CDA 2021 Conference Highlights

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That’s a wrap on the Canadian Dam Association’s 2021 Virtual Conference and Exhibition. Over 550 registrants and 30 sponsor booths filled the virtual platform. The conference offered over 30 technical presentations, valuable workshops, facilitated networking, and detailed keynotes.

The shift from a traditional conference setting to virtual was not easy, but Val Yereniuk and his team navigated that challenge and excelled at it. The theme of the conference “Balancing Past Performance with Future Expectations” was evident throughout, with a recurring emphasis on learning from successes and failures from the past and applying the lessons learned moving forward.

The 2021 CDA Conference was the first time many people attended a virtual conference and based on the feedback the event has set the bar high for future virtual and hybrid events. One attendee remarked “The ability to pause a session to use the washroom or get a snack without missing anything was a game changer.”

Another attendee joked they had never dressed so comfortably while attending a networking event. A young professional mentioned the conference being virtual enabled him to attend, as he does not typically get the budget to travel. Though we can all agree nothing beats the atmosphere of an in-person conference, the planning and execution of this conference made use of the virtual advantages. The results exceeded expectations and organizers received many positive comments about the interest of the presentations and professional event organization.

The exhibit hall was consistently busy with exhibitors, dam owners, consultants, and contractors and provided an easy platform to approach and engage new and existing connections. The virtual booths provided sponsors with an ability to market themselves, and attendees to quickly gather the information they needed.

We are looking forward to connecting in St John’s next year!

Thank you to our Sponsors

PINNACLE SPONSORS