2024 AMBC Conference

“Today’s Decisions-Tomorrow’s Future”

November 6-7, 2024

Radisson Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond

Registration Information

Today’s Decisions-Tomorrow’s Future

The annual Asset Management BC Conference is AMBC’s largest on site signature event of the year, comprised of presentations, plenaries, social functions and a mini trade show of exhibitors.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and share ideas with asset management champions, sustainability experts, CAO’s, Local Government Delegates, and front line operators, and join the current conversation about Sustainable Service Delivery.

This year we return to the Radisson Vancouver Airport Hotel for “Today’s Decisions – Tomorrow’s Future”. The event begins Wednesday morning on November 6th, and winds up Thursday afternoon on November 7th at 4pm.

Be sure to check out our two pre-conference courses on Tuesday beginning at 9:30 am. Choose from Long Term Financial Planning for Asset Management and Level of Service Delivery for Asset Management.

Cost:

$649 plus GST
$449 plus GST young professionals (30 years and under)
and $199 plus GST for students

2024 Conference Program

Download the Program

Download the Special Conference Edition of the AMBC Newsletter

Click here to download the latest AMBC newsletter for more information about the 2024 Conference Keynote Speakers, Pre-Conference Workshops, and more.

Conference Details

Accommodations

Reserve your room today! Special room rates are available for AMBC conference delegates.

The host hotel for the event is the Radisson Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond. It is located in the annex of the President Plaza, at 8181 Cambie Road, in Richmond, BC, close to shopping, restaurants and the Skytrain. Rates are $209 sgl/dbl occupancy plus applicable taxes. All guestrooms include complimentary wireless high speed internet access, and complimentary overnight parking. To ensure that you receive the special quoted rate above, please let reservations know that you are attending the AMBC Conference.

Book your room reservation now:

Click here to book online
Call central reservations at the toll free number 1-800-333-all 3333
Call the hotel directly at (236) 305-5339
Email [email protected]

Reservations are on a first come first served basis and should be made no later than Saturday, October 5th, 2024. After this date, any rooms not reserved will be released for general sale. Please provide the name of the delegate attending at the time of booking.

Call for Presentations and Sponsorship

Thank you to everyone who submitted a call for presentations! We have an awesome line up for our fall conference. Stay tuned for a detailed program in early September.

We are excited to be supported by so many amazing sponsors. We’ll be announcing a complete list in early September as well.

And be sure to check back next year for opportunities to present and sponsor in 2025!

Thank you!

2024 AMBC Conference Keynote Speakers

Michael Blackstock

Indigenous Scholar and Founder of the Blue Ecology™
November 6, 2024

During times of crisis, a few leaders always step into the spotlight with a new vision bridging conflicting worldviews. Michael Blackstock is one of these visionaries.

As an Independent Indigenous Scholar and founder of the Blue Ecology™ theory, Blackstock offers a unique First Nations perspective on the climate crisis, inserting water into the difficult debates about carbon emissions. He has published over two dozen peer reviewed papers, bridging Science and centuries old Indigenous ways of honouring nature. His ability to mediate grew out of a uniquely diverse background as a writer, a thought leader, and registered Forester. For the past 20 years, Blackstock has held senior positions in the BC Public Service. He also was the Senior Negotiator and Manager of Indigenous Employment and Training at BC Hydro.

Topic: Blue Ecology, A Collaborative Framework for BC

Indigenous elders taught five principles to their children as an ethos for taking care of Mother Earth. The five Blue Ecology principles, Spirit, Harmony, Respect, Unity, and Balance are shown in this Circle of Life diagram and stand at the core of Blue Ecology.

Blue Ecology is an ecological philosophy, which emerged from interweaving Indigenous and Western thought, that acknowledges water’s (i.e. fresh and salt) essential rhythmical life-spirit and central functional role in generating, sustaining, receiving and ultimately unifying life on Earth Mother.

The highest sustainability test is water-first: planned development (e.g. real estate, urban planning, forestry, agriculture, mining, oil, and gas extraction) cannot impede the functional delivery of quality water to ecosystems in a healthy rhythm.

Blue Ecology is a means to bridge Indigenous wisdom and Western Science. Michael Blackstock will present how Blue Ecology was developed, and then how it can be implemented to address climate change. He will close his presentation with a new concept emerging from Blue Ecology, called Natural Intelligence (NI). Natural Intelligence is the theory and development of systems able to perform tasks that normally require the intelligence found in nature, such as the ability to adapt to changing environments, self-regulate life processes, and interact with the ecosystem in a sustainable way.

Chris Barlow

Chief Administrative Officer, City of Castlegar
November 7, 2024

Chris has been with the City of Castlegar since 2004. He started as an Engineering Technician and advanced through a number of roles including Utilities Manager, Director of Transportation and Civic Works before becoming the CAO in 2017. Before moving to Castlegar, Chris worked for the City of Red Deer in the Public Works and Engineering Departments for four years. Supplementing his local government experience, Chris has a Diploma in Geomatics Engineering and Certificates in Local Government Administration and Local Government Leadership Development.

Before finding Local Government, Chris had a varied career including logging, surveying in an underground coal mine and surveying and engineering for civil projects throughout western Canada and Washington State.

Chris loves the outdoors and when not fishing, hiking, or hunting he is on his tractor working on his hobby farm and vineyard.

Topic: When it Comes to Asset Management, Money isn’t Everything – But it’s Close.

Castlegar’s journey to fund the people, planning, and projects needed to make Aset Management a reality.

The City of Castlegar undertook the asset management journey several years ago recognizing the value of the process to assist council with decision making and ultimately sustainable service delivery.

Chris will walk use through the journey to date, including communications with Council and the plans forward.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Long Term Financial Planning for Asset Management

The AMBC Conference will once again host the successful LTFP module as a pre-conference event on Tuesday, November 5th at the Radisson. Join expert Chris Paine of FIT Consulting for an engaging day learning how to value your assets, forecast your spending, and improve financial sustainability.

Full-day, in-person pre-conference workshop on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Radisson Hotel, Richmond, BC
Cost: $675
Training subsidies of up to 50% per registration are available to eligible participants. For more information, please email us at [email protected]

Registration

Learn more about this course and others here.

asset-management-bc-levels-of-service-training (4)

Levels of Service Training for Asset Management

The AMBC Conference will also be hosting Level of Service Training as a pre-conference event on Tuesday, November 5th at the Radisson. Join Colwyn Sunderland of Kerr Wood Leidal, the expert team using a customizable, spreadsheet-based LOS tool (developed by leading asset management experts and customized for use in BC), you’ll get to work with your own data and information.

Full-day, in-person pre-conference workshop on November 5, 2024
Radisson Hotel, Richmond, BC
Cost: $675
Training subsidies of up to 50% per registration are available to eligible participants. For more information, please email us at [email protected]