Call for Presentations

Share your Design-Build expertise at the 2026 Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference

SUBMISSION DEADLINE -  October 15, 2025

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS GUIDELINES

Design-build is growing rapidly, now making up 42% of construction spending and expected to reach nearly 50% by 2028, driven by its cost and schedule efficiencies and flexible procurement methods like Best-Value and Progressive Design-Build. As the use of design-build continues to grow, particularly in the expanding Water/Wastewater sector, understanding its best practices and challenges is crucial.

The Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference, April 13-15, 2026, in Grapevine, TX, is an exclusive opportunity to share your design-build insights and adapt to changes in project delivery. This event will help Owners confidently navigate design-build amidst market uncertainties and address industry challenges. DBIA invites experts — Owners, practitioners and other professionals — to contribute. Join over
1,100 AEC professionals to learn and network and consider submitting a session proposal to influence the future of design-build.

What We’re Looking For: At a Glance

Priority consideration will be given to submissions adhering to these guidelines.

Quality submissions that address and/or align with the below

• The right presenters are as important as the right topic: 
  • One or more presenters  holds a DBIA  credential. 
  • One or more presenters holds a DBIA membership. 
  • Owner’s involvement in the presentation. 
  • Panels that include multiple project team members (ex., design-builder, designer, Owner or Owner Advisor, trade partners). 
  • Presentations and panels/speakers that incorporate broad perspectives — such as experience levels, firm sizes, market sectors, geographic regions — while also highlighting efforts to expand  opportunities and promote engagement for small and Underrepresented Business Enterprises (UBEs) in Design- Build. 
• Presentations that are educational with crisp instruction and clear takeaways on the “how to” of Design-Build Done Right® 
• Presentations that highlight challenges, with an emphasis on “lessons learned” and tools and resources others can apply to avoid similar difficulties in their practice. 
• Presentations that speak to one or more of the following: 
  • Best practices with a focus on practical application of key practices, and lessons learned to guide future success. 
  • Managing risk and expectation 
  • Collaboration/teaming successes 
  • Application of Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) 
  • Making the essential mental shift for success and the all-important facets of developing a successful acquisition strategy 

Content that will not be considered: 

• Self-congratulatory presentations on a project. 
• Presentations that provide a sense of commercial/brand promotion. Please note presentations that serve to promote a specific product or service will not be accepted. 
• Anything that does not precisely relate to the Design-Build delivery method.

Please download a PDF copy of all criteria before completing the submission process below, CLICK HERE.

For assistance, email Presenters@dbia.org.