By Michael Pearsall, P.Eng., CVS, FEC – President, SAVE International
Committing in Uncertain Times
It is now the start of March and our 2022 Value Summit is only three months away. I am getting anxious and excited to see everyone who I have not seen in almost three years now. The SAVE International Board of Directors is well aware that there are still many uncertainties around travel and the pandemic; however, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure we enjoy a safe and enjoyable event.
I am also heartened to hear about and see the surge in value studies that have been happening recently in many areas. Many owners seem to be seeing the value of the Value Methodology (VM) to remove some uncertainty from their projects. I hope this is a trend that continues globally, and we can all get back to being very busy doing what we love – facilitating VM studies.
I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our recent survey about attendance at this year’s Value Summit. Over two-thirds of the respondents said they were either fully committed or conditionally committed to attending the in-person event. This was very helpful to allow us to make some decisions moving forward. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I am still concerned about meeting the obligations SAVE has in our contract with the venue. However, I am relieved to see a strong response of people willing to commit to participation.
The SAVE Board made a policy decision a couple of years ago that we would try to alternate virtual Value Summits with in-person Value Summits, and it is my intention to see this plan through. Global circumstances the last couple of years have led us to change plans and have two virtual Summits in a row. There is still some uncertainty in the global situation; however, we are committed to an in-person 2022 Value Summit and a team is working on making this safe and the fun yet informative event we have enjoyed in the past.
Is there a future with hybrid SAVE events? Yes, I definitely think there is. Can we make this year’s Summit hybrid? No, we have looked at a range of options and there is not a viable option with good value. I would like to thank everyone who has been working on this so far and those who have contacted us with hybrid options to consider. None of the efforts have gone to waste and they will help us form plans for the future.
I urge you to check out John Corcoran’s Value Summit column for more details on the 2022 Value Summit. We are moving forward with the 2022 Value Summit to be held live, in-person this June in Arizona and we need members to further commit now by registering.
On a less cheerful note, I would like to acknowledge the events currently going on in Ukraine. My heart goes out to all of the SAVE members who are affected. I have a co-worker who has close family located in the midst of the current war zone and they are struggling heavily. The world doesn’t need more uncertainty at this time. I hope the current situation in that area resolves soon and there is no additional suffering.
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