As Canada emerges from lockdown, what can the corporate sector expect in terms of return-to-work protocols and strategies? How much of that strategy will be driven by employers’ ideas around best practices vs. employees’ demands for a new normal in a highly competitive labor market? And what will be the long-term impacts for real estate strategies and office demand that trickle down to business opportunities for architects, designers, and industry suppliers?

Our panel of experts spans interior design, workplace consulting, corporate workplace strategy and real estate services. They will provide current insights on office attendance (in-person, hybrid vs fully remote working), workplace practices in 2021, and explore the shifting nature of work and workplace in the post-pandemic era. A thoughtful and lively discussion will address:

• How employee and employer priorities and expectations have changed due to COVID-19
• The influence of workplace strategy and practice trends appearing in national and international markets
• The potential for long-lasting changes to ways we work, including opportunities and risks related to mental health, wellness, community-building, “the great resignation” and more

The session will provide insight on how workplace strategy trends are evolving internationally and in Canada, and address key changes that may endure into the long term.

Moderator and Panelists:

Jennifer Busch
Director, Client Partnerships
EVENTSCAPE NYC

Annie Bergeron
Design Director and Principal
Gensler

Maggie Dempster
Senior Workplace Strategist
Workplace Performance Services
HermanMiller

Chris Adamkowski
General Manager
Google Workspace, Canada

Christine Weber
National Director, Workplace Consulting Canada
Avison Young

An agile, resilient practice is one that adapts, evolves and grows through long-term industry trends and changes and has the systems and flexibility to withstand sudden emergencies, business interruptions and economic downturns. Being able to target and proactively procure work is the foundation of an agile practice. In this session you will learn five strategies to strengthen your firm, and getting the work you want - through good times and bad.

• Your brand: know who you are, what you are selling and to whom to better tailor your services and stand out from competitors.
• The tools and systems you need to respond quickly to RFPs and new clients requests.
• How to enhance your ability to compete and how to pivot if necessary
• How to build a network to drive work
• How to enhance your visibility to support BD activities

Speaker:

Johanna Hoffmann
CEO
Oomph Group Inc.

Unsure about electronic meetings or using proxies? What about dealing with smoking complaints, or enforcing bylaws against tenants? The Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) has ruled on these issue and many more in 2020 and 2021. This year’s annual BUILDEX Property Management Legal Update will clear up the confusion and provide an overview of the key CRT decisions made during the last 12 months. With time at an all-time premium for our industry, how does a strata manager stay up to date? By taking the Annual Property Management Legal Update at BUILDEX, of course!

Speaker:

Adrienne Murray
Lawyer
Hamilton & Company

In a post-pandemic world, changing workplace practices and real estate strategies are placing even greater pressure on commercial real estate; locally, nationally and internationally. At particular risk are class B & C, aging, energy inefficient, technologically outdated, poorly connected and undesirably located commercial assets. This panel has been amassed to discuss how adaptive reuse projects across Canada and North America are proving viable and successful while injecting new life into troubled assets and revitalizing dead communities.

Join the session to hear:

• Adaptive reuse design challenges
• Key code and regulatory barriers
• Important cost and financing obstacles
• Common planning, preparation and tenancy oversights
• The construction realities of with adaptive reuse projects
• Remaining hurdles for adaptive reuse to become commonplace in Canada

Moderator and Panelists:

Steven Paynter
Principal - NE Regional Practice
Gensler

Hannes Kovac
President & CEO
OPUS

Thom Mahler
Manager, Urban Initiatives, Calgary Growth Strategies
City of Calgary

Jason Swords
Principle
Sunflower Development Group, LLC

Technology in the real estate sector has significantly evolved where virtual operations and transactions have become the industry standard. At this session, we will explore procurement strategies and get insights on where technology is headed in this post pandemic world. Be a part of the evolution and discover technology that will empower your teams and execute your organization’s goals.

Moderator and Panelists:

Heather Brady
Regional Director
Yardi Canada Ltd

Sandeep Manak
Chief Financial Officer
Wesgroup Properties LP

Ravi Pandarinath
Controller
Ronmor Holdings Inc

Christine Williams
Vice President National Operations and Administration, Residential
QuadReal Property Group

WareHoos is your online building supply yard. We use our many years of experience in the building supply industry to help contractors source competitively priced building products online. As opposed to eliminating important supply channels like our other online competitors who can’t deliver ‘on time’ for contractors, we work with the local suppliers you know to deliver when and where you need it.

If you’re a contractor, renovator, or custom home builder, join this session to learn how we can help you:

• Improve your efficiency by streamlining your order process
• Buy more competitively
• Find obscure building products you find specified on your plans but don’t know where to find
• Spend less time sourcing products, and most importantly
• Spend more time building

Speaker:

Alec Yu
Project Coordinator
WareHoos

The same principal need has influenced man’s construction productivity since the beginning of time: The continuous need to manage time, team and safety responsibilities on our worksites. This has been the focus of our invention, helping us become a transparent service contractor with a focus on compliance, transparency, collaboration and increased productivity.

Join this session to discover how contractors can utilize this new technology to successfully recruit, educate, manage and grow their services, bridging the gap between site and the project’s team.

Speakers:

Patrick Mimeault
Managing Director
Trade Specifix

A constantly evolving retail landscape coupled with post-pandemic protocols that, according to many experts, are here to stay, have catapulted parcel deliveries to unprecedented heights with no sign of a slow-down in sight. Multi-residential buildings are particularly affected as scores of residents receive deliveries around the clock. As a result, building management must be proactive about implementing secure, convenient, and efficient parcel management solutions.

While smart parcel lockers were once considered a luxe, high-end amenity, they are fast becoming a must-have staple in multi-residential buildings of all sizes – not only because of the current solutions they provide, but also because of their adaptability to meet future needs.

Topics covered will include:

• The e-commerce explosion and how it has led to a parcel avalanche
• The new retail and delivery trends (meal kits, subscription boxes, food delivery apps, sustainable choices, shopping locally) and how they affect parcel management
• Adapting to the protocols that have come out of Covid but will be with us long after the pandemic is over (social distancing, contactless deliveries, etc.)
• Parcel theft – we have all heard of porch pirates, but multi-residential buildings are also affected by the lobby looter
• Mitigating other liability concerns such as firecode violations that can result from the presence of unsecured parcels
• Enhancing resident security by eliminating unnecessary foot traffic in buildings
• The ROI of a smart parcel lockers

Speakers:

Jane McIver
VP, Customer Experience
Snaile - Canada's Parcel Locker Company

Marie-Josée Fortier
Territory Sales Manager
Snaile - Canada's Parcel Locker Company

Pacific Specialty Brands, a leader in the appliance industry is proud to present Capital Cooking Professional Ranges to Western Canada. Capital Cooking constructs high quality cooking products, proudly handcrafted in the USA . Now offering a luxury Professional Range product designed with unique features only found on Capital Professional Ranges.

Capital Professional Ranges will rival the current Luxury Range Market with their unique features only found on Capital Ranges, such as an internal rotisseries, moist cook and their hybrid 25,000 btu ranges. Top this off with being handcrafted in the USA and customization options such as any colour choice from the RAL colour palette, this brand will surely become the go-to luxury professional range for the Western Canadian Market.

Speakers:

Peter Buragina
Business Development Manager
Pacific Specialty Brands

Melrose Chang
Regional Sales Manager
Pacific Specialty Brands

It's no secret that water penetration through a building’s foundation can be frequently traced to several key design and installation oversights. This presentation provides a comprehensive review of system selection with a strong focus on substrate specification & quality control which is an integral facet to ensuring its success, including: challenges in blind-side waterproofing; importance of shoring systems as they relate to waterproofing performance; waterproofing penetrations; detailing / design considerations; advantages of a Quality Assurance Program. Learning Objectives: evaluate and select appropriate waterproofing systems and components for specific site conditions and construction methods; identify common difficulties/problems for waterproofing installation and performance; determine methods to avoid, prevent and solve problems; review importance of a standardized Quality Assurance Program.

Speaker:

Ashley Foster
Technical Representative
Engineered Site Products

The next editions of the National Building, Fire, Plumbing and Energy Codes will include almost 450 technical changes to adapt to a rapidly evolving building industry. Over the last code cycle, Codes Canada has been working closely with the provinces and territories as well as industry partners to update all four national model codes. Updated codes provide effective building and safety regulations, harmonized across Canada.

This presentation will highlight some of the most significant technical changes that are being incorporated in the upcoming editions of the Codes, which are expected to be published in December 2021. Changes relate to encapsulated mass timber constructions, safety-glazing, large farm buildings, accessibility, earthquake design, water-miscible liquids, water-use efficiency, air leakage, and the introduction of tiered performance requirements and alignment with EnerGuide System in the National Energy Code for Buildings.

Join two Codes Canada presenters for this highly informative update and prepare yourself for upcoming Code changes.

Speakers:

Rizwan Ullah
Technical Advisor, Construction
National Research Council

Gian-Luca Porcari
Technical Advisor, Codes Canada
National Research Council

What are collaborative contracts and how do they work in practice? Have collaborative contracts been successful to date? Join a panel of industry experts to answer these questions and learn: what contracts are considered “collaborative”; how do they work in practice; what projects are ideal for collaborative contracts; new developments in collaborative contracting; and an overview of industry experience and lessons learnt.

The session will focus on integrated project delivery (IPD), design-assist and progressive design build projects. Attendees will get industry insight through the discussion of real-world examples. The session will benefit owners, contractors, material suppliers, and professionals.

Moderator and panelists:

Bill Woodhead
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Amit Patel
Vice President and General Manager
Canadian Turner Construction Company

Catherine Peacock
Assistant Vice President
Infrastructure BC

Steve Fleck
Executive Vice President, Chief Practice and Project Officer
Stantec

Creating resilient permeable hardscape solutions for paver jointing, paver bedding and gravel binding is presented by key challenges: stormwater management, frost heave, weeds, and ants. At the same time customers demand aesthetically pleasing and resilient solutions that stand the test of time and utilize increasingly sustainable practices. This session will demonstrate how permeable hardscaping can overcome these challengers while creating a hardscape project that is practical, sustainable and will leave a lasting visual legacy behind.

Speakers:

Tom Kirk
Co-Founder and VP Operations
Romex North America

Joe Steinbach
Western Canadian Sales Representative
Romex North America

In this session, we will discuss assessing potential risks you may not be considering:

• Mould; is it lurking in hidden spaces now?
• Stagnant water and Legionella risk, do you actually need to test??
• HVAC; safe vs unsafe start up
• Building Maintenance; how critical is it really in an empty building?
• Is there liability in not addressing these potential risks?

Speakers:

David Muise
National Practice Leader, Indoor Environmental Quality
Pinchin Ltd

Heather Swail
Operations Manager, IEQ BC
Pinchin Ltd