03/24/2026

Register for the 2026 ODOT/ACEC Ohio Partnering Conference

Join Us for Our Partnering Conference Social Event

As part of the Partnering Conference, a social event will be held the night before the conference on May 11 from 4:30-7 PM at Jackie O's on Fourth located at 171 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215. Attendees will NOT need to register for the social event.

Registration is open for the 2026 ODOT/ACEC Ohio Partnering Conference

Join your peers and clients on May 12, at the Ohio Union for a day of partnership between our organizations to promote cooperation between the public and private sectors. We will also be honoring the winners of the 2025 Partnering Awards!  Click here to register! 

Theme: NextGen Partnering: AI and Technology

This year's agenda includes the opportunity to attend 2 of 6 break-out sessions:

Breakout session 1: AI as a Partnering Tool: Enhancing Everyday Task Efficiency Without Eroding Trust

AI is increasingly being integrated into everyday work across ODOT and the consulting community. This panel of ODOT staff, consultants, and an ethics expert will explore how AI is being used in daily practice, how it may influence the future of our industry, and what responsible use looks like within the ODOT–consultant relationship. The discussion will address practical applications, workforce implications, and broader policy considerations, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from peers, reflect on emerging challenges, and take away insights they can apply in their own organizations.

Breakout Session 2: Leveraging AI Tools for Smarter Design and Delivery

This session explores how emerging AI technologies are reshaping engineering design. Participants will receive an overview of current capabilities within leading platforms such as Autodesk and Bentley that are pushing the boundaries of automation, modeling, and decision‑support tools. Following the presentation, attendees will engage in breakout discussions to exchange ideas, identify needs, and surface opportunities for deeper exploration. The group will refine key questions and collectively define potential directions for an ODOT‑supported research initiative.

Breakout Session 3: Emerging Smart Mobility Technology: How ODOT & Consultants are Shaping the Future

This session will explore the high-tech frontier of Smart Mobility, focusing on how emerging innovations are redefining the way the industry is shaping the future of transportation. DriveOhio will give a brief overview of emerging ground and air technologies. Panelists will then discuss impacts, public benefits, barriers, and actions needed to implement these new technologies.

Breakout Session 4: Model as Legal Deliverable: Transforming Digital Delivery in Infrastructure

As transportation agencies continue to evolve within an increasingly digital environment and transition toward model-based project delivery, digital models are emerging as far more than design tools. A growing number of agencies are preparing for model-centric deliverables, with many currently undertaking pilot projects to advance toward a fully model-based delivery framework.

This session will provide an in depth look at how state DOTs and industry partners are progressing toward Model as Legal Deliverable (MALD) and establishing the technologies, standards, and processes necessary to support this shift.

Participants will also gain insight into ODOT’s ongoing digital delivery initiatives, including national research, standards development, the Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) grant, and lessons learned from ODOT’s first model-based pilot project (WOO-23-17.88).

The session will also feature an interactive component designed to gather feedback on industry readiness, influence future pilot project opportunities, and strategies to support small business enterprise (SBE) participation in a model-based delivery environment.

Breakout Session 5: ODOT'S BIM Roadmap Refresh: A Joint Strategy Session

This interactive partnering session brings ODOT and the consultant community together to co‑develop the next evolution of the agency’s BIM Roadmap. As BIM becomes increasingly central to how transportation projects are planned, designed, constructed, and maintained, it directly impacts every discipline involved in delivering Ohio’s infrastructure. Improved data continuity, clearer design intent, enhanced constructability, and more efficient asset management all depend on coordinated BIM practices. Attendees will receive a brief overview of the current strategic plan and an update on ODOT’s Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) grant initiative before participating in facilitated working segments designed to capture priorities, identify challenges, and generate actionable next‑step strategies. The insights gathered during this session will directly inform the next edition of ODOT’s two‑year BIM Strategic Plan.

Breakout Session 6: Past, Present and Future – The State of Ohio’s Research Programs

This session will highlight current and emerging research shaping the future of transportation in Ohio. Representatives from ODOT and university partners will discuss ongoing research initiatives, including wrong-way driving alert technology, connected and automated vehicle research, and collaborative projects with Ohio universities. Attendees will gain insight into where transportation research has been, where it is today through university partnerships, and what innovations may shape the next generation of roadway safety, data collection, and infrastructure systems.

Registration closes Friday, April 24, 2026.

Register Now!