VANCOUVER, B.C. – Vancouver’s construction sector has a new event designed to break away from the traditional trade show format.
On Sept. 24, the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) held its inaugural BUILDFest at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds in Vancouver, presenting an alternative approach to industry learning and networking.
VRCA president Jeannine Martin said the concept was created to give members a different trade show experience. The idea had been developing since she joined the organization three years ago.
According to Martin, the need for a trade show had been identified early on, but finding room for another major event alongside the many demands facing VRCA members proved difficult.
That changed when Erin, the organization’s member experience manager, proposed a different concept: “trade show meets Coachella.”
That idea became the foundation for BUILDFest, combining a conventional trade show with elements of a music festival. The event also introduced BuildTalks, a series of short presentations based on topics submitted by people from across the industry.
The VRCA received 15 submissions and selected six topics it believed would have the strongest resonance with attendees.
The result was an event built around a fast-paced, informal atmosphere intended to encourage people to move freely between networking and learning.
“We’re sitting in this beautiful beer garden listening to a BUILDTalk that’s a 15-minute hit (of information) and it’s meant to be come and go, mingle in and out,” Martin said.
The VRCA partnered with the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) for the event. Martin described BCCA president Chris Atchison as the organization’s “yes department” when it came to providing support and encouragement for the initiative.
Atchison said VRCA and BCCA had been discussing the possibility of adding something new to the industry calendar for some time.
“We’ve been in discussions with the team at VRCA for a while to put something on the calendar that’s fresh,” Atchison said. When Martin and her team presented the concept earlier in the year, he said the response was immediate: “That’s the idea. That’s exactly what this calendar needs.”
He described the proposal as a bold concept that nevertheless appeared to be something the construction industry could embrace and enjoy, making BCCA an easy partner for the project.
Under BCCA’s model, regional partners are responsible for developing and organizing their own events rather than having the provincial association host a single province-wide event.
Atchison said BUILDFest came as close as any event he had seen to creating an opportunity to celebrate the construction industry while taking a more traditional format and adding value through a more casual, future-forward presentation.
For Martin, the structure of BUILDFest was deliberate from the beginning. The event was designed to allow attendees to move seamlessly between educational sessions, networking and the social side of the event.
“It was meant to be organic, come-and-go throughout the day,” she said.
The VRCA expected another wave of attendees later in the afternoon and into the evening, when a band and beer garden would form what organizers called the construction “block party.”
Atchison said the experience begins as soon as attendees enter the venue.
“Even walking into the venue, the flow is just there,” he said. “You’re coming here to meet friends from across the industry, finding them and spending time with them.”
He said the setting creates a comfortable environment that avoids the sterile feel often associated with conventional trade shows.
“It’s visually stunning, atmospherically. It’s where we want to be and we couldn’t be more proud to be a partner with the VRCA in this,” Atchison said.
