PWC Trade Show and recruitment drive a big hit

Real Estate Weekly, Nov 7, 2007

Excitement. Upbeat spirit. Contagious energy. B-to-B interaction. Enthusiasm. The words and phrases were used repeatedly by exhibitors and participants at The Big Show, the mega-trade show and professional recruitment fair presented by Professional Women in Construction (PWC) at the Digital Sandbox in New York City in October.

Lenore Janis, president of PWC, and Gwendolyn Colbert-Kushner, board member/trade show chair, knew that expanding PWC's annual Trade Show and combining it with the organization's first ever Recruitment Fair was a risk. They als0 knew they had something special to offer. Happily, all the elements came together in a big way.

"Our exhibitors represent an extremely diverse mix of product vendors and service providers positioned right next to the giants of private industry and the major public agencies," said Janis.

"Having the Trade Show and the Recruitment Fair at the same time was an innovative idea that worked. The place wasbuzzing with excitement," added Colbert Kushner.

Richard Anderson, president of the NY Building Congress offered his endorsement, saying: "PWC's Trade Show & Recruitment Fair are important contributions to NYC's building industry and deserve the enthusiastic support of the design, construction and real estate community"

William R. Brody, vice president, Ibex Construction, said, "We couldn't be in a better place. We're with the creme de la cr6me of NYC construction companies."

Frank V. Pampalone, AIA, director of Design, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., said, "We're always glad to outreach [to] small, women and minority-owned businesses. But this is also a twoway street for us. Because of our commitment to sustainability we may even collaborate with other companies developing green solutions for future projects."

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The opportunity to network with major firms was a huge plus for small and midsized businesses such as Plant Fantasies, a WBE (women-owned business enterprise). Said Teresa Carleo, president, "We've had a chance to connect with some major construction companies--and we also reconnected with clients we've worked with before."

PWC's adjacent Recruitment Fair attracted seasoned professionals as well as recent college graduates a rare mix for recruitment fairs which are usually held at colleges. Nicole Holmes of the NYC School Construction Authority said, "We've seen several potential, very high caliber candidates. PWC knew exactly the kind of people we are looking for this was geared to our industry."

High marks for the quality of the candidate pool was similarly granted by various government agency and company representatives including Sean Thomas, lead recruiter for the WTC site, Port Authority of NY & NJ; Judith Peters, with the NYSDOT; Deborah Rosenberg of Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.; Carolyn Mandaro from Tishman Construction Corporation; Turner Construction Company's Jennifer Bakker; Lori Woitowitz of Skanska USA Building, Inc.; and Lynnette Walker from the NYC Dept of Buildings.

Event sponsors were: ACB Architects & Planners PC; Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority; IBEX Construction; DMFM Harris; Port Authority of NY & NJ; R. S. Knapp Co., Inc.; Skanska USA Building, Inc.; STV, Inc.; Tishman Construction Corporation; Turner Construction Company; and Wal-Mart Realty.

For more information about PWC and future events, call 212.486-7745 or visit www.pwcusa.org.