HRAI AGM and Conference just weeks away
August 4, 2015 | By Doug Picklyk
Room block deadline at Caesars Windsor extended to August 11.
The Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Institute of Canada returns to Ontario for its 47th annual general meeting and conference where it will premiere a new format for the event. The 2015 gathering, which will be held at Caesars Windsor on August 26 to 28, offers a tighter program and an all-access system that allows attendees to participate in all of the learning sessions.
Themed Opportunities through Challenge & Change, the agenda features Michael Hyatt, a nationally recognized business commentator on CBC News Network and one of the new “Dragons” on CBC’s Next Gen Den – Dragons’ Den. He will share the key drivers to building and running a great business, and the macro trends that are changing our world. Hyatt will challenge attendees to explore the humility that comes with the question: Would you hire yourself for your home or business HVAC/R needs?
Along that same vein, Greg Weatherdon will ask attendees: Would You Buy Your Company? Having orchestrated the sale of two of his companies, Weatherdon shares the importance of building a saleable business in order to maximize a company’s appraisal and reward its owner. The audience will be challenged to view their businesses in a way that begs the questions: Would you buy your business and what changes should you incorporate now to achieve a future lucrative business valuation?
A refrigeration and air conditioning session will feature presentations and discussions on the key challenges facing this sector as Canada, the U.S., and other jurisdictions around the world, move towards more stringent climate change regulations. Delegates will learn what opportunities will come from these changes.
Other issues being addressed in the business sessions include: heating and air conditioning equipment standards; the new EnerGuide Rating System for Homes and what it means to your business; establishing a national geothermal organization; IAQ challenges for building comfort; and achieving quality installations in the residential sector.
In addition, an interactive two-part session will involve panel guests from the HRAI divisional memberships, a moderator and the audience. Part 1 will facilitate a candid discussion with panel guests pertaining to subjects impacting your business and the HVAC/R industry. Part 2 invites attendees to discuss concerns and resolutions to the subject matter presented in Part 1.
On the marketing side, a practical and realistic session will challenge the audience to think about how the right tools and the right messages will increase your opportunities to build more revenue, customer engagement and profit. The presenter, Mike Dover, is the author of Wikibrands: Reinventing Your Company in a Customer-Driven Marketplace. A social media “how to” session will look at the best practices of search engine optimization and which social media platforms your business should participate in. Most importantly, there will be tips on how to manage your business’s reputation online, including strategies for review sites.
For more on the “social” side of things, attendees will have the opportunity to network at an HRAI offsite event at the Canadian Club Brand Centre. Visitors will be brought back in history to the height of the Hiram Walker family’s success and his personal Click here to register.
