GTA Construction Report staff writer
The Buildings Show (TBS), which claims it is the largest networking and educational event for design, construction and real estate industries, returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Nov. 30 – Dec 2.
Together with the Toronto Construction Association (TCA), ConstructConnect, Interior Designers of Canada, Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, BOMA, Yardi, BILD, Concrete Ontario and other participating associations and companies, TBS attendees will gain new skills and insights, thereby increasing their competitive edge, the show organizers say in a news release.
“The industry has seen significant changes in the last little while across the built environment – net-zero, building automation, higher performance,” said George Przybylowski, vice-president of Real Estate/Construction at Informa Exhibitions. “Our show facilitates opportunities to turn these new challenges into new opportunities, with advice from expert problem solvers and leaders to innovative new products, for every professional at every stage of their career.”
Over the three days, more than 30,000 industry professionals will visit TBS to learn from industry leaders and connect with peers. They will be able to discover and source the latest innovative products, technologies, best practices and new solutions from 1,600 Canadian and international exhibits.
Featured this year in the South building is Ask the Experts – Breakfast Event with BASF, offering expert solutions to concrete challenges. Climate change, a trending topic for 2016, will be the focus of the NRC Education Program and at the International Architectural Roundtable with Pippa Brashear, SCAPE Landscape Architecture PLLC; Alexandros Washburn, CRUX at Stevens Institute of Technology; James Timberlake, from KieranTimberlake; and David Turnbull, ATOPIA Innovation. The PM Executive Roundtable will focus on the significantly growing issue of cyber security for buildings owners. Attendees can also attend the TCA’s Innovative Product Award showcase to check out new comers to the market.
IIDEXCanada, in the North building, is home to keynotes such as Karim Rashid, Chris Downey, Róisín Heneghan, Petra Blaisse, Edgar Gonzalez, Paul Scialla, and Christophe Pillet on the Keilhauer Theatre. This year’s National Summits on Big Issues is all about changing the way the industry thinks about design. They include: Passive House, Women in Design, Senior Living, Wellness and Accessibility.
“These summits address how areas of design are evolving to create a better a built environment for everyone.” said Tracy Bowie, vice president of IIDEXCanada. “We’ve brought together the very best Canadian and global thinkers driving these changes.”
On the North building show floor, attendees can explore new features such as the ‘Best Of’ exhibit by IA, Interior Architects, Passive House Pavilion, IIDEXTV, the Spanish Pavilion and the LightCanada Expo. Returning to the show are crowd favourites: IIDEX Woodshop, THINK:Material, the Canadian Interiors’ Best of Canada Awards, and the Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence. Attendees can also learn about the winner of the Smelling Colours contest. The IDC/IIDA Leaders Breakfast takes place on day one of IIDEXCanada.
TBS offers more than 350 seminars and demonstrations with more than 500 speakers in both the South and North buildings for attendees to customize their education to match their professional development needs. These sessions will be led by the experts at the forefront of these changes, such as best practices for adopting new technologies on the building site and for operational efficiency, reducing operating costs, universal and inclusive design, successful project delivery, net-zero, passive house and sustainability, building restoration, wellness and more.
South Building: Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo and the World of Concrete Pavilion; November 30 & December 1: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 2: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
North Building: IIDEXCanada November 30: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. December 1: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registration is free for all industry trade professionals until Nov. 17. To register, visit http://www.thebuildingsshow.com.
