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MHCA Expo North cancelled for 2016

The Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) third-annual Expo North will not be taking place this year due to significantly reduced early registration.

The Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) third-annual Expo North will not be taking place this year due to significantly reduced early registration. Organizing committee chair Peter Paulic notes that while the expo often receives a significant number of registration within weeks of the event, numbers had dropped so low that the risk was far too great for the investment.

Expo North’s mission is to offer a venue for northern heavy construction firms to learn, network and recruit new bodies within the region, whether they’re seasoned veterans or newcomers to the industry. Registrations did slide somewhat from 2014 to 2015: “This would have been the third time we hosted Expo North in Thompson; the first year we had 60 per cent of our people were booked by January, while last year we had about 45 per cent who were registered. The first year we had about 190 participants, while last year we had about 150, so we did see a bit of a slide.” But despite a tendency towards last-minute registrations, the drop in interest was unprecedented: this year, only six firms had registered for the event by the end of December.

Paulic notes the committee is unsure as to why registration had dropped off so dramatically, though he suspects several factors are at play. For one, sheer accessibility has become an issue for potential attendees to attend the conference: Paulic notes Expo North was typically hosted in February, ahead of Expo South to make it easier for contractors in remote communities to make it to the conference: “We planned at that particular time to do it when the winter roads were open, so those in outlying communities had an opportunity to come out without any issues.” But Paulic notes that broader trends in the heavy construction industry are also to blame:

“We’ve seen a downturn at Expo South as well, and a lot of it is because companies are getting specific training to what their company needs, when their company needs it.” Training was a significant offering in Expo North, ranging from project management and equipment simulators to courses in human resources. As firms mature, Paulic notes the need for mass employee training tends to decline, and with the downturn in the heavy industrial market, such as slumping nickel prices, firms are looking for ways to reduce costs wherever possible, including staff training. “Every day you turn the TV news on, it’s depressing, and many companies are thinking, ‘You know, maybe I don’t want to spend this money here.’”

Nonetheless, Paulic notes that Expo South will go ahead as planned on April 5-6. He also stresses that this is not the end of Expo North, and that the committee will continue to plan the event for future years.

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