Pre-conference events
Want to come to the Ariat Dirt World Summit 2023 a day early? Pick a tailored workshop, peer group meeting, the Dirt World Open, or the Echelon Front FTX. All of these events will be held on October 25, 2023. You can choose which events you want to add when you register.
All-Day
Echelon Front - FTX
Field Training Exercise: level up your leadership skills through action-packed simulated combat missions.
Taught by former Navy SEALs and combat veterans, the Field Training Exercise gives leaders hands-on, real-world training on the principles of Extreme Ownership. You’ll be put in challenging and chaotic simulated combat missions that bring to life the power of applying the four laws of combat when leading your team.
This event is geared toward owners and senior leaders, but it’s open to anyone who is ready to radically improve their mindset and leadership skills.
You can choose to add FTX when you register.
Morning
Workshop A
Only As Good As Our People: How to Recruit & Retain the Best of the Best in 2023 and Beyond
Workshop Leader: Marcus Sheridan
A company is only as good as its people. That’s why Dirt World leaders must master two things:
- Attracting new talent to the industry by telling their story better
- Keeping the talent they already have by helping their people find joy and fulfillment in their work
In this powerful workshop, Marcus Sheridan will take you on a deep dive into what you can do to find and retain employees in a new way—ultimately increasing trust, filling your talent pipeline, and improving company culture.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Workshop B
Peer Group Meeting: Attract, Recruit, and Keep the Next Generation of Dirt Talent
Workshop Leader: Wally Adamchik
Join fellow Dirt World professionals as you all discuss practical ways to build a strong workforce, develop leaders, and create an amazing company culture.
- Military - Skillbridge - Getting the government to pay for the first six months of employment
- H2B visa - Leverage the legal immigration programs
- High School programs - Get them early, have them forever.
- Simulator programs - Recruiting to training, sims are essential.
- In-house trainers - Laborer to Operator in 12 weeks
- Training that works - From micro learning to leadership academies, the annual training on Saturday morning isn’t going to cut it anymore
- Referral programs - NOT low money paid after 180 days.
... and more!
Building on the incredible success of our past peer group meetings, Wally will guide you through a series of case studies and discussions on The People Lifecycle to share best practices and creative ideas on attracting, recruiting, training, and engaging your workforce.
You can come for the morning only, or stay for an entire day of discussion with Wally and the group.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Workshop C
Engineering the Subgrade for an Effective Training Process and Culture
Workshop Leader: Knife River Learning Services Team
After 33 years of creating, delivering, and sustaining world-class training in the Dirt World, the Knife River team knows a thing or two about what it takes to build a new or enhance existing training process and culture.
In this little-to-no PowerPoint workshop, you’ll work alongside the Knife River team to identify the critical actions needed in your own organization. By the end, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of what it will take to successfully train your team, whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Workshop D
Branding and Marketing in Construction
Workshop Leader: BuildWitt Media & Creative Services teams
Join leaders from the BuildWitt Media and Services teams to learn how to elevate your brand storytelling, why articulating your brand culture matters (and where to start), and the power of authentic marketing to help you attract the next generation of talent and win new work.
In this powerful workshop, you’ll learn how to:
- Tell your unique story as a Dirt World company and employer
- Use your website, social media, and brand to reach the next generation
- Impact audiences through powerful visual storytelling like branding, photography, and videography
- Produce authentic content with best practices for shooting in the field and sharing the field on social
Plus, find out best practices for growing your brand from our contractor case studies.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Afternoon
Dirt World Open
Golf Club of Houston
Join your Dirt World peers for this golf tournament at the luxurious Golf Club of Houston. All proceeds will directly benefit Dream On 3, an incredible non-profit organization that makes sports dreams come true for kids and young adults with life-altering conditions. Dream On 3’s founder and CEO Brandon Lindsey is also COO of Hoopaugh Grading Company in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You can also choose to include this event as an add-on during registration.
Mental Health Communication 101
Tools and Strategies for Leadership
Workshop Leader: Erin Craw of YouTurn Health
The National Institute of Mental Health (2023) reports that about one in five Americans experience a mental illness. While mental health continues to be a serious challenge for millions of Americans each year, mental health is becoming more widely recognized and discussed at work (APA, 2020). A recent study of 1,500 US employees found that 65% view discussing mental health at work as a norm (Mind Share Partners, 2021). As individuals continue to be more open about their mental health and related struggles, ensuring that employees feel comfortable and confident engaging in such communication is especially important. Although disclosure is becoming increasingly prevalent, numerous people still feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of how to respond to or converse with someone about mental health at work. Organizations must ensure that employees and leaders are equipped to support each other and discuss mental health more openly and consistently. This course will provide a basic foundational understanding of mental health and illness, and strategies for effective conversations about mental health in the workplace. Participants will also learn how to provide various types of social support, including informational support, by connecting peers to needed resources and additional services.
This course will be guided by previous research on mental health communication, social support, and public health interventions. The format will include a brief lecture, interactive scenario-based practice, and group discussion.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize the differences between mental health and mental illness.
- Describe the contributing factors of mental health and well-being.
- Identify signs of someone who may be struggling with a mental health-related condition or illness.
- Understand the utility of consistent follow-up and relationship-building in providing effective social support.
- Facilitate authentic conversations about mental health in the workplace.
- Communicate person-centered supportive messages to validate feelings and encourage sharing.
- Provide informational support in the form of connection to appropriate support services and resources.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Constructing Savings
The Art and Science of Fuel Management
Workshop Leader: Zach Wall of Mansfield
Learn to empower your construction business through fuel buying. Discover data visibility, efficient price management, and fuel usage control. Optimize your fuel supply chain with insights.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Simulation for the Dirt World
Today, tomorrow, and for the future.
Workshop Leader: Freddy Lund of Tenstar
In this workshop we'll cover:
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Basic and advanced teaching methods
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Scoring systems, record and replay, and LMS
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Virtual Training Space (VTS) and how this network of machines and people can help
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Pre-checks with virtual machines
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GPS systems, trench safety, and tilt rotators
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VR/XR headsets, haptic gloves, and eye tracking
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HW options: pedestal, mobile units, motion base, pedals, and joysticks
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How to integrate simulation into the training process
Plus, you'll get to see simulation in action. The workshop will conclude with a live demo in the Tenstar booth.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!
Building the Future: Leveraging Military Talent in the Construction Industry
Workshop Leader: Virgil Medeiros of Orion Talent
Veterans are a uniquely reliable and work-ready talent pool for construction roles. Military leadership and teamwork training is recognized as the best in the world. The military lifestyle instills an inherent comfort with hard work, reliability and a tolerance for nontraditional work conditions.
How can companies best attract and retain this in-demand talent pool? The talent market is competitive and relying on referrals or online posts to attract transitioning service members is no longer enough.
You can choose to add this workshop when you register. Get your tickets now!