My Thoughts On the Women in Construction Event

Written by Ravpreet “Ruby” Kaur Bhangoo

I had the opportunity and pleasure to attend the Women in Construction – West Coast Conference on March 28-29, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach.  It was a sellout crowd, with the maximum of 450 people, 95% of which were women, attending.  SMTD Law LLP sponsored the event.

My Thoughts

It was refreshing to hear from so many powerful women impacting, not only the companies they work for, but the construction industry in general.  It was inspiring hearing about their struggles first-hand and how they overcame them.  They were evidence of the strides that women have made in the construction industry, while at the same time highlighting how far women still have to go.

Issues Women Face in Construction Industry

The conference, the panelists, the topics, and the attendees’ questions shed light on important issues facing women in the construction industry and, more importantly, the scarcity of dialogue on such issues.  Our own, Marilyn Klinger, a founding conference board member, was one of those in the audience who asked the panelists a particularly probing question.  Indeed, the conference created a safe atmosphere to discuss not only women’s issues, but issues facing the construction industry in general.

Event Learnings

We learned how to create inclusive team cultures, use employee resource groups, and work towards achieving work-life balance.  We also learned about magnificent and innovative projects such as the L.A. Rams stadium, cyber security risks on job sites, and safety on projects. We even had a memorable and hands-on public speaking seminar.

In conclusion, it was my first Women in Construction conference, and it was an insightful conference with great energy.  I look forward to attending again next year in Phoenix, Arizona.