Now a week out from the 9th Annual International Mass Timber Conference, although I am still catching up on the work side of things, I have been able to fully reflect on my time there and can say I am left feeling awe-inspired and filled with enthusiasm.
After 6 years (it’s hard to believe it’s been that long!), it felt great to finally be back. In a sense, it felt like a homecoming of sorts – being in my old home, and seeing so many friends, familiar faces, and companies that I’ve worked alongside throughout my career. At the same time, it was remarkable to see just how far the conference has come. Having attended the early days of the conference in 2017 and 2019, it struck me to see just how much growth this event has experienced. Being engrained in the Mass Timber world for almost a decade now, I had a sense that this industry has been growing year-over-year. To see it live and in-person – attendees and companies from all across the world, case studies of projects being adopted all over the country, and research being done to further our understanding of things like acoustical and vibrational properties of mass timber floor systems – provided me with a visceral understanding of just how much the potential of this amazing building typology is finally being realized.
Now back home in the day-to-day of life, I am excited for what is to come. This conference has been a great reminder for the Why behind our work – to provide warm and inviting spaces for people to gather, live, & work, to build in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner, to provide meaningful, long-term jobs for workers throughout the country in many different lines of work, and to push the bounds for what modern day buildings can look like and be used for.
I want to give a big thank you to Schaefer for providing me the support to attend this amazing conference. Thank you, also, to WoodWorks for hosting their Networking Dinner – it was a fun and lively event that provided another opportunity to interact with folks from across this industry. Finally, thanks to all the individuals who invested their time and energy to make this event happen – those who hosted, the sponsors, the presenters, the exhibitors, and everyone behind the scenes facilitating the exhibits, meals, and presentations to ensure a smooth and successful event.
I can’t wait to see all the new places that mass timber pops up in over the next year. Personally, I am excited to spur mass timber adoption and growth here in Buffalo in any way that I can! Here’s to the next conference.
