By Robin Baldwin
Yes b’y! We’re going to have a time this summer in St. John’s!
From the rugged shorelines and deep waters of the Atlantic, to the colourful houses and people of the town, St. John’s will offer you experiences and encounters like no other place in Canada. Best brush up on your Newfinese before you arrive so that you know how to respond to “Where does ya longs to?” and know that it’s a compliment when someone “dies at you”.
WHATTAYA AT? D’IS IS IT!
The conference is being hosted at the Delta Hotels St. John’s Conference Centre, located just a short walk from the excitement of George Street and a few blocks from the harbour.
The conference will kick-off on Wednesday, August 21 with the Manufacturer and Distributor Reception. Join us for a scoff and a scuff (meal and dance) as you reconnect with your TIAC family. We also look forward to welcoming many first-time attendees, so be sure to introduce yourself and make them feel welcome.
TIAC’s President, Rob Bertram, established the theme of Illuminating EfficienSee: Forging a Sustainable Future with Mechanical Insulation as his mandate. This theme signifies TIAC’s pledge to actively shape an inclusive and responsible narrative for industry while nurturing the vitality of our planet.
The foundational focus for this year’s conference is being pulled from TIAC’s newly adopted core values, which were presented to the attendees at the Whistler conference by TIAC’s Director of Industry Affairs, Tristan Bertram. For 2024, we will be weaving the Pursuit of Excellence into all the presentations and technical content.
Pursuit of Excellence: At our core is an unyielding pursuit of excellence. We take immense pride in our work and are relentless in our drive to elevate our standards. We embrace challenges as opportunities to showcase our dedication and deliver nothing short of our best. Our commitment to excellence propels us forward, ensuring that our actions consistently reflect the highest quality, dedication, and desire to make a lasting impact.
This commitment to the pursuit of excellence is a crucial element of the broader narrative initiated by President Bertram’s theme.
By adopting the Pursuit of Excellence as the 2024 conference’s foundational focus, we showcase the industry’s unwavering commitment to raising standards, embracing challenges, and delivering top-tier quality. This commitment is not only a focal point of the conference; it is also the living embodiment of the values that guide our community. Adopting this foundational focus means this conference becomes more than a gathering; it becomes a beacon, illuminating the impact of excellence in forging a sustainable future with mechanical insulation.
Watch for our presenter announcements by email and on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X in the coming weeks.
In addition to the technical programming, we are planning some great add-on activities. Do you want to become acquainted with the city of St. John’s and its surroundings, including Cape Spear, the most Easterly point in North America? Or would you prefer to take a ‘Randy’ down the shore on this scenic drive that follows the rugged coastline and its surging North Atlantic waters? Or maybe you’d prefer to drive down the Southern Shore to visit the historic Irish outport community of Bay Bulls where you can boat out to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Bird Islands, which is home to millions of Atlantic Puffins, Murres, and Kittiwakes, and watch for the whales that frequent this bay?
Excited to golf? TIAC will be taking over Bally Haly’s North Course on the Friday afternoon. You’ll probably be “gut founded” (very hungry) after playing, so head out and enjoy all that St. John’s offers!
You still want more? “G’wan witcha!” (You must be joking!) You’ll have to wait a bit longer to hear what’s being planned for the off-site evening, but it may involve a street named George.
And after three days of presentations and meetings, and evenings that will be just as busy, we will wrap up the conference with the President’s Ball. As always, be ready to jig and reel until the lights get turned on!
YOUR TIAC BOARD IS EXCITED TO SEE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES THIS SUMMER
You’re going to want to book your travel early! Don’t forget to include the apostrophe when looking into flights for St. John’s. You don’t want to end up in Saint John, New Brunswick, by mistake! Here’s a trick for remembering—Newfoundland, being an island off the eastern coast, is kind of like Canada’s apostrophe… Or just ensure that the airport code is YYT.
To learn more about our incredible host city, we encourage you to visit destinationstjohns.com.
Long may your big Jib draw! ▪
