First and foremost: thanks to everyone involved in the planning, sponsoring, exhibiting, speaking, participating, and those providing technical and behind-the-scenes services of all kinds! We were overwhelmed with the participation and interaction among the virtual and in-person audiences. We discovered, as we’d hoped, that such a hybrid event helps engage people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. Despite the challenges, this hybrid conference was indeed a success!
With in-person attendees from both Canada and the U.S., the traditional BCxA Annual Dinner kickoff was a long-awaited opportunity to reconnect at the renowned Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
As we recap the two-day event that followed, we’re recognizing the many moments of inspiration and laughter, along with a host of ideas and key takeaways from the sessions. BCxA board member Candice Rogers “loved the variety … everything from leadership to technology to technique.”
We had new speakers and more diverse perspectives from building professionals — the Contractor’s Roundtable was especially revealing. “Hearing from all stakeholders highlights the need for the extended commissioning team to be actively involved. It's something that's not always available in other organizations,” noted Kari Donovan.
Tom Poeling says, “One highlight was listening to presentations on Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) commissioning programs. I was interested to know how EBCx and OCx programs could be built to scale up, and it was good to hear how NRCan is driving a coordinated effort towards this goal.”
“The most memorable highlight to me,” says president Ryan Lean, “was that we were able to host an incredible hybrid conference with a great mix of in-person and virtual attendees – we had first time attendees and presenters, some who haven’t missed one in 28 years, and super high engagement from the virtual audience. I’m bullish on the future of our hybrid conferences and can’t wait until next year in Glendale, AZ. (September 21-23, 2022)!”
Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage and links to presentations in your next Checklist, October 29th.