Blacktop Banter, Luke Eggebraaten - Founder and Managing Partner of Phaser Marketing, and Ryan Priestly - President of Priestly Demolition, among others.
In his words:
"Thrilled to have had the incredible opportunity to connect with some of the brightest minds in the industry at the Dirt World Conference!......... Can't wait to see everyone in San Antonio next year!"
Team Beam AI had a fantastic time at the Dirt World Summit 2023. We have gathered several invaluable insights to improve our customer experience and build the best technology stack for the Construction industry in the times to come.
Wrapping Up
The construction industry is no stranger to challenges. Time and again, the resilience of the industry has come to the fore to solve problems with groundbreaking innovation. Dirt World is a great opportunity to brainstorm and network - a place to build capacity like no other.
If you’re facing challenges with your takeoff process, Beam AI is here to help. With Beam AI, you get end-to-end automated takeoffs - so that you can save up to 90% time on takeoffs and send out up to 30% more bids.
Contact us at sales@attentive.ai for more information. Keep an eye on our blog section for more insights on the upcoming conferences.
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