Case Study: "Solving the Cost Creep Crisis" – A Collaborative NAIOP/ULI Event
1. Project Overview & Role
The "Solving the Cost Creep Crisis" event, hosted by NAIOP and ULI, brought together leading industry professionals from TSA Architects, SmithGroup, University of Utah Health, Intermountain Health, and Mortenson to address one of the most significant challenges in construction: rising project costs. The event focused on practical solutions, such as Target Value Delivery and Design-Build, to help attendees rethink cost management as a core part of the design process.
I played a key role in the success of this event, leading the social media campaign, writing the panel questions, and helping the team brainstorm and refine how they would present their solutions. Additionally, I led the creation of a visual identity and brand strategy for the event, ensuring that the expert panelists were seen as the go-to authorities on managing cost creep. These efforts culminated in a sold-out event and positioned the conversation as essential for industry professionals.
2. Key Strategies & Execution
Developing a Visual Identity & Brand Strategy: From the start, the team and I recognized the need for a strong visual identity that would resonate with the industry and establish a clear connection between the expert panelists and the solutions they were offering. We developed event branding that consistently reinforced this connection, using well-crafted graphics, banners, and marketing materials that presented the panel as authoritative and trustworthy. Psychological principles such as consistent color schemes, clear typography, and impactful imagery helped reinforce the idea that attending this event would provide clarity and practical solutions to the problem of rising costs in construction.
Leading the Social Media Campaign on LinkedIn: To drive interest in the event, I led the creation of a targeted LinkedIn campaign designed to engage construction professionals, architects, and decision-makers. We used industry data and compelling construction cost statistics to build urgency, sharing insightful content that underscored the escalating cost problem. The campaign introduced each panelist, highlighting their expertise and framing them as key sources of solutions. Consistent messaging on how Target Value Delivery and Design-Build could offer real-world fixes helped build anticipation for the event, leading to high registration numbers and ultimately a sold-out event.
Crafting Panel Questions & Guiding Messaging: In collaboration with the expert panelists, I worked closely to refine the way they communicated complex, technical solutions. This involved writing panel questions that broke down the most challenging aspects of cost escalation and helped the panelists present their ideas in a clear and relatable way. We structured the content to make Target Value Delivery and Design-Build more accessible, positioning cost as a design input rather than an afterthought. Through brainstorming sessions, I helped the team identify the best approaches to explain these solutions in ways that connected with both industry veterans and those newer to the challenges of large-scale construction
Follow-up booklet
Snip from panel guide used by moderator during the presentation to guide the conversation with the panelists.
3. Results & Impact
Sold-Out Event with High Engagement: Despite being held in January, typically a slow month for events, our integrated efforts led to a sold-out venue filled with engaged professionals. The visual identity and social media campaign drove excitement and registration, while the panel’s clear and approachable messaging made complex topics accessible to a diverse audience.
Shifting Industry Perspectives: The event successfully reframed how cost management is viewed within the industry. Attendees walked away with a stronger understanding that cost should be considered an input in the design process, rather than an output. The solutions presented by the panelists—Target Value Delivery and Design-Build—provided clear, actionable takeaways that attendees could apply to their own projects.
Building a Lasting Brand Association: By creating a cohesive visual identity and driving a focused messaging strategy, we established a strong link between the panelists’ expertise and the solutions to managing cost creep. This brand association ensured that attendees not only learned valuable strategies but also connected the event with authoritative knowledge, positioning the panelists as leaders in the conversation on cost management.
