About Home Building Week in Canada

Home Building Week in Canada is the biggest national association event of the year. It consists of the National Committee and Council meetings, Board of Directors meeting, and Annual Meeting of Members in the first half of the week; followed by the National Conference program in the second half of the week. Home Building Week in Canada brings together our association leaders in the residential construction industry from across Canada. It’s an excellent opportunity to connect with others across the country, learn what the Association is working on, and get inspired and excited in their business and yours.

Location

The event is held in a different location every year, generally alternating between east and west. Locations are selected based on their ability to accommodate up to 600 people, as well as their tourist appeal. 

Time of Year

Home Building Week in Canada is typically held either in May, or in February/March. Timing depends on location climate, location availability, and rates (the cost to hold the event).

Promotion

Promotion of Home Building Week in Canada starts at the previous year’s event, with the official announcement of the location at the closing of the conference. Promotion typically ramps up in the fall and begins in earnest once online registration is open. Members receive promotional emails with the option to opt out for the current year at any time. The event is also promoted on CHBA's social media channels (notably, Twitter and LinkedIn). EOs who wish to promote Home Building Week in Canada within their association’s membership may use any of the material found on the event’s webpages, and are welcome to contact communications@chba.ca if they require something specific.

About Pre-Conference Meetings

CHBA National Committee and Council Meetings are held immediately preceding the conference programing to facilitate travel for members and HBA staff who are attending both events. Most who come for the meetings stay for the conference. National Committee and Council members only meet face-to-face two times a year, and the pre-conference meetings is one of the occasions. (Committee and Council management committees will typically meet one or more times in between.) The Board of Directors meets three times a year—at the fall meetings, the pre-conference meetings, and Day on the Hill. The Executive Officers’ Council – which all EOs are automatically members of – meets for a workshop session.


List of Committee/Council Meetings
Annual Meeting of Members
Board of Directors' Meeting
Executive Committee Meeting
Executive Officers’ Council
Canadian Renovators’ Council
Modular Construction Council
Net Zero Energy Housing Council
Technical Research Committee
Urban Council

Who should come to the pre-conference meetings?
Members who are on national committees/councils are expected to attend their meetings, as are provincial EOs. All local EOs and their elected leadership are encouraged to attend. Up-and-coming leaders within local/provincial associations, including chairs of HBA committees, will also find the meetings of interest. The EOC meeting is for EOs and HBA staff only. It is typically comprised of a workshop. There is also an EOC dinner afterwards where EOs can catch up and network. HBA staff are also invited to the dinner. The rest of the meetings provide member perspectives and staff perspectives on key issues facing the industry and association at all levels, helping CHBA proceed with the business of the national association, and enabling participants to get valuable insights into common issues and the “big picture” as well as potential action items they think would be beneficial back to their local associations. Most meetings, including management committee meetings, are open to EOs who wish to observe.

What meetings should EOs attend?
EOs are encouraged to attend all CHBA Committee and Council meeting that are open to them. (The CHBA registration system is tailored to every individual and will only show you meetings that you’re eligible to attend). Committee/council volunteers are not immersed in association business like EOs are, and meetings benefit greatly from the insight that EOs bring from their geographic areas and from an operational standpoint. Attending management committee meetings will give provincial EOs in particular a helpful inside look at the business of the association. Local EOs are also encouraged to attend management committee meetings open to them.

Concurrent Meetings
The meeting schedule is arranged to have as few concurrent meetings as possible, but if there are any, you may want to consider having your president or other board member attend one meeting and you attend the second. Alternately, you can divide your time between both (the meeting agenda may help you decide where to be at what time). It’s not uncommon for EOs to sit at the back of the room so that they can move between meetings.

It is especially important that EOs attend the Executive Officers’ Council meeting, the Board of Directors meeting, and the Annual Meeting of Members. Provincial EOs should also attend committee/council management committee meetings for CRC.

EO Responsibilities for the AMM
EOs are employees of the Association, and thus do not have a vote at the Annual Meeting of Members, nor can they vote on behalf of members. All member firms receive a vote. If a representative for the member firm is present at the AMM, and they register in advance to do so, they vote for their firm in person. When a member registers for Home Building Week in Canada and selects the AMM as a schedule item, it indicates their intention to vote, and a voting card will be prepared for them. Members who are not present vote by proxy via a designated member of your association who is present.

The National Office will email each local HBA (and provincials acting as locals) the number of proxy votes they have. This number represents the total number of members that was officially reported to the CHBA National Office as of the previous association fiscal year’s end (October 31st), minus the members who have indicated they will be there in person to vote.

The HBA must select a designate to vote on behalf of the members who aren’t present. It is the responsibility of the EO to inform the national office in writing (by emailing membership@chba.ca) of their HBA’s designate.

Upon arrival at the AMM, the designate will pick up the proxy voting card, used to vote on resolutions.

In years where there are multiple candidates for the positions of Second Vice-President and/or Treasurer, there is an election by secret ballot. In such years, the HBA designate will also have to pick up a secret ballot in the room, and cast the vote at the voting time on the agenda.

Communication
Each committee and council has a CHBA staff lead. (Tip: you can see who that is by going the Committee/Council portals). When meeting registration is open, EOs and members of the committees/councils are emailed with meetings details and instruction on how to register. A special issue of National Update goes out to all members and HBA staff shortly after the meetings have concluded with a summary of key issues coming out of each committee/council.

Meeting Materials
Agendas and supporting information will be posted by the CHBA staff lead for each meeting in the corresponding committee/council folder of the members' hub on the CHBA website. Staff leads aim to have agendas and meeting materials posted at the latest the week before the meetings so that participants have the material to review while travelling.

Some meetings may request a provincial report on activities relevant to the committee/council mandate. It is normally the responsibility of the member representative to present that report; however, it’s typically written by (or with the assistance of) the provincial/local HBA staff for that member. The CHBA staff lead will let you know if a report is requested.  

Do you have members interested in getting involved?
Members who are on committees and councils have a responsibility to be actively engaged on those committees/councils, and get the benefit of more association leadership experience and exposure to national issues facing the industry. They are representing their geographic area (usually the province) at the national level, and are thus the voice for that region. They bring needed information on the unique needs, challenges, and strengths of their area. Our association is strongest when all areas of the country are heard from.

How national engagement helps local/provincial HBAs
In addition to conducting committee/council business, attending meetings allows members to get the “big picture” of what’s happening across the country. By hearing about what our association does at the national level for members and their businesses, plus what other HBAs do at local and provincial levels, attendees often return home with renewed enthusiasm for the association and the results of our collective efforts. Attending association events results in higher levels of engagement from members: they are more likely to participate at all levels, either on their respective board of directors or in committees. They often return home as a spokesperson for the association, informing other members what’s being worked on. Attendees leave with a better sense of the value proposition for the entire association, and with action items they can choose to use to help advance their HBA back home.

About the National Conference

The CHBA National Conference brings together leaders in the residential construction industry across Canada. It begins with a Wednesday evening welcome reception, and concludes with an awards gala on Friday night. Most who attend the pre-conference meetings stay for the conference, and others come just for the conference. It’s an excellent opportunity for members and EOs to connect with others across the country to continue networking, listen to inspiring and educational keynote speakers, hear about the association’s big picture for the coming year, and get excited in their business.

Who should come?
The conference is geared to leaders in the residential construction industry, and especially the association’s leadership. All EOs, their elected leadership, members who are active on committees and councils, and up-and-coming leaders should attend the conference if possible. The conference informs members and HBA staff on what is happening at the national level of our industry, brings together top-notch speakers and educators, and is a celebration of the association and the achievements its members and constituent associations. Attendees report that they attend for the networking opportunities with other members and HBA staff, to feel re-energized about their businesses and associations, to learn from the sessions and other leaders, and to have a good time doing it.

What sessions should EOs attend?
All of them if possible! EOs usually attend all sessions, and take advantage breaks to catch up on emails if needed. The Inaugural Address and State of the Association Report will let you know the direction the association is going in for the coming year and get you up to speed on everything that’s been happening. The speakers are always entertaining and inspiring on professional and personal levels. Conference sessions have great content that you can bring back to your members, and the evening events are an opportunity to strengthen your relationships with other HBA staff and members as well as a ton of fun!

About Evening Events

Welcome Reception
The welcome reception kicks off the conference. It’s a casual affair with great food and a chance to meet and greet conference attendees.

Housing Night in Canada
This is the conference’s big party night! There is a theme each year, and participants are encouraged to come in costume. The evening has food, entertainment, activities, and dancing. Pre-selected seating for this evening may be available depending on the year, though in recent years more stand-up style networking has been a hit with participants.

CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence Gala
The grand finale of the conference, the CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence Gala is a formal evening that includes a champagne reception, sit-down dinner, the awards presentations, and an after party. Seating for this evening is usually selected in advance – method to be communicated closer to the event.

Registering for Home Building Week in Canada

Home Building Week in Canada registration is integrated with the chba.ca website and database. This allows event registration details and communications to be tailed to each individual based on their involvement with the association and its national committees/councils. The registration process relies on the integrity of our membership database, therefore it is essential that membership reports are up-to-date and accurate. For more information on membership reporting, click here.

To register for the CHBA National Conference and/or pre-conference meetings, members and HBA staff need to log in to the chba.ca website. Registrants will only be able to see/sign up for meetings that are open to them. To that end, if you have changes to your committee/council representatives, please email membership@chba.ca to ensure everyone has access to the meetings they should be attending.