A recap of events from the inaugural Phius Pro Forum that took place Oct. 21-23 in Providence, Rhode Island.
As with any first-of-its-kind event, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect with the inaugural Phius Pro Forum. But we knew going in that gathering our community to learn and share ideas is never a bad idea. And the inaugural Phius Pro Forum was no exception!
The Forum was designed to be a more intimate event than PhiusCon, offering ample opportunities for attendees to connect with each other and Phius staff. While the days were jam-packed with sessions and workshops, we were happy to connect with our community as is only possible when you’re under one roof. The opportunity to have deep-dive discussions with you all is an energizing reminder of all the great work being done throughout the country.
Those conversations also weren’t limited to the Rhode Island Convention Center, spilling over into several after-hours events hosted by the Phius Alliance and Phius Alliance Rhode Island chapter. The Rhode Island chapter event, hosted at a local architecture studio, saw nearly 100 people filter in and out, discussing the day’s events and ongoing projects in the region and beyond.
Providence provided the perfect setting for the event – mother nature did her part too – as attendees explored a variety of local restaurants and natural attractions.
The more focused nature of the Phius Pro Forum allowed for more detailed content, and most importantly limited the amount of times attendees were torn between attending two concurrent sessions. But don’t be mistaken, we believe less was more.
Each day of the Forum featured three tracks of programming, but many of the sessions were either half-day or full-day workshops. Both speakers and attendees appreciated the longer, more in-depth nature of the sessions, allowing for a deeper understanding of the topics and more time for questions. The full-day sessions included workshops on multifamily electrification, panelization and modular projects, and REVIVE 2024 (which included a group stretch to keep everyone locked in!). Day 2 featured an address from Dr. Joe Lstiburek, who explored the concept of the "Perfect Wall."
Each morning saw the entire group gather in the main ballroom for an opening address. This set the stage for each day of programming and provided an opportunity for attendees to connect and discuss the day ahead. We saved the best for last when it came to our morning programming, as the final day of the event featured a leading edge presentation by Walsh Construction’s Mike Steffen on passive building costs.
Speaking of saving the best for last, our closing keynote was presented by none other than Phius Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director Katrin Klingenberg, who capped the festivities with a reflection on our organization’s history and what she envisions for the future.
But that wasn’t all!
She also made several important announcements, including recognizing three longtime Phius staff members who have been instrumental in our success: Chief Building Scientist Graham Wright, Co-Executive Director Lisa White and Certification Program Director James Ortega. Without those three, we would not be anywhere near where we are today, so we’d like to offer them one more recognition here!
The closing keynote also included the introduction of new Phius Board of Directors President Kimberly Llewellyn. A longtime Phius supporter and dedicated member of our community, Kimberly is the perfect choice for the position and we look forward to working alongside her in the future!
And finally, we announced the return of PhiusCon next year! PhiusCon 2025 will take place next October in Milwaukee. Look out for updates in our email newsletters and social media.
We’d be remiss not to offer one more thank you to the speakers, attendees, sponsors, and Phius staff who made the inaugural Phius Pro Forum such a success. If you missed it, don’t worry – we’ll be at Greenbuild in just over a week and will be back with plenty more in 2025.
We’ll see you soon!