By Ted McIntyre
OHBA Annual Conference and Awards provided a new level of education and inspiration for attendees
“So, what do you do? Can you fill out a square out here?”
I received this inquiry at least 12 times during the Building Connections BBQ lunch at this year’s OHBA Annual Conference and Awards of Distinction at Collingwood’s Blue Mountain Resort. It was during a bingo card-type function of this meet-and-greet-style luncheon, where players circulated from patio table to table, seeking out fellow attendees to autograph the appropriate box on their card, from “AoD nominee” to “OHBA board member” to “Small-volume builder” and a variety of portfolios in between. Those who successfully filled out their cards were eligible for prizes donated by OHBA member companies.
It was an inventive way to encourage everyone present to discover what others did for a living while making potential business connections along the way.
Alas, there was no checkable box for my vocation.
“Sorry, I’m just media. You don’t need me. But do you see that lady over there? She’s a nominee. And that guy there? He’s on the board of directors.”
The BBQ event was among several dynamic networking opportunities for visiting OHBA members from across the province—all kicking off with an opening reception atop Blue Mountain at Off-Piste Pavilion, overlooking Georgian Bay. The conference offered other options to explore the resort village, facilities and surrounding landscape, including treatments at Scandinave Spa and a hike and wine excursion along the Bruce Trail.
The daytime programming, meanwhile—curated based upon member requests—brought in new content and speakers for the Sept. 17-19 conference, with expert-led seminars covering a wealth of educational and professional development topics. Innovation and sustainability were front and centre, including the Innovation Gauntlet, presented by EnerQuality. In this exciting Dragon’s Den-style competition manufacturers presented unique solutions to optimize the high-performance new construction and renovation industry, with the audience voting for its favourite presentation.
But the primary motivation for OHBA members extended far beyond, ‘What’s new?’
“Sure, there are seminars and instruction, but you learn from each other too,” explained Alan Churchill, Senior Executive of Land Acquisition at Guelph-based Fusion Homes. “The members are very forthcoming. They share experiences, information and their struggles—their wins and losses. Nobody knows the rhythm of the street as much as the guys on the street.
“Many of my contacts have been through the local, provincial and national events like this,” Churchill continued. “I met Golden Windows’ (sales manager) Rick Caravaggio here back in the day. Blackjet Inc. is another example. They’ve been doing our design and marketing for a few years now. I met them here and at the CHBA conference. When you see a company’s work and get to meet the principals face to face…that’s valuable. I could go on and on. And it’s important to get a glimpse of the market and of what’s coming down. This is the epicentre of where you get that information.”
That was certainly a main draw for Michael Di Mascio, Business Development Manager at NGEN Communications. “It’s good to have your finger on the pulse of the industry—Ontario specifically,” said Di Mascio, a 10-year OHBA member making his first appearance at the conference. “It also helps us to shepherd our clients. For example, I’d never met Doug Tarry, who is building net-zero homes, and many of our builders want to get to his kind of level.”
For Ottawa’s Feddie Osman of Reliance Home Comfort, a sponsor at this year’s event, it was mostly about giving back. “The value for us is being in front of people who support you,” Osman said. “They’re buying your product and using your services, and we need to give back to that community and OHBA. You’re always increasing connections too—meeting new people, learning what’s what. And if you don’t come, you don’t know who you don’t know.”
Back at the BBQ lunch, newly christened OHBA President Dave Depencier was checking off boxes of a different kind—the reasons why attending the Annual Conference and similar functions have paid massive dividends for his career. “It’s not just product-driven; it’s the business items and other things I’ve learned so much about,” noted Depencier moments after conversing with a potential supplier. “You meet these people and become friends. It’s not about coming here because you’re going to sell stuff. It’s building relationships—that’s where the trust and connections build from. Whether or not we need products or services that others here offer, these are great spaces to meet and build relationships organically.”
And what of companies that don’t think it’s worth the time and money to become a member and attend conferences such as this? “It’s the biggest mistake you can ever make,” Depencier says with conviction. “Even me—I wasn’t part of a family business handed down to me where I clearly had people to learn from. This Ontario Home Builders’ Association network—these are the people I have learned from and continue to learn from. It’s my free university, my lifelong friends. Having people to lean on, to ask questions about how they handle certain things like clients, pre-delivery inspections, products they’re using—for me, there’s just no price tag you can place on that.”
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