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WinDoor just part of the association’s good work – a message from Fenestration Canada president, Lisa Bergeron

As we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, Fenestration Canada is also celebrating 50 years as an association and we’ve come a long way. Fenestration Canada has been changing over the past few years to adapt and remain relevant for our members. We just held our highly successful, well-attended AGM in Halifax this past June, which included lots of fresh new faces as well as the legendary Atlantic Canada hospitality.

In a world where associations must re-invent themselves and constantly rethink their member-value proposition, our association has embraced change and, over the last few years, taken the steps towards ensuring that our value to membership meets current and future needs. From increased applications for board positions to record new membership levels, as well as new participants to our various councils and committees, it is invigorating and inspiring to see the injection of different perspectives in our midst.

We certainly honour the pioneers who have paved the road for us and are grateful for their passion and devotion to our industry. We look forward to the next 50 years with a new generation of diverse and passionate people who care about this industry.

Our board has worked hard to develop strategic objectives for our association and is highly engaged in the successful growth of our services to our members. Our strategy is focused around three main objectives: Increasing awareness and engagement among Fenestration Canada stakeholders; supporting the reputation that Fenestration Canada members are recognized for their high standards of professionalism; increasing our exposure as a critical partner to decision makers for regulations, standards and codes

Our 2017 deliverables will be focused on putting together action plans that are measurable and support the strategic objectives. Our association management company, Zzeem, will work closely with the board and committees to put together actionable steps to achieve our goals.  

One of our biggest challenges is to communicate our member value proposition to our membership. Work is underway by Laura Weil and the Marketing Committee to put together a strategic plan to address these shortcomings. Our association is privileged to have highly knowledgeable and respected members who work together for the betterment of the industry. Our committee members are engaged, competent, and have their industry at heart.

As our communication plan takes form and our member services expand, we ask that you make your voices heard through the Fenestration Canada office, through committees and through board members. Your feedback is crucial to building services that members want and need. We want to hear from you about what matters to your business.

The countdown has begun! With our success in Montreal, our signature event is returning to Toronto in a new venue. Our education sessions will be in streams meant to reach the broadest audiences possible and our after-hours WinDoor Main Event on November 29 will be the hot-ticket event to go to during the show. Booth sales are going very well and building on the momentum of WinDoor 2016, the 2017 edition will impress from the quality of the speakers as well as suppliers.

If you are a supplier of goods or services to the fenestration industry in Canada, you can’t afford to miss out on exhibiting at Windoor 2017. If you are a Canadian manufacturer or sell your fenestration products in Canada, you just can’t miss WinDoor 2017. The Education Committee has been hard at work. From an NRCan update on the energy efficiency path to 2030 for fenestration products to the differences between the energy-efficient schemes for new construction that are available to builders and consumers today, our education sessions are designed to get the latest information and trends in the hands of attendees. If you do not attend, you’ll be missing out. This is a pivotal and crucial time in our industry that will define our future as an industry. Make sure you don’t miss out on the action!

Lisa Bergeron is government relations manager for Jeld-Wen of Canada, representing the company on provincial, national and international trade associations. She is currently president of Fenestration Canada.