2026 Business Development Conference

Welcome Dinner with Division Leaders

Join division leadership and fellow early-tenure BD professionals for an informal evening of connection, conversation, and relationship-building.
 
Johnson’s Landing
    4040 Lake Shore Rd, Hamburg, NY 14075
  
  Please arrange Ubers with other attendees and plan on arriving by 5:00 PM.

Breakfast

Fuel up before we kick things off: coffee and light breakfast available. 
 
Larkin Room - Buffalo Marriott LECOM HARBORCENTER
 
Kick off the day the Gilbane way with a caring moment led by Clare Archer, setting the tone for connection, culture, and what it means to be part of our BD team. 

Welcome / Caring Moment

Kick off the day the Gilbane way with a caring moment led by Clare Archer, setting the tone for connection, culture, and what it means to be part of our BD team. Clare will extend a warm welcome to our newest team members attending their first Sales Conference, recognizing this milestone and the important role each of you plays in shaping Gilbane’s future.
 
All morning sessions are held in the Larkin Room at the Buffalo Marriott at LECOM HARBORCENTER 

From Rookie to Rainmaker: Lessons and Tips for Success

Discover the behaviors and mindset that separate top performers, and how to apply them immediately in your role. Gain real-world insights on building credibility, balancing internal and external demands, and creating relationships that drive long-term success.
 
Panelists:
 
Nina Manguiri, Sr. Business Development Professional (Mid-Atlantic)
 
Greg Permison, Sr. Director Business Development (Mid-Atlantic)
 
Rachel Pest, Sr. Business Development Professional (Southeast)
 
Ryan Sitnik, Sr. Director Business Development (Southeast)
 

Blueprint to Win: Building Smarter Pre‑Sell Strategies and a Winning Roadmap

Apply the Gilbane pre-sell pyramid and Go/No-Go discipline to make sharper, more objective pursuit decisions—prioritizing high-value opportunities and going deeper with the right clients. Learn proven habits and strategies to strengthen pipeline quality, navigate complex pursuits, and position teams to win earlier and more decisively.

Margin Masters: Strategies for Smarter, Stronger FeePro Decisions

Strengthen financial acumen and apply advanced pricing strategies to make smarter decisions, improve profitability, and better evaluate opportunities and risks across the sales lifecycle. Build confidence in Fee Pro meetings and adopt an enterprise-wide perspective—aligning with Accounting to influence outcomes and drive stronger results.

Lunch

Join us for lunch and take the opportunity to mingle with
colleagues ahead of the day’s events.
 
All afternoon sessions will be held in the Pan-American Ballroom at the Buffalo Marriott at LECOM HARBORCENTER. 

Caring Moment

Kicking off the conference the way we always do, with a brief caring moment before moving into the day's sessions.

Welcome & Ice Breaker

Let’s set the stage for three days of learning, connection, and celebration!
 
We’ll begin with a quick icebreaker to get to know each other and generate momentum for the collaborative work ahead. Led by Business Development Peer Group Leaders: Ginger Revercomb, Sr. Business Development Professional (Mid-Atlantic) Derek Ward, Sr. Business Development Professional (Midwest West). 

Built to Win

Business development plays a critical role in bringing our company vision and strategy to life. As we sharpen our focus on the right clients, the right markets, and the right opportunities, your role as Quarterback - building momentum over a full season, creating deeper client relationships, and translating our company’s North Star into action on the field every day is more important than ever.

 

Voice of the Client

Clients are central to our mission. This session will kick off the conference, sharpening our focus on client values and equipping BD with tools to strengthen relationships, differentiate in the market, and drive growth.

AMS&T: Strategy, Clients & Focus For Enterprise Growth

A focused 101 on our disciplined strategy, how we work together, and key lessons from real-world project “war stories.”

Division Insights

Curious what other divisions are focused on? This session provides a snapshot of each—who they are, where they’re focused, and key lessons from 2025 projects to help us better collaborate across the enterprise.

Dinner and Awards Ceremony

An evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements, growth, and impact of our sales teams. Join us as we recognize top performers, highlight key wins, and reflect on the relationships and results that drove our success.

The Buffalo Club
    388 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202 
 
Two buses will depart from the hotel at 5:00 & 5:15 PM. Buses resume back to the hotel at 9:00 PM.

Dress code: Elevated business causal, after all we are celebrating! 

 
Buses will depart for a full-day visit to the new Buffalo Bills stadium at 7:30 AM. Breakfast will be served when we arrive to the stadium. 
 
Buffalo Bills Stadium
   1 Bills Dr, Orchard Park, NY 14127 

Caring Moment

A look at how Gilbane and partners like the Buffalo Bills are prioritizing mental wellness—breaking stigma, supporting one another, and strengthening team performance.

Welcome to Buffalo: How We Got Here

This session walks through the key decisions, partnerships, and strategies that led to our Buffalo Bills win, with a focus on what mattered most to the client. You’ll leave with practical takeaways you can apply to future pursuits.

Positioning to Win: Smarter Strategies for Stronger Pursuits

Sharpen presell strategies to strengthen early decision-making, enhance competitive positioning, and elevate pursuit effectiveness. Gain clear, client specific differentiators to deliver more targeted, compelling conversations and define what sets Gilbane apart.

Be BOLD be THE BEST

Join Ed for a candid conversation on Gilbane’s refreshed brand, integrated platform, and what it means to show up as One Gilbane in the market. Through client insights, leadership perspective, and open Q&A, this session will explore how bold thinking can strengthen our client relationships and shape the future of our business.
 
 

Integrated Solutions: Delivering End-to-End Value for our Clients

Focus on how integrated solutions and cross-company partnerships deliver end-to-end value for clients while driving stronger outcomes. You’ll gain a clear understanding of how to leverage these capabilities to differentiate pursuits and enhance overall performance. 
 
Presenters: 
 
Suzanne Bennett, Business Leader, Next Direct
 
Mark Breslin, Division Leader, Next 150
 
Daniel Gilbane, Managing Director & President, Gilbane Building
 
Carolyn Pfude, TPM Director

Lunch

                                                                                                                                                                    

Gilbane Development: Verticals, Strategy, & Future Engagements

This session provides an overview of Gilbane Development’s business model, key verticals, and value drivers, and how to better integrate Development into pursuits to strengthen collaboration and deliver end-to-end solutions.

Advancing Our P3 Strategy: Identifying & Winning the Right Projects

Focus on identifying and advancing high-value P3 opportunities, including when to engage Development partners early. You’ll gain clarity on the pursuit lifecycle, proven win strategies, and how to confidently position P3 value with key stakeholders.
 
Presenters:
 
Geoff Eisenacher, VP & Exec Director, Development, Gilbane Development
 
Mark Lawson, Director, Development, Gilbane Development
 
Jeffrey Resetco, Sr. Director, Development, Gilbane Development
 
Zach Tronti, Director, Development, Gilbane Development
 

Client Panel - What Clients Want and How We Win

Hear directly from the clients who shape our most important opportunities. This panel brings together leaders across key sectors to share what drives decision-making, builds trust, and defines long-term partnership—equipping our teams with practical insights to strengthen relationships and win more work.
 
Panelists: 
 
Katie Haas, EVP, Chief Ballpark Operations & Engagement Officer, New York Mets
 
Brad Noyes, President, Higher Education, Brailsford & Dunlavey
 
Barry Clegg, Chief Safety and Infrastructure Officer, QTS 
 
Curt Brown, Associate VP Construction & Facilities, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Division Insights

Curious what other divisions are focused on? This session provides a snapshot of each—who they are, where they’re focused, and key lessons from 2025 projects to help us better collaborate across the enterprise.

Stadium Tour

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the new Buffalo Bills stadium during this 60-minute tour of the venue, its operations, and the story behind one of the region’s most high-profile projects.

Explore the Charge Bar

Unwind with light bites, drinks, and casual conversation at the Charge Bar, an opportunity to connect and enjoy one of the stadium’s newest spaces.
 
Buses will resume back to the hotel at 7:00 PM.

Breakfast

Larkin Room
 
Move from content to real connection by learning how to deploy materiality the right way. 

Gilbane Cares

As we begin our final day together, we’ll kick things off the way we always do—with a brief moment before moving into the day’s content.

From Content to Connection: Deploying Materiality the Right Way

Move from content to real connection by learning how to deploy materiality the right way. Attendees will practice using the content in live pursuit and client scenarios to refine messaging, highlight differentiators, and build more confident conversations.  
 
Presenters: 
 
Sofia Dennen - Sales Operations Lead
 
Kristi Ferrara - Sales Operations Manager
 
Becca Moyer - Marketing Director 

Division Insights

Curious what other divisions are focused on? This session provides a snapshot of each—who they are, where they’re focused, and key lessons from 2025 projects to help us better collaborate across the enterprise. 

 

AI for BD: Practical Tools You’ll Use Tomorrow

This interactive session focuses on real use cases—from client research to meeting prep to follow-ups. Build prompts live, test them in real scenarios, and leave with tactics you can put into action immediately. 

Division Insights

Curious what other divisions are focused on? This session provides a snapshot of each—who they are, where they’re focused, and key lessons from 2025 projects to help us better collaborate across the enterprise. 

Leadership Perspectives: Why BD Matters More Than Ever

Business Development is critical to Gilbane’s growth and market leadership. Senior leaders will highlight the importance of BD–operations alignment, strong client partnerships, pipeline development, winning strategies, and differentiation—equipping teams to more effectively build relationships, shape opportunities, and advance strategic priorities 

Panelists:

Chris Budris - Chief Financial Officer, Gilbane Building

Heidi DeBenedetti - Chief Operating Officer, Gilbane Building

Michael Brown - Regional President

Paul Sullivan - Division Leader (Southeast)

Closing Address

As we conclude today's conference, thank you for your participation, insights, and engagement throughout the event. We hope the discussions, presentations, and connections made today inspire new ideas and opportunities moving forward. Safe travels, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration and seeing you again at future events.

Thank you for joining us and helping make this conference a success.