104 th Annual Convention January 29-30, 2026 Little America Hotel
ANNOUNCEMENT SPONSORED BY
2025 AGC CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Brett Nielsen, President – Whitaker Construction Company
Serving as your Chairman of the Board for the past year has been a true privilege, and it has reinforced for me just how talented and resilient our AGC of Utah community is. This year’s convention theme, Build What Matters, couldn’t be more fitting as I look back at the progress we’ve made together. A major focus of my term has been growing and strengthening our industry’s up and coming leaders by establishing the Construction Leadership Committee (CLC) within the AGC of Utah. Watching this group gain momentum has been one of the most rewarding parts of my year. These young professionals are stepping up, getting involved, and bringing fresh energy into our association. Investing in them isn’t just good for our individual firms or the AGC, it’s essential for the future of our industry. Their development, their engagement, and their leadership truly matter. I’m also extremely proud of the work we’ve done on the legislative front. Our industry continues to face important challenges, and our presence at the Capitol has never been more significant. Through strong participation from our committees and members, we’ve strengthened key relationships, advocated essential infrastructure and workforce needs, and ensured that the construction industry remains a respected voice in Utah’s policy discussions. When our members show up, we make an impact, and this year you definitely showed up. To the Board of Directors, thank you for your guidance, collaboration, and dedication. This board has been engaged, thoughtful, and willing to lean into the work that moves our association forward. It has been an honor to serve alongside you. As I step aside, I am pleased to welcome Gary Ellis with Jacobsen Construction as the incoming Chair. Gary is a steady leader with a deep commitment to AGC’s mission. I know he will bring vision, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of purpose to the role, and I look forward to supporting him as he leads the association into 2026. Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the AGC of Utah staff. Their efforts often go unseen, and they are the engine behind our success coordinating, organizing, and elevating everything we do. They truly help us build what matters. Thank you to every member for your support this year. Your involvement, your ideas, and your dedication are what make this association strong. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as your Chairman and look forward to what lies ahead as we continue working to strengthen Utah’s construction industry. I hope to see you at the 104th Annual Convention to celebrate another year of building together.
2026 CONVENTION SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
workplace failures. Add the challenge of several trades working onsite along with cross-cultural communication, and it’s no surprise that teams can make or break the competitive advantage of any contractor. Recent discoveries in neuroscience illuminate how we can build better and more effective teams. In this session, Dr. Britt Andreatta will share the latest research about the brain and how to harness human biology to enhance collaboration, trust, and productivity. Discover key principles for maximizing the brain’s capacity to work effectively in teams and creating psychological safety, a cornerstone of high-performing teams. Leave this interactive session with new strategies for intentionally building the professional capacity of teams across all functions of your organization. (www.brittandreatta.com)
Thursday, January 29, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Awards Breakfast Honors Our Best
Celebrating excellence is at the heart of the AGC of Utah’s Annual Awards Breakfast. This long-standing tradition brings our industry together to recognize the people, companies, and projects that set the standard for quality and leadership each year. While every Convention event has its own significance, the Awards Breakfast stands apart. The contractors who have been honored will tell you receiving one of these awards is a moment that stays with you forever. Join us and be part of celebrating the achievements that shape our industry. Friday, January 30, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. Break
Breakouts
10:10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Seminars – Session #1 (50 minutes)
Option 1: Leaders Vs. Doers: Empowering Strengths On The Jobsite – Not everyone is meant to lead , and that’s a good thing. On a construction site, some of your strongest contributors shine as high-performing doers rather than future supervisors. This session explores how to recognize the difference, build career pathways that honor both strengths, and keep top doers engaged without pushing them into roles they don’t want or aren’t suited for. Attendees will learn practical strategies for evaluating talent, creating alternative advancement tracks, and celebrating success in ways that don’t require a promotion to leadership.
7:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Service/Supplier Expo
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Kick-Off Breakfast
Dr. Britt Andreatta “The Science of Team Excellence & Collaboration” More and more of today’s work is powered by teams. In fact, nearly 90% of today’s workers say they spend one-third to one-half of each day working in teams. Yet 86% of employees and executives cite a lack of effective teamwork and collaboration as a primary source of
Option 2: Developing Your Next Generation: The CLC Advantage – This panel conversation brings together national and local voices, including Ashley Phelps of Gilbane Construction and Future Chair of AGC of America, members of the AGC of Utah CLC Steering Committee, to show how the CLC develops emerging talent into high-impact leaders. Through real stories and clear examples, attendees will see how participation in the CLC strengthens communication, confidence, teamwork, and industry engagement for project engineers, project managers, estimators, and early-career staff. Executives will walk away understanding why investing in the CLC creates a stronger leadership pipeline, boosts retention, and equips their workforce to take on the next level of responsibility. Option 3: GCS Unfiltered: Raising The Bar For Subcontractor Success – General contractors know exactly what they need from subs to keep projects safe, on schedule, and built to standard and they’re ready to spell it out. This candid panel gives subcontractors direct insight into the expectations, qualifications, communication habits, and performance standards GCs look for when awarding work. Attendees will walk away with clear, actionable guidance on how to stand out, strengthen relationships, and position themselves as the kind of partner GCs want on every job.
Option 2: Level Up with AI - AI is advancing at record speed, bringing new tools that are reshaping how we work, communicate, and solve problems. This session gives a clear, accessible overview of the latest AI innovations and how you can use them to streamline tasks, boost productivity, and make smarter decisions. Perfect for anyone looking to understand what’s new and what’s next in the world of AI. Option 3: The 10/90 Principle - Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it , and mastering that 90% is where real power lies. In this breakout session, attendees will explore the 10/90 mindset and learn how to navigate stress, setbacks, and high-pressure situations with clarity and resilience. Through real examples and practical tools, participants will discover how to take ownership of their reactions, strengthen their emotional discipline, and create a more intentional, empowered approach to both work and life.
12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. Break
11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Break
11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Seminars – Session #2 (50 minutes)
Option 1: Fearless At The Front Of The Room – Public speaking is one of the most important , but most overlooked , skills in construction. Whether running a safety meeting or presenting to owners, your ability to communicate clearly can drive trust, safety, and productivity. This session gives construction professionals simple, practical tools to speak with confidence, structure their message, and connect with any audience, from the jobsite to the boardroom.
BUILD WHAT MATTERS
12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Membership Luncheon
Matthew Emerzian “Make it Matter” There are some stories that simply stop us in our tracks. Stories are so meaningful that they send a ripple effect of positive impact that literally transforms millions of lives. That is Matt’s story. That is what Making it Matter can truly do.
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join us for an evening centered on what truly defines our industry: people, purpose, and service. This year’s theme, Build What Matters, reminds us that our greatest impact comes not just from the projects we complete, but from the lives we touch along the way. At this year’s dinner, we’ll put that mission into action with hands-on service projects that allow every attendee to give back and make a difference , right there in the room, together as an AGC family. We’ll also honor the board members concluding their terms, welcome new leadership with Gary Ellis of Jacobsen Construction stepping in as Chairman and present the prestigious Eric W. Ryberg Award to a member whose character and contributions inspire all of us. As we celebrate 104 years of AGC, we’ll reflect on how far we’ve come and recommit ourselves to building what matters most: strong people, strong communities, and a strong future for our industry. Come ready to connect, serve, celebrate, and build what matters together.
After achieving incredible success in the music industry working on projects for the biggest artists in the world, including U2, Coldplay, Avril Lavigne and more, Matt’s life changed one Monday morning when he woke up with a crippling panic attack that would set him on a course to change the world in ways he never would have expected. Matt’s realization that everything he thought mattered all of the sudden didn’t, so he set out on a journey to rediscover life’s purpose and why he truly matters. In doing so, Matt’s life took various twists and turns as he discovered that mattering is at the heart of everything we do, intentional or not, and requires a recalibration that helped him see more clearly, live on purpose, and change how he shows up in the world. This discovery led to the Mattering Mindset , a methodology that has transformed the lives of millions of leaders, businesses, and lives around the world. In this grounded, impactful, and actionable keynote, Matt shares how to make purpose and impact tangible, that we are one discovery away from a life of true meaning, and that we all play an integral role in building the teams and organizations we dreamed of being a part of. His personal story and highly interactive keynote will transform your people and organization forever.
www.matthewemerzian.com
Thursday, January 29, 2026 8:00 am – 10:00 am Awards Breakfast Presentation Friday, January 30, 2026 7:00 am – 10:00 am – Registration/Sign-In 7:00 am – 2:15 pm Service/Supplier Expo 8:00 am – 10:00 am Kick-Off Breakfast – Dr. Britt Andreatta 10:00 am – 10:10 am Break 10:10 am – 11:00 am Seminar Session #1 – (50 minutes)
Option 1: Leaders vs. Doers: Empowering Strengths on the Jobsite Option 2: Developing Your Next Generation of Leaders: The CLC Advantage Option 3: GCs Unfiltered: Raising the Bar for Subcontractor Success
11:00 am – 11:10 am Break 11:10 am – 12:00 pm Seminar Session #2 – (50 minutes)
Option 1: Fearless at the Front of the Room Option 2: Level Up with AI Option 3: The 10/90 Principle
12:00 pm – 12:15 pm Break 12:15 pm – 2:15 pm Membership Luncheon – Matthew Emerzian 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Build What Matters Celebration
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