2026 DBIA-SW Regional Conference + Golf Tournament Recap
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
Innovation in Action: Shaping the Next Era for Design-Build
On May 7–8, 2026, the DBIA Southwest Region brought together design-build professionals from across the region for two days of connection, collaboration, and real-world learning at The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa in Frisco, TX.
Event Recap
This year’s conference truly lived up to its theme, Innovation in Action. Across both days, attendees experienced what makes the design-build community unique: a willingness to share lessons learned, challenge conventional thinking, and collaborate in ways that move projects forward.
May 7 Golf Tournament Winners
A big congratulations to all of our players who made the day both competitive and fun!
1st Place Team
2nd Place Team
3rd Place Team
SPECIAL CONTESTS
Hole 1 – Longest Putt
Sponsored by Victaulic
Hole 8 – Closest to the Pin
Sponsored by Certerra
Hole 12 – Longest Drive
Sponsored by Garney Construction
(Not Pictured) Erin Deck – Kiewit
Hole 15 – Closest to the Pin
Sponsored by Tubbesing
May 7 DFW Airport Tour Highlights
While golfers took to the course, another group of attendees stepped directly into one of the most ambitious infrastructure programs in the country.
The DFW International Airport Design-Build Showcase Tour, "Modularity and Mission-Critical Design," offered a behind-the-scenes look at the $12 billion DFW Forward capital program, showcasing how design-build is being used to deliver complex, high-impact projects in an active airport environment.
It was a rare opportunity to see Design-Build Done Right® in action at scale, and a reminder that the best learning often happens in the field.
May 8 Conference Overview
Day 2 of the conference brought the Southwest design-build community together for a full day of shared learning, big-picture thinking, and practical application.
The morning began with the Plenary Breakfast & Anchor Session, “Don’t Outspend, Outsmart: The Behavioral Science of How Owners Actually Choose Design-Build Teams,” led by Joey Palomo of eCommerce Texas. Palomo challenged conventional thinking around procurement, offering a compelling look at how owners actually make decisions. His insights reframed the conversation for the entire day, emphasizing that winning work and delivering value start with understanding human behavior, not just technical qualifications.
From there, attendees moved into the first two rounds of breakout sessions. Across tracks including Water/Wastewater, Transportation & Aviation, Technology & VDC, and General/Vertical, sessions covered everything from Progressive Design-Build case studies to advanced collaboration strategies and emerging digital tools. These sessions were designed to translate ideas into action, giving attendees real-world lessons they could apply immediately in their own projects.
Midday, the community reconvened for the Plenary Lunch & Anchor Session, “The Evolution of Innovation: A Fireside Chat with Dr. James Broaddus and Lisa Washington,” moderated by Jon Mindrup of JE Dunn. This conversation brought together two of the most respected voices in the industry to reflect on how design-build has evolved and where it is headed next. Dr. Broaddus and Washington shared insights on leadership, collaboration, and the responsibility for shaping the industry's future.
Following lunch, attendees returned to breakout sessions for a third round of deeper dives. Conversations continued across sectors, exploring topics such as procurement strategy, risk management, digital delivery, and lessons learned from complex projects across the Southwest.
The day concluded with the Closing Plenary Session, “Predictive Preconstruction: Adding an Economist to the Team,” presented by Will Roberson and Brady Pollard of JE Dunn. This forward-looking session brought the full audience back together one final time to explore how economic data and predictive insights are reshaping preconstruction. It challenged attendees to think differently about how early decisions are made and how teams can better anticipate and respond to market conditions.
By the time the conference concluded, participants walked away with more than just insights—they left with a clearer understanding of how to apply those lessons in their own work and continue driving innovation across the design-build industry.
Thank You to Our Planning Committee & Volunteers!
Events like this do not happen without a tremendous amount of time, effort, and dedication behind the scenes.
A special thank you to our Conference Chairs, Joe Hutchinson and Conrad Hammond, for their leadership in bringing this event to life.
We are also incredibly grateful to our planning committee members, volunteers, speakers, and partners who helped create a seamless and impactful experience for our attendees.
We Want Your Feedback
We are always looking for ways to improve and build on this experience each year.
Please take a few minutes to complete our post-event survey and share your feedback
As a reminder, attendees can also use the survey to indicate which sessions they attended in order to receive DBIA continuing education hours.
Speaker Presentations
We are in the process of asking our speakers if we can share their presentations! Any slide decks we can share will be posted here! Come back for more information soon!
Breakout 1
No Looking Back: How Alternative Delivery Performed on the Billion Dollar Lake Ralph Hall Program
Elizabeth Boddicker - Upper Trinity Regional Water District & Ed Motley - Upper Trinity Regional Water District
More coming soon!
Breakout 2
Delivering a Critical-Path Building with Mass Timber: When Early Design Decisions Shape Site Reality
Vittorio Salvadori - TimberBLDR, Simon Siegert - TimberBLDR, Daniel Wirth - Minimal Impact Engineering
More coming soon!
Breakout 3
Using AI for AI implementations
Hugh Seaton - Quantum Rise
More coming soon!
Photo Albums
Relive the highlights from both days of the event.
May 7 – Golf Tournament
Photography by Sotos Fotos.
May 7 – DFW Airport Tour
May 7 – Reception
Photography by Sotos Fotos.
May 8 – Conference & Sessions
Photography by Sotos Fotos.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors for your support of the 2026 DBIA-SW Regional Conference + Golf Tournament.
Your investment in this event helps bring together the design-build community and supports the continued growth of collaboration and innovation across our region.
