The Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) has cancelled their annual business meeting which was scheduled August 23-25 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“While it may be legally possible to hold a meeting in Victoria late August, its success seems highly unlikely. It’s hard to imagine our member delegates choosing to travel this soon, not to mention the financial pain many will be feeling for the rest of 2020,” reports Sandy MacLeod, president and CEO of HRAI, in a press release to the industry.
A recent survey from Freeman, an events management company, shows that there will be a “very soft outlook” for events and meetings in the next six months. The survey shows that: “Half of marketers don’t expect to start planning live events for at least four to six months, while a third of marketers plan to host smaller, local events (average participant number: under 70). Thirty per cent expect budget cuts as organizations focus on digital options and managing costs.”
HRAI is in the midst of renegotiating all conference-related contracts and expecting to hold the next annual event in Victoria, B.C. in September of 2021.
The legally required annual general meetings (AGM) will be conducted via a virtual meeting setting. It will be rescheduled for September 2020. Details should be finalized in the coming weeks.
The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) has announced that the CIPHEX West tradeshow has been postponed. The two-day tradeshow and conference will now take place November 3-4, 2021 at the Pacific Coliseum at the PNE in Vancouver, British Columbia.
A virtual event will be held in November 2020. The details are still being worked out but is expected to include eBooths and webinars.
A few lucky events
The events that were lucky enough to be scheduled later in the year have a better chance of running as normal.
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) is scheduled for October 21 to 24 in Napa, California. More information to come closer to date.
Atlantic Canada’s largest trade show and social event for the industry will continue to be in Moncton at the Moncton Coliseum Complex. On March 18, the organizers for the MEET – the Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic and Technology – tradeshow rescheduled the original May 6-7 show dates to November 18-19.
“The decision to postpone the event was not taken lightly and was made in consultation with the show’s four sponsoring associations, with the health and safety of exhibitors, partners, visitors, and contractors top of mind,” reports MEET in a press release. The event features 400 companies over more than 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. Every two years, it gathers over 6,000 attendees.