Our Vancouver team recently had the pleasure of attending BUILDEX Vancouver 2026, Western Canada’s premier forum for the building, construction, and real estate industries, held at Vancouver Convention Centre West.

Bringing together thousands of professionals from across the region, the two-day event was packed with innovative product showcases, insightful panel discussions, and forward-thinking conversations around sustainability, technology, and the future of the built environment. 

To dive deeper into what they experienced on the show floor, we put a few questions to Richard, Rachel and Neil about their highlights and biggest takeaways from this year’s dynamic event.

 

Q: What did you expect Buildex to be like – and how did it compare? 

Neil: I expected Buildex to feel similar to other real estate events I’ve attended like the RE Forum, but I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of sessions and diversity of topics. There was genuinely a lot to learn. The speakers I saw were clearly passionate and knowledgeable about what they do, and that always makes a difference — it’s engaging when someone speaks with real conviction about their craft.

Q: What was the most interesting session you attended and why?

Neil: The Tall timber and Affordable Housing panel stood out to me. Mass timber and pre-fab is something I’ve always found interesting and hearing from Harrison Glotman, Rhys Leitch and Sean Binns and seeing what groups like Kalesnikoff are building was pretty awesome. The idea of scaling housing through a modular, almost assembly-line approach makes a lot of sense. Shipping and logistics are still constraints, but with broader adoption and better policy alignment, it feels like it could meaningfully move the needle on speed of housing supply while improving consistency and reducing quality deficiencies. 

 

Q: What were the three main insights you’ll take away from Buildex?

Neil: Skilled trades shortage. (VRCA Builders’ Bench Live: The Municipal Election and the Future of Construction Panel) Jeannine Martin from the VRCA board spoke about the real impact trades have on GDP and our broader economy. I appreciated her perspective on positioning trades as a strong, AI-resistant career path and the initiatives they’re pushing to get youth exposed to tools at an earlier age. It’s a practical and rewarding path that doesn’t always get the spotlight.

Technology in construction. Mike Maierle is always great to listen to. I enjoy hearing his modern take on running a construction business — especially around tech implementation and inventory management. Hearing about the BC Place project for FIFA 2026 and how early adoption of technology, particularly virtual mapping and design, helped them avoid major hurdles and meet tight deadlines was impressive.

Better policy. (VRCA Builders’ Bench Live: The Municipal Election and the Future of Construction Panel)  Scott Adkins gave a great example that stuck with me: we need better policy and cohesion across our Lower Mainland Municipalities. Scott’s originally from Edmonton where he shared, you deal with one municipality’s policies. Now in the Lower Mailand groups are dealing with several different municipalities, with different process and policies and inconsistencies. More alignment and consistency would go a long way.

Q: From the sessions that you attended, who impressed you the most and why?

Rachel: From the sessions I attended, the VRCA Builders’ Bench panels left the biggest impression on me, especially Construction Keynote – Builders’ Bench: Where Politics Meets Construction and The Municipal Election and the Future of Construction. What stood out most was how real the conversations felt. The panelists were clearly comfortable with one another, which made the discussion flow naturally instead of sounding rehearsed. They challenged each other, built on each other’s points, and spoke with genuine conviction.

One message that really stuck with me was simple but powerful: when you look around, almost everything in our built environment exists because of this industry. There was a strong emphasis on making sure the younger generation understands the opportunities available in the trades and construction. These are meaningful, well paying career paths that deserve more visibility. The panel also touched on the need to better align immigration policy with labour demand to help address ongoing workforce shortages.

Another major theme was municipal alignment. With 21 municipalities operating under different processes and political priorities, inconsistency has become a real friction point. The message was clear: change for the sake of change creates uncertainty. What the industry needs is more predictability, better coordination, and a consistent framework that allows projects to move forward more efficiently.

Q: What was the most interesting session you attended and why?

Rachel: The most interesting session I attended was Tall Timber and Affordable Housing: A Case Study on Catalyst’s 18 storey CLT rental development in North Vancouver. With the Province adopting building code changes to allow mass timber in taller buildings, including schools, commercial spaces, and housing, it was fascinating to hear directly from the team delivering one of these projects. The discussion around building systems stood out, particularly the differences between post and plate versus post, plate and beam, and how those decisions impact cost, constructability, and speed. Sean Binns, Project Director at Kindred Construction, emphasized the importance of bringing the full team together early. That means the GC, architects, engineers, and key trades aligned from day one to minimize risk and avoid downstream coordination issues. On a mass timber project, that level of integration is not optional. They also spoke about the realities of working with CLT and other timber products. Tight timelines and the sensitivity of the material, especially the risk of water exposure, require a high level of diligence in scheduling and sequencing. It reinforced that while mass timber offers real benefits in sustainability and speed, it also demands precision and strong leadership to execute successfully.

Q: Would you attend again and why?

Rachel: I would definitely attend again. There were some great discussions, and hearing directly from industry experts made a real impact. It is one thing to read about these topics, but it is different to hear firsthand experiences and lessons learned from the people actually delivering the work.

I also thought the event was well organized. The mix of the trade show floor, speaker sessions, and networking opportunities worked really well. It kept the day engaging and created space not just to learn, but to connect with others in the industry.

Q: What were the three main insights you’ll take away from Buildex?

Richard: Number one – it’s complicated.
From a development and construction perspective, it’s a wonder anyone has the fortitude to build. I was reminded that Metro Vancouver has 21 municipalities to navigate — comparedto just one in Edmonton.

The depth of talent in this industry is impressive.
The level of expertise on display across the sessions was outstanding. Architects, engineers, planners, building operators, property managers —smart, thoughtful, passionate professionals who care deeply about what they do.

Modern Methods of Construction are gaining real momentum.
There’s serious creativity in the push to build smarter and more efficiently. It was encouraging to hear from the groups and individuals at the forefront of that movement and to see innovation translating into real projects.

Q: From the sessions you attended, who impressed you the most and why?

Richard: There were many strong speakers, so it’s difficult to single out just one. Buildex brings together a cross-section of professionals you don’t typically see at a traditional real estate conference.

One person I saw speak twice was Jeannie Martin, President of VRCA. She stood out. As an ambassador for a complex industry, she demonstrated a clear understanding of her members’ concerns while also articulating the opportunities ahead. Her direct, energetic communication style — combined with a strong emphasis on collaboration and getting all stakeholders to the table — was impressive leadership in action.

Q: Would you attend again?

Richard: Absolutely. It’s not easy stepping away from the office for two days midweek, but the quality of the sessions combined with the unexpected conversations makes it worthwhile. Supporting strong in-person industry events matters, and compared to similar conferences, the pricing felt like good value.

Q: Would you do anything differently next year?

Richard: I’d spend an extra 30 minutes beforehand reviewing the sessions and speakers to be more intentional about my schedule. The app was helpful — I’d download it earlier next time.

And don’t forget the food voucher — the café was surprisingly good.