Hamilton 2025: CRPA Conference Reflections

This might be a bit over dramatic, but I feel kind of like Frodo in Lord of the Rings after he destroys the ring and finally says, “It’s done!” While I definitely enjoyed chairing the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), I’ll need at least a few years off before I’d do it again!

The conference format was a bit different this year. Originally, we considered running it fully out of the Sheraton Hotel and adjoining Hamilton Convention Centre, as that seemed to be the best bet. It wasn’t until Joe stopped by the David Braley Health Sciences building at McMaster University on a whim that we realized its potential.

Disconnecting the conference venue from the hotel meant a few things:

• CRPA had no commitment or financial obligation to meet a certain number of room nights at the hotel. However, this meant the hotel room rate was not discounted as much.
• Without a single venue taking care of everything (vendor services, catering, room setup), it was a lot more work overall. Fortunately, we were able to draw from a huge talent pool across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas—and even into Manitoba!
• As the venue was a university property, the room rental rates were very reasonable. Most importantly, they did not charge extra for the use of their audio-visual system. Most hotels or conference centres charge $20,000+ for audio-visual, and maybe even more to bring in outside audio-visual equipment!

I asked the LOC members to give their perspectives and share their reflections on three questions. Here are their responses:

What was the biggest challenge planning the conference this year?

• The biggest challenge planning the Hamilton 2025 CRPA Conference was probably for Dave—keeping us all in line! If it wasn’t for Dave and the rest of the LOC, this year’s conference wouldn’t have been as successful as it was!
• As a member of the marketing team, I found the biggest challenge was meeting the signage standards and understanding what was needed during crunch time—sponsor signs, easel signs, table signs, wayfinding, etc. We had an overwhelming number of sponsorships and exhibitors this year, which all needed to be visually thanked for their contributions and generosity. Doing that was new to me. In the end, the team pulled together to get ’er done. This experience has led to the development of more standardized templates in our conference planning guide that will hopefully help future LOCs.
• As treasurer, I found managing multiple locations with respective quotes, contracts, and food selection the greatest challenge. In the end, it was completely worth it, as we ended up with nicer scenery and a larger variety of options (including chocolate fondue and poutine stations).

What do you think was our biggest success?

• The biggest successes of the conference this year were the general organized flow of the conference, the diversity/quality of the scientific program, and the rousing participation in the hospitality suite!
• Our biggest success was that we pulled it off without anyone knowing how much behind-the-scenes troubleshooting was going on. From last-minute plenary no shows to orchestrating Uber rides to the various tours, so many hiccups were solved seamlessly by an amazing and committed LOC. The goal was to ensure that the attendees’ experience did not suffer.
• Having saved significant money on venue costs and forecasting high revenue, we were able to splurge on things we enjoyed, including entertainment and food, without worrying about ending up in a deficit.

Why should other people consider joining an LOC for a conference in their city?

• The best reason to join an LOC hosting a CRPA conference in their city is the team that gets built and the networking that can ensue! Oh, and it can be really fun!
• For an experience like no other and pride. You learn so much from being on an organizing committee for an event as big as a national conference. And, despite the endless hours of work, at the end of the day, you can say that you did it! Everyone will have a piece of your city, likely the best part of your city, in their memories for years to come.
• It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your city to the rest of the radiation protection world (for better and worse). Through the venues and tours, you are able to showcase the local culture, destinations, and nuclear-related facilities others may or may not have experienced before. I’m still waiting for the “I survived Downtown Hamilton 2025” t-shirts.

As for me, I feel that the Hamilton conference was a great success. Of course, there are always some lessons learned and things I’d do a bit differently next time. Your constructive feedback now that this conference is over will certainly help improve future events.

I can’t sign off without, once again, thanking everyone on the LOC profusely for all their hard work, which helped to make the conference a success. Everyone’s contributions were important! And I want to say a special thanks to our secretariat, Sue Singer, who puts in a ton of work behind the scenes every year, helps with continuity, and is always making improvements from year to year. We wouldn’t have such successful conferences without her!