How to Make the Most of Your 2025 LCI Congress Conference Trip
By Tammy McConaughy, LCI’s Director of Education and Certification, with contributions by Maryann Fiala, LCI’s Member Advocate
So, you’ve decided to attend the 2025 LCI Congress—congratulations! We’re excited to have you join us for this incredible event. Congress offers a fantastic opportunity to dive into Lean thinking and discover how people worldwide are transforming the design and construction industry. Whether you’re new to Lean or a seasoned Lean coach, there’s plenty to gain from this experience.
With so much happening at Congress, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To make the most of your time and return with new knowledge and valuable connections, it’s important to plan ahead.
As a long-time Congress attendee and speaker, I’ve gathered some tips from my own experiences and those of my colleagues to help you have the best possible 2025 LCI Congress experience.
Plan Ahead for Your Congress Trip
How you approach the planning process when preparing for your LCI Congress experience will differ depending on whether you’re going alone or with your team/organization. Here’s the advice I have for each approach:
As a Team or Organization
1. Meet and Discuss
Get together with your team’s attendees for a virtual roll call so everyone can discuss their plan together. Those who have attended the LCI Congress previously can give advice to those who have not, and returning teams can hold Plus/Deltas to discuss what went well last time they attended and what they’d like to do better this year.
If no one in your group has attended before, dive into the conference’s Interactive Agenda and webpage to help you plan your trip. Leave wiggle room in your daily activities and set a learning goal for each attendee.
2. Plan Your Strategy
Alignment with your organization’s, project’s, or individual Lean goals is important. Strong team alignment leads to better outcomes. Maryann Fiala, LCI’s Member Advocate, encourages new members to “have your company’s attendees meet and review the conference’s Interactive Agenda as a team. Identify which sessions are most relevant and aligned to your company’s identified Lean goals (such as looking to implement a Lean tool or work on creating a Lean mindset). Determine who is the best fit to attend each of the sessions, taking into consideration the attendee’s personal Lean knowledge level and their position within the company.”
Work together to identify who will attend which panel or event. Plan to have a follow-up meeting to discuss key learning points and actions after Congress. An important part of the learning process is sharing takeaways with your team and organization.
3. Create a Shared Schedule
Create a shared schedule using a tool such as OneNote to capture the schedule and easily see who is attending what, including dinners and happy hours. You can include a tab for each individual to share notes and highlights.
“Allow some flexibility for you and your team to choose a session or two that are of specific interest and may not align exactly with the company’s identified areas of interest,” added Maryann.
It’s also helpful to use a shared travel schedule with flight details so the group can coordinate shared rides, dinners, and networking.
4. Create a Group Chat
Start a group chat with people from your team/organization using a text messaging platform or a messaging app like Microsoft Teams, Slack, or WhatsApp. This will allow for better communication before, during, and after the trip.
As an Individual
1. Define Your Goals
Define your focus and goals for attending the 2025 LCI Congress. What are you hoping to achieve? What are you hoping to learn? Once you outline a set of achievable goals, find out what panels, events, or activities best serve those goals. Remember, you get a link to the recorded sessions and presentations after Congress, so you can review anything you missed.
2. Reach Out
Get in touch with your industry colleagues so you can coordinate travel schedules. Ride-sharing is a great time for networking!
3. Keep an Eye on Your Inbox
Watch your incoming emails for details on happy hours and to schedule your networking opportunities.
4. Travel Light
Take it easy—Congress is not a black tie affair; business casual is normal. You will receive a swag bag with special goodies, so it’s wise to have some room in your luggage to bring these items back. I usually bring a colored Sharpie or tags for my notebook and water bottle, so I don’t lose them in the mix.
Learning Days
Start by asking yourself: What are your personal goals? What are you currently working on in your project or role? What Lean topics or concepts do you want to learn more about?
Look for courses that align with your goals and/or development plan. Consider learning about Lean methods you can implement right away, or maybe learn a different perspective on what you are currently working on. The Learning Days at Congress present an excellent opportunity to take a deeper dive into topics and get applicable skills to take back to your job site.
Don’t miss an opportunity to learn about the LCI Certifications and the Pathway to Certification! If you have 3+ years of practical Lean experience, you can begin the process to apply for your Lean certification. If you do not yet have that Lean experience, you can plan your Pathway to Certification so you’re ready when the time comes.
Make a plan to attend my 2025 LCI Congress presentation, Pathway to Certification, on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 3:45-4:30 pm!
Networking and Engaging
The most consistent feedback we hear from those who attend the LCI Congress each year is how valuable it is as a networking event. People have made lifelong personal and professional bonds there, sparking project partnerships and innovative Lean ideas that have helped to transform careers and the industry as a whole.
Here’s how you can maximize networking at Congress to your advantage:
1. Plan Your Remembering Strategy
When planning your networking strategy, take advantage of the LCI Congress App to reach out and make important connections before the event begins. The LCI Congress networking events offer a casual, fun setting to meet others, continue conversations, and expand your network. Keep an eye out for additional happy hours hosted by vendors and other organizations, as they provide even more opportunities to connect.
2. Bring Business Cards—Physical or Digital
Pack your business cards and/or download a QR code app on your phone (I use Blinq—it’s free and creates a contact card in someone’s phone when they scan it).
I also like to take pictures of business cards on my phone vs. taking the cards physically; I tend to lose them, so taking a picture allows me to go back and refresh on who I met.
3. Visit the Exhibit Hall
Visit the vendor booths in the exhibit hall. Take the time to learn and listen—this is all about networking to see what Lean tools are out there and how to align them with your team and or organization.
4. Happy Hours and Dinners
Happy hours and dinners are a great way to network in a casual setting. Many happy hours are scheduled and can be attended by anyone. However, setting up your own networking dinners is wise as well. Try to set up a get-together with someone whose work you value or who you think could make a valuable partner down the line.
It’s wise to scope out local restaurants and make reservations in advance. Don’t forget that breakfast and coffee breaks are also great times to meet new people and build relationships.
Challenge yourself and your team to not sit with the same people at lunch and breakfast during the conference.
5. Vendors and Peer Groups
The LCI Congress is a great place to explore new ideas. The conference features many vendors from across the industry, providing great opportunities to learn about new companies, organizations, and ideas that you have not previously explored.
In the Exhibit Hall, trade professionals may benefit from meeting at the Field Crew Huddle table, while owners might focus on high-level strategic networking with other executives.
Make time to meet with others in your industry to create valuable connections and acquire new knowledge.
In the past, I have found the LCI Congress to be a great place to launch my learning on a new system or method. Look for those opportunities by industry:
- Trades: Look for practical applications of Lean in the field, such as the Last Planner System®, Flow, or Safety practices, and specific sessions like Expanding Trade Use of Lean – Crew Huddle Resources
- Builders: Consider sessions that cover project management, Lean Project Delivery, Target Value Delivery, and collaboration techniques, including specific sessions like Scalable Solutions: Maximizing Floor Plans in Healthcare
- Designers: Focus on courses covering topics such as Scrum, Target Value Delivery, and Choosing By Advantages, and consider specific sessions like Lean Design in House
- Owners: Dig into the National Owner Panel, Scrum, and specific sessions like “Weird New Feeling” – Opening Day Preparedness
Plan for Action
Partner up at the conference with someone you already know or with someone you plan to meet up with at the event. This can be highly beneficial – having someone to discuss what you learn can help reinforce information in your mind. It’s also an excellent opportunity to network with other attendees and speakers, so be proactive in making those connections.
Once Congress is over, build on what you learned by fostering the connections that you build and by taking what you’ve learned into concrete action in the workplace. If you’re attending with a team, get together to discuss the most valuable insights you picked up at Congress and put together an action plan for implementing some of those new ideas.
Maryann agreed, adding that it’s best to “create a plan of how each individual will share what they have learned with the broader team after Congress.”
Watch for a link to recorded sessions and presentations after Congress, so you can review your favorite sessions or any you missed.
Stay in the Know
Check out the rest of our Congress blog posts and keep up with the latest on LinkedIn with #LCICongress25.
Interested in Sponsoring or Exhibiting at This Year’s Congress?
Email Ilene Goldberg or call (703) 785-9087, for more information.
Questions on the Congress Program?
Contact Joan Piccariello for more information.