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While this year's convention was the last time Calgary would host the event, the 2016 show also brought about a first. This was the first time that the show was held midweek, and the change was very much appreciated by those in attendance.
“Over 95 percent of the people who have spoken to me about this have said the shift to a Tuesday through Thursday event has been fabulous,” said Lemaire. “This is the way the business now runs, with people saying that they can still work during the week and they can go back during the weekend and get back to the office fresh for the following week.” With the event condensed into fewer days, Lemaire added that more people are sticking around for the entire duration of the convention. That's boosted participation in social events that encourage building industry relationships.
While numbers are not yet in, this year's event is on pace to break attendance figures set in 2012, which is the last time the show was held in Calgary. There were 2,300 participants at that show, and Lemaire is confident they'll surpass that mark this year.