The 2020 MainTrain Conference connects Practitioners from around the World
Originally planned to be hosted in the beautiful city of Saint John, New Brunswick, this year’s MainTrain Conference transitioned to a fully online, virtual conference experience due to national social distancing strategies.
Close to 200 delegates, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors logged in and connected live online for two days that were filled with opportunities to connect with like-minded asset management, maintenance management and reliability professionals from across the globe. The online platform provided multiple occasions for participants to interact and engage through panel discussions, networking sessions and presentations.
Missed Out on MainTrain2020?
It's not too late to register for access! This year's insightful presentations, panel discussions and keynotes are all available for you to watch online at your convenience. The platform will remain open until November 23rd.
To learn more and register click here!
An icebreaking pre-conference networking session which included breakout sessions allowed participants to connect with other delegates ahead of the conference and get familiar with the platform before diving in. Day one of MainTrain started with a plenary session led by Daisy Foster, Managing Director, Atlantic Infrastructure Management Network, whose presentation highlighted the state of asset management in Atlantic Canada.
Adapting to the virtual format was new for many, but before long the “Connect, Learn, Contribute,” spirit of all those in attendance truly shown through with high attendance in sessions, visits to the virtual exhibit hall, and many searching high and low for gamification codes that allowed attendees to win some great prizes. By the end of the first day, a friendly competition had formed as delegates jousted for the top position in the competition, while others shared top learnings from the day in the networking sessions.
A Technology Panel moderated by Len Middleton, Director, PEMAC Board of Directors, closed out the learning for day one of the conference, with much more still to come for those in attendance.
PEMAC’s Virtual Awards Celebration, a pre-recorded awards presentation debuted the evening of the first day, recognizing excellence in maintenance and asset management. This year’s presentation included two new awards in the Asset Management category, introduced by PEMAC to better recognize the achievements of its members who engage in advancing holistic Asset Management as it matures in Canada, and to be more reflective of PEMAC’s role as the Canadian leaders in asset management. During the virtual awards debut, PEMAC also managed to surprise two of this year's award winners as well. It was a wonderful evening of recognition and celebration, along with some genuine, heartfelt reactions.
Learn more about the PEMAC Awards Program and watch the Virtual Awards Celebration video.
An insightful keynote presentation by Brett Plummer, Vice President Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer at NB Power, highlighting his work at the organization as they brought the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station up to modern standards, kicked off the second day of MainTrain.
Cliff Williams, Corporate Maintenance Manager at Erco Worldwide, led a great and light-hearted discussion centered around creating asset management culture in the workplace at the end of the second day, bringing the formally scheduled activities to a close. The panel highlighted the challenges some professionals encounter when trying to engage stakeholders, and the importance of getting buy-in from all relevant stakeholders in order for Asset Management to succeed within an organization.
Despite the physical distance between those in attendance, the conference still carried the feeling of community and the spirit of shared learning that the MainTrain Conference has become known for. It was a great opportunity for practitioners, decision-makers and organizations to connect, learn and contribute to the ever-evolving physical asset management, maintenance management and reliability landscapes.
The MainTrain committee would like to thank all the sponsors, speakers, volunteers and exhibitors who took part in this year’s MainTrain Conference.
About MainTrain
- 2 keynote plenary presentations
- 2 organized networking sessions
- 35 Speakers providing 21 insightful presentations
- A virtual exhibit hall for sponsors, exhibitors and delegates to connect
- Dedicated networking sessions connecting professionals from across the world
MainTrain is Canada’s largest annual maintenance and physical asset management conference exhibition and networking event. Every year it gathers leading experts, practitioners and professionals from across Canada and around the world to share their insights and strategies that support professionals and their organizations.