Agenda BUILDFest 2026

Ribbon Cutting

Doors Open

BUILDTalk #1

From Jobsite to Spotlight: Building a Brand That Gets Noticed

Construction companies spend years building projects, but every project also builds a brand. In an industry driven by trust, relationships, and reputation, the stories we share can be just as powerful as the work we deliver. This session explores why branding matters regardless of company size, why visibility shouldn’t disappear during slower market cycles, and how consistent storytelling creates lasting connections. Through practical examples and real-world lessons, attendees will learn how sharing their journey, not delivering a sales pitch, can help build credibility, strengthen their brand, and create new opportunities.

BUILDTalk #2

Promoting your Best Worker is a Mistake

The best worker on your crew is rarely the best one to lead it. I’ve made this promotion myself and watched it happen dozens of times across my career: a top performer gets the lead role as a reward, and within weeks the crew erodes while a good person is drowning. Doing the work and leading the work are two different skills, and no one teaches you the second on your way up. This talk breaks down why we keep making the same call, what it really ends up costing, and exactly how to spot who’s ready to lead before you hand over the crew.

BUILDTalk #3

Skill Isn’t Enough: Three Things That Drive Every Result

Skill matters, but performance is about more than skill. This BUILDTalk explores Sandler’s Success Triangle—Attitude, Behaviour, and Technique—and how all three work together to drive better performance. Discover why mindset shapes consistency, why you control your behaviours more than your results, and why technique matters most when things get tough. Whether you lead a team or are responsible for your own performance, you’ll leave with practical ideas you can put to work right away.

BUILDTalk #4

Quality is our Recipe: Cooking up Alliances in BC

In this session, the audience will learn about the ‘Why’ behind Alliance Projects in BC. This primer will highlight the key elements of Alliance Projects, where and why collaborative contracts are used in BC, and some lessons learned from our recent experience.

BUILDTalk #5

Turning Expertise into Collective Action

Progress in our industry comes from sharing what we know and learning from each other. Mechanical leaks and quality issues remain persistent challenges. A collaborative Mechanical QC approach brings trade partners and project teams together to learn from field data, define what good looks like, and develop practical tools that improve quality from one project to the next.

BUILDTalk #6

Wrap Battle: Rethinking the Building Envelope

Discover the future of facade technology in this BUILDTalk. Flynn Canada Ltd will outline Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) exploring breakthrough developments in building envelope design and delivery.
Focusing on Canadian factory built high performance prefabricated facade systems that improve quality, reduce cost, energy consumption & waste, streamline building processes and accelerate delivery on site.

BUILDTalk #7

We’ll Figure It Out Later: The Most Expensive Words in Construction

Construction moves fast, and “we’ll figure it out later” can sometimes be the right call — but other times, later becomes expensive. This practical, story-driven talk will explore five common construction situations involving scope, changes, documentation, schedule and escalation where seemingly reasonable decisions can quietly create significant problems down the road. The focus is not on slowing projects down with bureaucracy or calling legal at every turn, but on recognizing which uncertainties can safely wait and which are already becoming tomorrow’s dispute. Attendees will learn a simple framework for deciding what needs to be addressed now, what can wait, who owns the unresolved issue, and what happens if it isn’t resolved. The talk will offer practical tools project teams can use immediately to keep work moving while protecting the commercial and contractual position. Because “later” isn’t a strategy – it’s a decision.

BUILDTalk #8

From AI Curious to AI Ready: A Practical Path to AI Value in Construction

AI interest across construction is growing quickly, yet only 9.2% of construction businesses report using AI to produce goods or deliver services. At the same time, the industry is facing persistent productivity pressure, labour constraints and increasing project complexity. The challenge is no longer convincing construction organizations that AI matters, but helping them understand where to start, what level of AI they are actually ready for, and how to know whether an investment is creating value. This session will introduce a practical approach to assessing AI maturity, matching the right capabilities to organizational readiness, and defining value at each stage before scaling further. Attendees will leave with a simple roadmap: assess where you are, prioritize the right opportunities, prove the value, and then advance.

Skills Competition

Live DJ

Block Party Opens

Famous Players Band on Stage

Built to Wear X MARK’S

Last Call

That’s a Wrap! BUILDFest Comes to a Close