Convergence 2026

And just like that, Convergence 2026 comes to a close!

These past 1.5 days have been packed with ideas, insights, and conversations worth taking forward.

A huge thank you to our speakers, customers, partners, and everyone who joined us in Dallas. You helped make this more than a conference; you made it a space to challenge assumptions, share experiences, and explore what’s possible for construction.

We’re leaving with plenty to think about, new connections to build on, and a lot to look forward to.

Until next time, Convergence!

“Growing a business is one thing. Building one that can keep growing profitably, with the right structure and fundamentals in place, is what makes it investment-ready.”

“The team carries the business through a sale. If people don’t understand what the change means for them, uncertainty can put that continuity at risk.”

“A business is only as strong as the systems behind it. If the operation depends on the owner to keep everything moving, it’s not ready to scale.”

“Two businesses can have the same revenue and very different value. A buyer needs to understand how repeatable that revenue is and what it costs to earn it.”

The Exit Blueprint is live

Ben Swanger and our panelists are getting into what makes a construction company worth buying. We’re talking dependable profits, a business that can run without its owner, and a team that stays through the transition. The work starts long before a deal is on the table.

“Estimators often spot risks before the customer does. Turning those findings into clear recommendations gives the customer a reason to involve you earlier in the next project.”

“A lesson from one crew can help the next, but only if the facts are checked and the context is clear. AI can help make that knowledge easier to find.”

One supervisor. Several crews. Where can AI help?

We’re with Jessica Volpe, exploring how AI can take some of the daily prep and follow-up off a supervisor’s plate. From crew briefings to shift handovers, the focus is on putting approved information within reach while keeping supervisors in charge of decisions.

What makes an estimator the person customers call for advice?

Daniel Brown’s session is underway, and we’re talking about a question that goes beyond pricing: you’ve sent the estimate, but what makes you the person the customer calls for advice? We’re exploring how that trust starts before bid day and grows long after the handoff.

The Precon Idea Sprint is in full swing!

Shawn Prince and Arnav Batra are setting the pace, and the whole room is in on it. Ideas are sprinting from one conversation to the next as attendees swap lessons and make new connections.

“Teams can each be doing their job well and still be working from different assumptions. The handoff is where you catch that before it becomes rework.”

“People stay when they can see where they’re going. If you want to retain great talent, give them room to grow and a future worth building with you.”

Capacity, cash flow, project fit, deadlines

Ron and Goran are walking through the deal-breakers worth checking before the team commits to an estimate.

“A successful project needs one source of truth. When everyone works from the same playbook, with clear ownership and updates, teams can catch issues early - just as you’d inspect the framing before the drywall goes up.”

The Unicorn Conundrum is underway

Courtney Kelly has the floor, and we’re talking hiring and retention in construction. Finding the right person takes work. Keeping them means paying attention to what happens after they join.

Keeping Pre-Construction on the Same Page

Derek Isaac is getting into the gaps between teams. Who needs to know what, and when? We’re talking through how to keep work moving without leaving someone out of the loop.

“A simple, repeatable go/no-go process beats gut-feel decisions. Every ‘no’ makes room for a better ‘yes.’”

How to Build a Smarter Go/No-Go Bid Playbook

We’re with Ron Nussbaum and Goran Perovic, talking about when a bid is worth the team’s time and when to pass. They’re walking through how a go/no-go playbook helps make that call before hours go into an estimate.

“The feedback loop is critical for businesses looking to scale. It sounds simple, but it’s hard to implement, and more necessary than ever.”

“When every experienced estimator is chasing the next deadline, there’s little time to train the next one. That keeps the capacity problem going.”

“Winning more work means little if your estimates miss the details that eat into your margins later.”

“The bids your team never has time to price can limit growth just as much as the bids you lose.”

Day 2 kicks off with our first panel!

We’re live with Manny Neves moderating. The panel dives into what happens when there’s more work to bid than the estimating team can handle, and why hiring another estimator may not fix it.

Day 1 at Convergence 2026: the conversations that stayed with us

From Adam Savage’s keynote to discussions on estimating, AI adoption, and field service teams, Day 1 brought different perspectives to some of the industry’s biggest challenges. And the conversations continue tomorrow!

And now, we celebrate the people moving preconstruction forward!

The day closes with the Precon Pioneers Awards Night, celebrating the people and teams making a difference across the construction industry.

The sessions may be over, but there’s still plenty to talk about!

Attendees gather for the Precon Pioneers Awards Night reception to reconnect, meet new people, and continue the conversations from the day.

And that’s a wrap on Day 1’s breakout sessions!

From rethinking the role of estimators to making AI work for teams and building stronger field service businesses, the conversations covered plenty of ground. Now, time to take those ideas beyond the room!

“Building a strong field service business starts with building a team people want to be part of, and giving them reasons to stay.”

“Successful AI adoption requires a good model, the right technical foundation, and a clear understanding of where AI fits into the work.”

“You can have the right technology in place, but adoption depends on whether people are ready and supported enough to use it.”

“A set of plans can tell you what’s there. An experienced estimator knows what to look for, what might be missing, and what deserves a second look.”

“Takeoff gives you the quantities. Knowing what to do with them is where the estimator’s experience comes in.”

Building stronger field service teams

Jay Worth will share a field service perspective on retention and recruitment, and how businesses can approach their people strategy to support long-term growth.

AI adoption takes more than the right technology!

Shelia Matthews of Wilson360 and Rishabjit Singh of Attentive.ai examine AI adoption from two connected perspectives: organizational culture and technical readiness.

And now we’re gearing up for our session: If AI handles the takeoff, where does the estimator make the biggest difference?

Byron C. Smith and Clifton Eddington get into what matters most when the manual work takes a back seat: the experience, judgment, and decisions that shape a bid.

“We use an AI system to flag customer tickets, then focus closely on those queries to identify where we can improve our processes.”

“AI isn’t a fix-all. Apply it to broken processes, and all you’re doing is amplifying the noise.”

“When you apply technology and AI to processes that are already in place, they become a force multiplier.”

Our first Panel Discussion “AI in construction: what works, what doesn’t, and what comes next” is live!

The conversation turns to the realities of AI adoption in construction. Moderated by Michael Webb of Arc Network, the panel brings together Shiva Dhawan, Sean McGarity, Dr. Sooin Kim, and Shawn Prince to discuss where AI is making a difference and what it takes to move forward.

“We’re taking Beam AI beyond takeoffs and estimating to build a complete preconstruction platform, bringing more of the process together in one place.”

A look at what’s next for Attentive.ai

We’re bringing the next chapter of Attentive.ai into focus, highlighting upcoming launches and improvements in development across Beam AI and BIM CoPilot.

Shiva Dhawan joins Adam Savage on stage!

Our Co-Founder and CEO, Shiva Dhawan, joins Adam Savage for a conversation exploring curiosity, innovation, and how challenging the way we think can open up new possibilities.

“The best way to find out if an idea works is to get curious, try it, and see what happens.”

Got a question for Adam Savage? Now’s your chance!

Adam Savage takes the Convergence 2026 stage!

MythBusters co-host, maker, and storyteller Adam Savage joins Convergence 2026 to explore how curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to test ideas can change the way we approach problems.

Convergence 2026 begins in Dallas

The doors are open at The Westin Dallas Park Central. Preconstruction professionals, construction leaders, estimators, operators, and industry experts are coming together for 1.5 days of conversations about estimating, AI, and what comes next for the industry.