The 18th annual edition of Arc US took place on November 2-5, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. It’s 3 days of the year when America’s most sought after senior architects and designers down tools and come together. And come together they did. 162 Principals and Heads of Specification from the big architecture firms (Think Gensler, HOK, Perkins and Will, HDR, AECOM, Jacobs) - you name them, they were there.
If you want in on the major commercial projects, these are the decision makers you need to make friends with.
For 3 whole days and nights, these super-busy commercial project leaders were able to indulge in all the things that only America’s number 1 architect meeting and networking event can provide: some quality time with their true peers, a world-class seminar programme and a chance to get to know the most innovative and helpful building and interior product experts on the planet. All-in-all, about a year’s worth of information, inspiration and relationship building in just a few days. That’s why they come.
Quality Time with America's Best Architects
"Right crowd and right place"
Omer Ozbek, Regional Sales Manager, Alpolic
The following review will give you an idea of who came and what happened, if you weren’t able to make it. The attendee list will speak for itself: we recommend you get it right now and take a good look at the firms and job titles. Where else on earth could you find such volume and quality of ‘impossible to meet’ decision makers in one place? And with time and space to meet every single one of them?
The prospect of spending 3 whole days and nights in this company could seem daunting and exciting in equal measure. But, sometimes you just need to make a decision and come and get involved. And 108 of America’s most can-do and curious solutions experts were there to do just that.
Over the 2 business days, a staggering total of 2831 individual, one-to-one meetings were held. That’s a lot of conversations. And, we can only speculate on the amount of business that will come from them. But, I think we can all agree that in 2 days, the sales pipelines of all 108 of the attending manufacturers were somewhat transformed...
Almost every meeting felt like a potential relationship could be made in the future.
Wesley Dickson, Founder, Advanced Equipment
Left with great connections and projects to follow-up on.
Shelly Farmer Sightline Commercial Solutions National Sales Manager
I was amazed how everyone received us and were eager to learn about us.
Vincent P. Neault KSC, Inc. Business Development Manager
Every meeting was excellent.
Bruce Burgess Mull-It-Over Products President
The format of Arc US combined with the rather lovely venue and the people who attend combine to create a uniquely relaxed and highly sociable atmosphere where ‘big name’ architects and ‘big brand’ manufacturers let corporate veils slip away and enjoy the chance to simply be themselves. And it’s this community vibe that makes BOND events so special, allowing North America’s hardest working project people to get in a huddle and hangout, uncovering a whole world of collaborative possibilities and bona-fide friendships.
"Another great event with amazing meetings at a beautiful venue!"
Donnamarie McGaw, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED, Firmwide Specification Leader at Gensler
"ArcUS is like going to the Disney of materials events, BOND really excels, including the people that coordinate everything."
Alvaro Quintana, Associate Principal, Flad Architects
"Great venue for meeting top people in building design and supplier firms."
Frank Lancaster, Federal Practice Director, Jacobs
"Excellent opportunity to network and to gain a focused perspective on new products and services."
Dan Meza, Principal and Director of Architecture, EwingCole
"Very well orchestrated and run. Blown away by my experience and the relationship building/networking opportunities."
John Shiver AIA NCARB GFF Architects Director Education Practice I Associate Principal
The abundance of natural networking started with the pre-event tour. 2 coaches buzzing with conversation dropped delegates at the Orlando Museum of Art. The OMA’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. With an in-depth tour of OMA’s Prime Collections and time to browse at leisure afterwards, what better way to cultivate inspiration and curiosity before everyone comes together for the Welcome Dinner that evening?
America’s Commercial Project People
270 of North America’s busiest and most well-connected commercial project people in one spot might seem a bit scary at first but, armed with a refreshing beverage and a natural curiosity in one another, conversation is soon in full flow, the soundtrack of Mo-Town and Country’s best getting toes tapping, heads nodding and other bits moving as the evening unfolded.
Not all made it down on time for Craig Goldblatt’s insightful (and potentially life-changing) seminar on Living on Purpose. Good to get straight to the fundamentals! And then the meetings...
Back-to-back 30 minutes of ‘get to know you’ time, with everyone’s schedule being a combination of ‘buyer’ and ‘supplier’ requested meetings. This left many suppliers pleasantly surprised by star buyers who had done their homework and knew exactly whom they were meeting, getting straight down to stuff they needed for specific up and coming projects.
The Projects
And that’s a point worth making: Arc US is all about the projects, each buyer being specifically selected and invited on the strength of their project portfolio and their influence over who gets specified and who doesn’t. In fact, when an architect confirms their attendance, they give us exclusive details of their live, confirmed commercial projects (the ones they need help with) and this info. is made available to all confirmed suppliers before the event.
The number and scale of projects on the table this year was, quite simply, incredible. You can email us for the full project list.
A place where meaningful contacts and new friends were made.
Rick Adams RSW, CET, LEED, Associate/Specifications DIALOG, Green Associates
Great experience! The quality of the event as a whole is unsurpassed.
Vincent P. Neault KSC, Inc. Business Development Manager
TopShelf. Quality all around from the participating Architects to the venue and everything in between...
Mark Johnson, Sales Director, Tate
This years event was top notch experience. Quality of venue combined with delegates and collaboration was amazing.
Shelly Farmer, National Sales Manager, Sightline Commercial Solutions
Then the meetings room erupts into life once more with hundreds of conversations about projects, products, Thanksgiving plans and moans, what happened last night and one about bee hotels and quite a few about weight and grey hairs gained since they last spoke...
Conversations continue and meander in their own way over lunch and into the final seminar about AI and what it all might mean in the world of AECs. Thank you for sharing your unique insight with us, Phil Bernstein!
And, with a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction all round, the final meetings are wrapped up and most take the chance to steal away to their rooms to tidy up notes, schedule follow-ups and check-in with things back home before dressing to impress for a farewell dinner, with a terrifying twist!
Why is Olly wearing red? Someone’s only gone and murdered him! This puts an uncomfortable slant on things, particularly as there’s a hotel bill to pay and every chance that the killer is still amongst us! And such shenanigans serve to bring everybody even closer as they try to work out the killer’s identity from clues strategically placed throughout the venue, with a prize for the first to work it out.*
*No Ollys (Ollies??) were harmed in the making of this murder mystery evening.
I have already received 3 emails from my meetings before even having a chance to do my followups on the Monday after!
Eric Atkins, Eva-Last, Director of Commercial, Americas
Exactly what I requested and needed for our company needs.
Shelly Farmer, National Sales Manager, Sightline Commercial Solutions
Save my spot for 2024
Vincent Neault, Business Development Manager, KSC Inc.
Amazing job BOND Events, massive success this year as always!
Eric A, Architectural Sales Leader, Mentor & Advisor
Next year?
Arc US brings America’s large-scale commercial project leaders together, with time, space and opportunity to talk to all of them. What happens from there is your story. You just need to get here.
Arc US 2023 filled up in record time. If you are passionate about your product and curious to find out how you could help America’s best architects stay at the top of their game, we suggest you give it a try.
If you want to have a proper conversation about it all, please get in touch.
