2026 Andy Zinsmeyer AI Advancement Award

Purpose and Scope

The Andy Zinsmeyer AI Advancement Award recognizes AEC firms, teams, or individuals who have demonstrated meaningful, responsible advancement in applying artificial intelligence to real business challenges — with emphasis on strategic implementation and measurable impact, not just experimentation or novelty.

Eligibility

AEC marketing, business development, and firm growth professionals and their teams. This could include in-house staff, firm leadership, or cross-functional teams. Consultants embedded within an AEC firm on a recognized AI initiative may also be eligible. The entry should be submitted by or on behalf of the AEC firm.

For the purposes of this award, AI includes but is not limited to:

• Generative AI tools applied to proposals, content, or client communications
• Predictive analytics for business development or pipeline management
• Automation of marketing workflows or repetitive operational tasks
• AI-assisted design, visualization, or project delivery tools
• Governance frameworks or responsible AI policies guiding firm-wide adoption

Pure software automation without a learning or intelligence component (e.g., basic macros or templated workflows) would not qualify.

Criteria

Innovation / Creativity — 20 points

Describe the business challenge or opportunity that prompted your use of AI and the solution you implemented.
Explain what made the approach innovative, creative, or forward-thinking within your firm or the broader AEC industry. Include how the AI solution was identified, selected, developed, or adapted to address the challenge.

Business Impact — 25 points

Describe the measurable results and business impact of the AI initiative.
Provide specific outcomes wherever possible, such as return on investment, time or cost savings, increased efficiency, improved quality, revenue influence, stronger client engagement, improved decision-making, or other measurable results. Include quantitative data or other evidence that demonstrates impact.

Implementation / Execution — 20 points

Explain how the AI solution was implemented and integrated into your organization or workflow.
Describe the planning and implementation process, including stakeholder involvement, training, adoption, workflow integration, challenges encountered, and how those challenges were addressed. Explain what contributed to successful adoption and ongoing use.

Scalability / Replicability — 15 points

Describe how the AI approach could be expanded, scaled, or replicated.
Explain whether the solution has been or could be used by other teams, departments, offices, projects, or firms. Identify what would be needed to replicate the approach and any lessons learned that could benefit others in the AEC industry.

Ethical / Responsible Use — 20 points

Describe how responsible and ethical AI use was incorporated into the initiative.

Explain the policies, practices, safeguards, or decision-making processes used to address areas such as data privacy and security, confidentiality, accuracy, human oversight, bias, transparency, intellectual property, and appropriate use. Describe how your organization ensured AI supported, not replaced, responsible professional judgment.

Supporting materials:

• Required: PDF case study or project summary (max 10 pages)
• Required: Visuals, screenshots, or workflow diagrams (jpg, png, pdf, doc)
• Optional: video walkthrough or demo link (max 3–5 minutes)