Some come to present, others come to work and everyone comes to play. It all amounts to one solid fact: Industry conferences are the best networking opportunities of the year. The real point of bringing hundreds of like-minded people together in this way is to prove to ourselves and to each other that we value participating in something important, something bigger than our daily business, something that furthers the industry.

TIAC’s 46th Annual Conference, hosted by the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, Alberta, promises a brilliant line-up of informational sessions covering Firestopping Concerns, Industry Trends and Challenges, The Alberta Advantage and other important topics. Presenters from the Construction Owners Association of Alberta and the Ministry of Energy lead off the four-day event, which is sure to engage and inform.

Guest speakers, panel presentations and topical sessions are meant to inform and educate, but there is also potential in simple conversation. You never know if the person sitting next to you is the exact contact you’ve wanted to make to find out about an issue that affects your business, or a person who has the missing piece to an idea you’ve been trying to hammer out. The conference’s Welcome Evening Ukrainian Dinner and Dance, Sunday’s “TIAA Evening at Fort Edmonton Park” and the President’s Ball on Tuesday will be excellent opportunities to get to know people in the industry you may never otherwise meet.

It’s no mistake that 50 percent of conference offerings are recreational. It’s one thing to absorb industry information while wrapped up in how it affects your bottom line; it’s quite another to have dinner and drinks with a group of people who experience what you do every single day. When the “all-business” mentality melts away over wine and appetizers, real inspiration is possible. Some of the events planned for the conference include Monday’s Golf Tournament at Black Hawk Golf Club and the Curling Bonspeil on Tuesday, and spouses are invited to take an optional trip to West Edmonton Mall on Monday. See the full schedule for details.

What makes a conference irreplaceable as a business tool, marketing channel and well of opportunity is “face time.” The Internet and all its cutting-edge gadgetry can never replace the benefit of meeting someone face-to-face and putting a personality behind a logo. As the industry’s best come together to teach and to learn, unexpected opportunities will arise ... Whether those are at the podium or in the next chair over is up to you.

Conference Agenda