Our member-exclusive events offer member companies and their employees the perfect opportunity to further establish their network within the construction industry.
These social and networking events represent a huge added benefit to membership, with exciting and varied events to participate in and show your support for MBEX.
All of our events are sponsored in part by The Builders Group (TBG). Thank you, TBG!
Anirban Basu, chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors, and his presentations are designed to inform commercial construction contractors—and those supporting them—of economic conditions that affect the current construction landscape.
DATE: Wednesday, April 2
TIME:1:00pm CST | 2:00pm EST
LOCATION: Online
PRESENTER: Anirban Basu, Chief Economist for Associated Builders & Contractors
COST: Free!
Basu will cover up-to-the-minute information on general economic conditions, such as inflation and interest rates, employment figures and risks lurking in the economy, as well as changes the second Trump administration may bring to tariffs, federal construction spending, and more.
In addition, this presentation aims to arm contractors with a deep understanding of the economic conditions facing the construction industry, such as the hottest regions and market sectors, the latest on the cost of labor and job openings, and how current events are affecting the industry, along with forward-looking metrics like AIA’s Architecture Billings Index and ABC’s Construction Confidence Index and Construction Backlog Indicator.
This event is presented by Construction Executive and their Professional Education webinar series.
Great estimators know that to be competitive and competent in the current market, their companies must continually be in search of an edge, answering the questions, “How can we approach this project differently than our competition?”
DATE: Friday, April 11
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm CST
LOCATION: Online
INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot, UChapter2.com
PRICE: $350 - MBEX Members | $490 - Non-MBEX Members
This virtual interactive training workshop is scheduled in one half-day session.
Viewpoint 1 - The Estimating Principles Behind Every Bid
This open forum discussion led by a panel of experienced construction estimators explores advanced elements of construction estimating. Experienced estimators will be challenged to evaluate their own systems within the framework of current trends and models with an emphasis on Bluebeam. Every topic will be discussed from various perspectives to allow estimators from across the spectrum to benefit.
Learning Objectives:
Viewpoint 2 - How Technology Can Produce Faster, More Accurate Estimates
Oftentimes simply being more visual in your bid scope can put you ahead of the competition by showing you truly understand the project. We’ll spend some time demonstrating how technology can not only replace your highlighters, scales, and calculator, but create company standards for you and your team. With an emphasis on Bluebeam Revu, these digital tools and workflows will produce clear, visual markups that are accurate, predictable, and consistent no matter who on the team uses them.
Learning Objectives:
All construction professionals, regardless of working in the field or in the office, must know how to read blueprints, specs, and construction plans.
• DATES: Wednesday, April 16 & Thursday, April 17
• TIME: 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST
• LOCATION: Online
• INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot with UChapter2
• PRICING: MBEX Members - $329* | Non-MBEX Members - $460
Please be registered by noon on Tuesday, April 15.
Designed to quickly familiarize students with the basics of reading and understanding construction documents, this 2-part online program is perfect for: apprentices, entry-level tradespersons, project coordinators, assistant project managers, new project managers, estimators, specialty sales representatives, entry-level architectural or engineering designers, or anyone in career transition looking for a refresher.
From navigating title block information to combing through specification documents, participants will learn how to navigate a project and understand the material and construction requirements. Learning objectives include an introduction to construction documents, understanding industry document standards, drawing navigation, and the importance of specialty plans.
*Work for a Member Company? That makes *you* an MBEX member and qualifies you for the member pricing. Not sure if your company is an MBEX member? Email Ashlee and she can verify your company's status.
Meet the Instructor
With over 20 years in the industry, Troy DeGroot has cultivated a deep understanding of the requirements of customers, the needs of end users, common goals of management, and the capacities of the technology. He had led many companies through successful software implementations and training. Having served as the BIM Manager for a large multi-discipline engineering firm, he provides a broad understanding of the industry and the evolution of technology. Read Troy's full bio
At the annual spring social, this MBEX event provides members the opportunity to mingle, network, and deepen their connections with other industry professionals.
• DATE: Wednesday, April 16
• LOCATION: Golden Valley Country Club (7001 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55427)
• SCHEDULE: 3:00pm - Doors open, drinks & networking | 5:00pm - Program begins | 5:20pm - Speakers | 5:45pm - Raffle winners & door prizes
• TICKETS: $50 per person (Early Bird) | $65 per person (After April 4th)
• SPONSORSHIPS: Become a Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze sponsor of the event! Other opportunities include sponsoring the Wine & Spirits Pull and door prizes. View further details inside the registration form.
ABOUT THE EVENT
An afternoon out with other local construction business owners, executives, and industry professionals, and gain several chances to win exciting door prizes or indulgent bottles of wine or spirits.
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS
We will also be joined by two special guest speakers, Todd Rapp (below, left) & Sean Oyaas (below, right), of Rapp Strategies.
Unlocking the Benefits of Strategic Communications During Public Projects
At a time when building and infrastructure funding has regained traction at many levels of government, contractor teams are also expected to manage the reputation risks that have emerged in an era of social media and hyper-partisan politics. Todd Rapp and Sean Oyaas of Rapp Strategies will join us to discuss why community outreach and public engagement have become defining characteristics of successful public construction projects, and increasingly are a primary reason why teams get selected.
Rapp Strategies is a public affairs firm that has supported communications during approval and construction phases for over $15 billion in public and public/private projects over the last two decades. The Minnesota Builders Exchange appreciates Rapp Strategies’ partnership to support our members continued successes.
WINE & SPIRITS PULL
Back at this year's Spring Social is our Wine & Spirits Pull!
Attendees can purchase a mysteriously-wrapped package where inside they'll find either a bottle of wine or spirits that is potentially of much greater value than the purchase price. All funds from the Pull go to support the MBEX / TBG Construction Scholarship.
50/50 RAFFLE
We will also have our traditional 50/50 cash raffle where the winner takes home half of the winnings and the other half goes directly into the MBEX Scholarship Fund. Remember, we give out ~$200,000 to students annually through out scholarship program!
Join us for a free live online walk-through of our digital platform to learn the basics, refresh yourself on its offered tools, or to explore if our plan room would benefit your business.
DATES:
• Thursday, April 17 - Registration is now open!
• Thursday, May 15
• Thursday, June 19
• Thursday, July 17
• Thursday, August 21
TIME: 9:00am - 10:00am
COST: Free
LOCATION: Online via Zoom
From the Deskpad to setting up filters, to project information to bidders lists, this is a one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. Time is reserved at the end of the presentation for question and answer. Registrants must be signed up by 3:30pm the day before (Wednesday, April 16) to receive Zoom link and other information.
ABOUT THE MBEX ONLINE PLAN ROOM
MBEX's modern and innovative Online Plan Room is designed to bring its members the latest in Minnesota's commercial construction project news and bidding opportunities as well as opportunities from Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. MBEX reporters work hard behind-the-scenes to post complete project details along with viewable files (dependent on a members' level of access). They coordinate project details with the architects, engineers, project owners, and construction managers to create a smooth viewing process for members. Once posted, members can easily access the project's scope, view plans, specs and addenda, download its files, and see who might be bidding on the project. Members can also manage email notifications for timely notices of newly posted projects, new filter results, and addenda notifications on tracked projects.
The Minnesota Construction Teacher Conference engages secondary and post-secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators of the construction trades in cutting-edge professional development supported by the industry.
• DATE: Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2
• LOCATION: The Builders Group (2919 Eagandale Blvd, STE 100, Eagan, MN 55121)
• SCHEDULE: MAY 1: 8:00am-5:00pm - Networking Sessions, Industry Speakers and more. Breakfast and lunch included. | MAY 2: Site visit and Closing Session
• TICKETS: $149 per person
• SPONSORSHIPS: Toolbox Contributor - $500 | Hard Hat Hero - $1,000 | Foundation Sponsor - $2,500 | Master Builder Sponsor - $5,000
Conference Organized by:
Please email info@projectbuildmn.org for additional information.
Whether you're opening Bluebeam Revu for the first time, or you've used it for years, this class will ensure a higher baseline knowledge.
DATE: Tuesday, May 6
TIME: 10:30am - 12:30pm CST
LOCATION: Online
COST: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot, UChapter2
REGISTRATION CLOSES: Monday, May 5 @ 12:30pm
Attendees will learn interface navigation including menu dropdowns, toolbars, various tool panels, keyboard shortcuts and a few recommended settings. While learning various markup and measurement tools, several tips & tricks will be shared to increase speed and accuracy.
Learning Objectives:
• Interface Navigation
• Calibration & Measurements
• Introduction to the Markups List
About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.
From college students, graduates and interns, to those just getting started within the construction industry, the MBEX Young Professionals Network will create a forum for emerging young professionals, providing resources to connect and begin networking.
• DATE: Wednesday, May 7
• LOCATION: The Rusty Bumblebee (10950 Club W Pkwy NE, #160, Blaine, MN 55449)
• SCHEDULE: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
• COST: $20 per person (includes 1 free drink and appetizers)
Limited space available, don't wait to purchase your tickets!
Who + What:
Individuals ages 40 and under who are involved in the construction industry. The MBEX Young Professionals Network (YPN) seeks to join together construction professionals at the early stages of their career.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
If you're interested in showcasing your company's products or services and gaining exposure to a targeted audience, consider becoming a sponsor of this event. Sponsorships can be added to your order within the registration form. Click here for downloadable sponsorship flyer.
$100+- General Sponsor | $50+- Door Prize Sponsor
Click here for downloadable event flyer.
With Revu’s intuitive measurement tools and customizable interface, we can turn your highlighters into a data rich takeoff tools.*
DATE: Wednesday, May 7
TIME: 10:30am - 12:30pm CST
LOCATION: Online
COST: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
REGISTRATION CLOSES: Tuesday, May 6 at 12:30PM
Students will start out going through the standard measurement tools and settings, then move into various customization options and discuss the results in the Markups List.
*MANDATORY PRE-REQUIITE: Student(s) must have taken Bluebeam 1: Baseline Basics to enroll in this course.
Learning Objectives:
• Introduction to Viewports
• Measurement Tips & Tricks
• Custom Estimating Tools
About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.
Did you know you can export to an Excel spreadsheet, or even link directly to that Excel template file full of formulas you’ve been using for years?*
DATE: Thursday, May 8
TIME: 10:30am-12:30pm
LOCATION: Online
COST: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
REGISTRATION CLOSES: Wednesday, May 7 @ 12:30pm
After finishing the Bluebeam Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics) course, we’ll move into creating custom columns, embedding formulas, and information organization.
*MANDATORY PRE-REQUISITES: Bluebeam 1: Baseline Basics & Bluebeam 2: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics)
Learning Objectives:
• Custom Estimating Tools - continued from Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics)
• Collecting Rich Data with Custom Columns
• Reports and Exporting Data
About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.
Join MBEX's staff and Board of Directors for an afternoon where we'd like to show our appreciation for our members' on-going support.
DATE: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
LOCATION: Minnesota Builders Exchange (1123 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, 55405)
TIME: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Each member receives 2 complimentary tickets. Additional tickets can be purchased for $20 each.
Lunch will be catered by Famous Dave's, serving up BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, sweet corn, corn bread, and beverages.
Free parking is available on area streets near and around the MBEX office location. Handicap parking is available within the MBEX lot.
Minnesota Builders Exchange
1123 Glenwood Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55405
T: 612.381.2620
F: 612.381.2621
Mon, Tues & Thur (in-office): 7:00am-3:00pm
Wed & Fri (staff remote): 7:00am-3:00pm
Sat & Sun: closed
