STAFF WRITER
– The Ontario Construction Report Special Feature
The Buildings Show (TBS) is the largest networking and education event for the design, construction and real estate industries. Bringing together Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, World of Concrete Pavilion and IIDEXCanada, the event takes place Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
A media release announcing the show sums up the foundation behind the massive event: “Best practices across the built environment continue to evolve as new and more efficient processes are being developed. In order for the Canadian market to continue excelling, it must find new ways to bridge global trends with current domestic regulations and standards.”
TBS brings together the Toronto Construction Association (TCA), Construct- Connect, Interior Designers of Canada, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, BOMA, Yardi, BILD, Concrete Ontario among the participating associations and companies to offer attendees “new skills and insights, thereby increasing their competitive edge.”
“The industry has seen significant changes in the last little while across the built environment – net-zero, building automation, higher performance,” says George Przybylowski, Informa Exhibition’s vice president of real estate and construction. “Our show facilitates opportunities to turn these new challenges into new opportunities, whether from expert problem solvers and leaders or innovative new products, for every professional at every stage of their career.”
More than 30,000 industry professionals are expected to visit the show and its 1,600 Canadian and international exhibits, including the TCA’s Innovative Product Award showcase which features newcomers to the market. More than 350 seminars and demonstrations with more than 500 speakers will allow attendees to customize their educational experience.
Some seminars will include industry overviews through sessions including Global Construction Outlook; Construction Law Update: The Construction Lien Act Review; The Carbon Impact Initiative: How Will It Affect Building Design & Construction Going Forward; Recruiting and Retaining Women in the Construction Trades: Social Responsibility or Competitive Advantage; and National Building Code (NBC)2015 – Part 9: Current Implementation and Shifts for 2020.
Others will focus more on business issues and practices and areas of specific focus, including: A Look at Energy Efficient Concrete Tilt-up Buildings; Tender Forms and the Tendering Process: Best Practices; Gold Seal Certification Expect Excellence: The Value for You and Your Team; New and Innovative Green Building Products, Services and Systems; Procurement Process for Public Sector Projects: Approaches, Best Practices, and Opportunities in Real Estate and Infrastructure; and Air Barrier vs. Vapour Barrier: Understanding Function for the Performance of Your Building.
Among this year’s featured exhibits in the South building is an “Ask the Experts Breakfast” with BASF, offering expert solutions to concrete challenges. The release says “climate change, a trending topic for 2016, will be the focus of the NRC Education Program.”
At the International Architectural Roundtable Pippa Brashear, SCAPE Landscape Architecture PLLC; Alexandros Washburn, CRUX at Stevens Institute of Technology; James Timberlake, from KieranTimberlake; and David Turnbull, ATOPIA Innovation will tackle the subject of “Designing Resilient Buildings in the Face of Climate Change.”
The event’s PM Executive Roundtable will “focus on the significantly growing issue of cyber security for buildings owners.”
In the North building, attendees can check out IIDEXCanada and its “distinguished and ground breaking international keynotes such as Karim Rashid, Chris Downey, Róisín Heneghan, Petra Blaisse, Edgar Gonzalez, Paul Scialla, and Christophe Pillet on the Keilhauer Theatre.”
New features include the ‘Best Of’ exhibit by IA, Interior Architects, Passive House Pavilion, IIDEXTV, the Spanish Pavilion and the LightCanada Expo. Returning features include IIDEX Woodshop, THINK:Material, the Canadian Interiors’ Best of Canada Awards, and the Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence.
National Summits focus on issues that are “all about changing the way the industry thinks about design” and include discussions on Passive House, women in design, senior living, wellness and accessibility.
Free registration for the event ends Nov. 17. After then registration will be $25. Seminar prices also rise on Nov. 18. To register or for more information, visit http://www.constructcanada.com.