Austin, Texas—They say everything is bigger in Texas, so that’s why the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) is planning to bring it to its annual business conference in Austin. Running from Nov. 27 to 30 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, the conference will provide participants with various networking opportunities, informative discussions, and extracurricular activities.
While the conference officially starts on Nov. 27, two days of pre-conference activities will be held on the 25th and 26th. These two days will feature private events and meetings consisting of managing councils, the MCAC board of directors, executive and education committees, governance training, and a board of directors reception dinner.
The annual conference golf tournament, which will take place at the Coore Crenshaw Cliffside course on Nov. 27, will officially kick off the conference. Day one of the conference will also include a first-timer’s reception and an opening-night networking reception and dinner.
On day two of the conference, business will be taken care of as there are educational sessions upon educational sessions. Keynote speaker Jason Cyrus, a motivational hypnotist, naturopath, and mental performance coach, will kick off the day with his “Achieve the Unthinkable” breakfast presentation.
After that, the day’s sessions include a panel on the future of the mechanical workforce in Canada, unlocking the power of AI to supercharge your mechanical service business, an associate member panel on the troubles faced by suppliers and service providers, the evolution of the “sub” trade in today’s construction industry, and a panel on digitization and industrialized construction.
Since day two of the conference is on a Thursday and in the Lone Star State, the day will end with a social event for a Thanksgiving football game.
Sessions for day three of the event include what a mechanical contractor can do before going legal, a panel on improving productivity for industrial contractors and breaking the stigma around mental health in construction. This day will end with an offsite event at the Bull and Bowl entertainment venue in Austin.
The last day of the conference will begin with MCAC’s annual general meeting. Following that, there will be an economic and labour force update, an MCAC board of directors meeting, and a closing keynote presentation by Bruny Surin, Team Canada Chef de Mission and an Olympic gold medalist. The conference will end with a two-person scramble golf tournament and boots and hats closing night gala. Western-themed attire is recommended.
Throughout the conference, companion events will be held. The first event on the docket is a chopped BBQ sauce recipe competition. More companion events will be added closer to the show.