Hardlines Conference goes on the road in 2023 with move to Whistler, B.C.

The Hardlines Conference will move away from the Greater Toronto Area for the first time in its history beginning in 2023. Next year, the conference will be held in Whistler, B.C.

The fresh location is the first step in moving the Hardlines Conference to a different destination around the country from year to year, to better serve our industry on a truly national basis. And locating it at the Chateau Whistler, a premier Fairmont hotel, will ensure it is another first-class event. It will be held October 16, 17, and 18, 2023.

“As Canada’s only truly national event for the retail hardware and home improvement industry, we felt it was important to make the Hardlines Conference as accessible as possible to all Canadians on an ongoing basis,” said David Chestnut, Vice President and Publisher at Hardlines Inc. “The Hardlines Conference is a showcase for the latest insights and big ideas that will point the direction for retail trends and customer behaviour in the coming years.”

With the British Columbia location determined, Hardlines is pleased to work with the province’s industry association, the Building Supply Industry Association of B.C. (BSIABC). “We plan to provide an improved venue by holding the Conference in the Chateau Whistler,” Chestnut said. “And the calibre of speakers will likewise be top-notch. We intend to bring to Whistler some of retail’s top international experts.”

The 2023 Hardlines Conference will be the 27th edition of the storied annual event. The Hardlines Conference is a key annual gathering point for top retail executives, leading dealers, major vendors, and, of course, a prestigious roster of Canadian and international presenters.

BSIABC president Thomas Foreman and his team are looking forward to working with Hardlines to ensure next year’s conference will be superb. “It will bring a fresh perspective for Conference delegates,” said Foreman. “And it will be a huge opportunity for our members to participate locally.”

“The Hardlines Conference is simply the best information event I attend every year,” said Foreman. “It offers more information than any other event we attend. To have this now available right on our doorstep in British Columbia is very exciting. I believe it will be a real positive move for all of us. We’ll be working closely with our friends at Hardlines for our members to participate in a positive way.”

The 2022 Hardlines Conference will be held again this later year at the Queen’s Landing Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., October 18 and 19. “We have had tremendous success at the Queen’s Landing in recent years,” says Chestnut. “Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of Canada’s most prestigious tourist destinations—and it’s only a short 80 minutes away from Toronto. Moving to the mountains of Whistler in 2023 is going from strength to strength, as far as impressive surroundings is concerned.”

Attendees at this year’s upcoming Hardlines Conference will have front-of-the-line access to the event next year when it moves to Whistler. (For more information about the 2022 Hardlines Conference, click here.)