The Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) was once again proud to host the Infrastructure Summit and Trade Show in Regina, Sask., on Dec. 4 and 5. This was the second year for the show that brings together contractors, suppliers, engineers and other professionals to discuss the latest innovations in infrastructure and transportation.
Presentations over the two days brought together leaders inside and outside of the industry to speak to the challenges and the solutions for our industry. I am pleased to say the Summit exceeded our expectations in terms of the content that was delivered and the quality of presenters. Add to that we had attendance that was much higher in 2024 than 2023.
We had an array of amazing presenters who spoke on the emerging technologies that will have a large impact on how our industry does business in the future. Sessions included: how AI can be applied to our industry, a look at international procurement models, the impact electric trucks have on pavement, and building a new tool which will show government and industry where to build infrastructure to meet the increasing demand of commodity trading in the Prairie region.
The content we presented to the delegates had a lot of thought and care put into the subject matter for each technical session. It was interactive and additional professional development credits were provided, a benefit that was not available to delegates in 2023. We chose to make the Summit more of an educational experience rather than a networking and social event.
We had an array of amazing presenters who spoke on the emerging technologies that will have a large impact on how our industry does business in the future.
The 2024 Summit set the tone and we will use it as a template going forward. The importance of the subject matter presented cannot be overstated. However, the presentations were only one piece of the Summit. We were fortunate as well to host a trade show alongside the presentations that brought the delegates firsthand knowledge of many of the new technologies being used by our industry. After a very busy two days, delegates had the opportunity to join us for the 2024 industry awards and banquet, where the best of the best were honoured for their contributions to the heavy construction industry.
I am pleased to say there will be a third Summit. This year’s Summit will be our new standard. We see the potential of the Summit being a civil construction industry version of what Agribition brings to the ag sector. We also want to expand our reach beyond local contractors and local equipment people, and have delegates from around the globe attend.
I want to thank all our sponsors, exhibitors and delegates who were key to making this year’s Summit a great success. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2025 as we build on this year’s success for a bigger third Summit.
