Trenchless Technology Road Shows Bring Education to the Forefront
January 19, 2016
Education often is heralded as one of the cornerstones to the growth of the trenchless industry. In Canada, one of the organisations leading the charge to further educate the industry, municipalities and all those who can benefit from trenchless technologies is the
Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) in Waterloo.RELATED: CATT Partners with NASTT-BC for Inaugural British Columbia Road Show
That commitment to growing the trenchless industry came to fruition with the 2015 Trenchless Technology Road Show in Vancouver — a co-production of CATT, Benjamin Media Inc. (publisher of Trenchless Technology Canada) and the North American Society for Trenchless Technology British Columbia chapter (NASTT-BC). For an inaugural show, Knight and his fellow organisers were unsure what to expect for the November show. The results blew them away.
“It was totally awesome. We sold out the exhibit hall and the attendees were above where we predicted and we had a
Due in part to the strong local support from NASTT-BC, the inaugural show attracted more than 250 attendees, the exhibit hall space sold out well in advance of the show and many of the technical presentations were standing room only. Based on the response from exhibitors and attendees alike, Knight says the success of show built a strong base for another West Coast show in 2017.
Summing up the 2015 Trenchless Technology Road Show in British Columbia, Knight recalls something he heard first-hand from a consulting engineer. “He said, ‘This is awesome. I come to many trenchless events and I know most of the people. Here, I know about 30 percent of the people.’” This, Knight notes, directly translates to new contacts and potentially new clients.
RELATED: CATT/Trenchless Technology Road Show Continues to Grow
The Niagara Falls Road Show is easily the largest Canadian show dedicated to the trenchless industry and it’s grown for 2016, requiring a move to the larger exhibit halls at the centre.
The theme for the Niagara Falls show, “Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind,” is a saying many in the trenchless industry hear. Despite the intricate network of pipes running beneath their feet, the fact remains that most people turn on their tap, expect water to come out and then disappear down the drain — all without the thought of where it came from and where it is going.
RELATED: CATT Starts Canada-Specific Annual Buried Infrastructure Survey
“These are very essential services for people, as well as the province and country,” Knight says, “Without working water systems you don’t have industry and business.”
The inaugural Trenchless Technology Road Show sponsored by CATT, Benjamin Media and NASTT-BC exceeded expectations. The 2015 show, held in Vancouver Nov. 17-19, included a sold-out exhibit hall and live demonstrations by Canadian Induracoat Corp. and Inserta-Tee. The Trenchless Technology Road Shows allow participants to network with a cross section of professionals throughout the industry.
These systems are deteriorating all across the country and as urban areas become more congested and municipal and provincial budgets get tighter, trenchless methods offer a viable alternative to open-cut construction. The show’s technical sessions — 10 in all — will highlight many of these methods.
The extra space gives attendees the ability to network and dine in one location. For the first time in this show’s history, exhibitors will have 10×10 booths. The response, Knight says, has been so great that the initial allotment of exhibit space sold out and organisers added 20 more exhibit spaces.
May 17 features the “Trenchless Technology 101” and “Standardized Defect Coding and Condition Classification System for Water Distribution Pipelines” short courses — led by the industry’s leading experts.
For information about sponsorship opportunities contact Brittany Maurer at bmaurer@benjaminmedia.com. For general information about the show, visit catttrenchlessroadshow.ca.