The only Maryland Conference for Architectural & Design Professionals

Preparing firms across DC, Maryland, and Virginia to lead what’s next in practice. 
Practical strategies. Real case studies. Regional insight.

Save the Date! November 4, 2026

Meet Our Speakers
  • November 4, 2026
  • Conference & Expo: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Maritime Conference Center, Linthicum Heights, Maryland

Why Attend Future Forward

Distinguished Speakers

Attend inspiring Keynotes from Industry leaders out of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

Vendors & Service Providers

Stay up to date with the latest in cutting-edge products and services from our homegrown exhibitors.

Leading the Way

With a community of great leaders in the DMV we are able to work together to lead the day for the future of what the DMV is going to look like.

Conference & Expo Schedule

7:00 AM                                  Exhibitors Set Up

8:00 AM                                  Expo Opens

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM              Registration/Networking/Breakfast

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM              Welcome/Opening Remarks

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM            Session 1

10:15 AM                                Coffee Break 

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM          Session 2

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM           Keynote

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM             Lunch/Networking/Expo

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM               Session 3

3:00 PM                                   Coffee Break

3:15PM – 4:30 PM                Session 4

4:30 PM – 4:45 PM               Closing Remarks

4:45 PM – 5:30 PM               Expo/Networking Breakdown

See Full Session Details

Our Speakers

Priyanka Gorasia, LEED GA

Designer
Quinn Evans

Beyond the Linear Path: A Workshop on Iterative Career Design for Emerging Professionals

See Bio

Arti Verma NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Project Manager
Dynamik Design

Session: Beyond the Linear Path: A Workshop on Iterative Career Design for Emerging Professionals

See Bio

Ileana Schinder

Architect
Ileana Schinder, PLLC

Session: How ADUs Shape the Future of
Housing

See Bio

Kara Babcock, AIA

Associate Principal
UNION

Session: Transforming Coastal Adaptation Narratives

See Bio

Kurt Neiswender AIA, LEED AP

Owner
Urban Colab Architecture, L3C

Session: The Replicable Practitioner: A Working Session in AI-Assisted Tool Building for Small Firms

See Bio

Martina Reilly

Senior Associate
BCT Design Group

Session: Regeneration: Reimagining Existing Buildings to Solve the Housing Crisis

See Bio

The Sustainable Architecture Event of the Year!

  • May 8th, 2025
  • Conference & Expo: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
  • 60th Anniversary Celebration: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
  • The Crowne Plaza, Annapolis, Maryland

Between cutting edge practices, networking with role-models in resilience, and a celebration of 60 years in the business, you don’t want to miss The Future Forward Conference.

Get Your Ticket
Hotel Accommodations

Our Sponsors

Become a Sponsor

Increase your visibility and enhance credibility within our over 2000 member community.

Sponsor the Event

Sponsoring the Future Forward Conference & Expo is a strategic way to elevate your brand and align with AIA Maryland’s legacy of excellence in architecture and sustainability.

With exclusive networking opportunities and prominent brand exposure throughout our marketing, sponsorship ensures lasting recognition and meaningful connections with key stakeholders in the industry.

Please email [email protected]

Sponsorship Reservation Deadline: September, 2026

Click here to download our sponsorship packet

Exhibit With Us

Exhibiting at the Future Forward Conference & Expo provides an unparalleled opportunity to put your products and services front and center with a highly engaged audience of architects, engineers, tradesmen, and industry professionals from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

This event is the ideal platform to increase brand awareness, gain industry insights, and position your company at the forefront of innovation in sustainable design and construction.

Please email [email protected]

Reservation Deadline: September, 2026

See Your Participation Options

Priyanka Gorasia, LEED GA​

Priyanka Gorasia is a preservation professional with a cross-disciplinary foundation in architecture, conservation, and historic research.

With experience in both India and the United States, she brings a global perspective to the challenges of building rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and long-term stewardship of historic sites.

Session:
Beyond the Linear Path: A Workshop on Iterative Career Design for Emerging Professionals

Title:
Designer at Quinn Evans

Education:
Bachelor of Architecture, Mumbai University; Master of Science in Historic Preservation,
University of Pennsylvania

Affiliations:
Association for Preservation Technology International

Contact Email:
[email protected]

Arti Verma NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Arti Verma is an experienced Architect with a demonstrated history of working in the architecture & planning industry.

Session:
Beyond the Linear Path: A Workshop on Iterative Career Design for Emerging Professionals

Title:
Project Manager at Dynamik Design

Education:
Bachelor of Architecture, IES College of Architecture, Mumbai; Master of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology

Affiliations:
AIA Georgia — CKLDP Class of 2024 (Christopher Kelly Leadership Development Program)

Contact Email:
[email protected]

Ileana Schinder

Argentina-born architect based in Washington, D.C., known as a go-to ADU (accessory dwelling unit)
expert. Featured in The Washington Post, Dwell, Reuters, Washington Business Journal, and WAMU’s
The Kojo Nnamdi Show.

Session:
How ADUs Shape the Future of Housing

Title:
Architect at Ileana Schinder, PLLC

Education:
B.A. Architecture, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina); M.A. Communications, American University

Contact Email:
[email protected]

Kara Babcock, AIA

Kara is one of Union’s longest-tenured employees; project manager for the award-winning Hammetts Wharf
Hotel in Newport, RI.

Her background spans workforce housing, public libraries, adaptive reuse, and an award-winning research exhibit on sea level rise in historic communities. Currently leads Union’s coastal climate work in Salem, MA and for the City of Charleston, SC. Board member, Rhode Island Chapter of the ACE Mentor program.

Session:
Transforming Coastal Adaptation Narratives

Title:
AIA, Associate Principal at UNION

Education:
Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture, Roger Williams University

Kurt Neiswender AIA, LEED AP

Flint, Michigan-based architect and educator whose practice focuses on regenerative design, missing-middle housing, adaptive reuse, and community development.

Co-authored The Pop-Up Cookbook, a community development toolkit, and co-hosts the Coffee Sketch Podcast.

Session:
The Replicable Practitioner: A Working Session in AI-Assisted Tool Building for Small Firms

Title:
AIA — Founder & Principal Architect, Urban Colab Architecture; Assistant Professor of Practice, Lawrence Technological University

Honors:
AIA National Young Architect Award (2017); Building Design and Construction 40 Under 40 (2018); AIA Michigan Young Architect Award (2015)

Email: [email protected]

Martina Reilly​

Past President of AIA Baltimore and 2014 AIA Baltimore Community Architect of the Year. Longtime
volunteer with the Neighborhood Design Center of Maryland. Career focus on multifamily housing,
adaptive reuse, and affordable housing — notably converting former train stations into permanent
supportive housing in Baltimore.

Session:
Regeneration: Reimagining Existing Buildings to Solve the Housing Crisis

Title:
Senior Associate at BCT Design Group

Education:
B.S. Architecture, University of Maryland (cum laude, citation in art)

Contact Email:
[email protected]