The 2022 TAC Conference & Exhibition saw a high level of participation with about 1200 people registered to attend in person. More than 62 companies exhibited, and the Conference offered a full program of 87 technical sessions, panels, and workshops across multiple tracks and 12 technical tours were offered. 27% of people who registered for the conference were 35 years old or younger and 48% of attendees were from private sector businesses; 25% from municipalities; 21% from federal or provincial departments of transportation; 6% were from other types of TAC member organizations.
The Conference also saw many firsts, including our foray into live-streaming of major events like the Opening Plenary Session and programmed lunches. Recordings of these events are now available for free. A 2022 TAC Conference & Exhibition online photo album is now available.
Recordings of the conference technical sessions are also available. If you'd like to purchase the 2022 TAC Conference & Exhibition session recordings, visit our website. Access to the recordings on the conference event portal continues until the end of March 2023.
Conference attendees were encouraged to provide feedback through an online survey.
Attendees enjoyed their participation at the 2022 TAC Conference & Exhibition, providing an average score of 8.2/10 for their overall experience.
Survey observations – general:
73% of delegates felt that the value for money of the registration feel was Good or Excellent, while 20% of delegates felt neutral about it. Only 7% of delegates felt that the value for money of the registration fee was poor or had no opinion.
The 2022 Conference included several new features, including being TAC’s most sustainably-planned event ever. Our approaches to planning and hosting the event conserved and reused resources, reduced and recycled waste, and reduced and offset carbon emissions. 75% of respondents rated TAC’s sustainable approaches favourably.
Survey observations – new features:
The technical presentations, panel discussions and workshops covered a broad range of expertise, projects, and innovations. The Technical Sessions were rated Excellent or Good by 92% of the respondents. A few delegates commented on availability on the Technical Tours and not being able to register to participate. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to provide enough Technical Tours to have seats for everyone, however we’ll look into improvements to tour registration and communication for 2023.
94% of delegates rated the Exhibition favorably. Some mentioning they would appreciate more time to visit the exhibits.
“The exhibition was the highlight - great to see so many vendors out and such a wide variety too - unique to TAC - nothing like it in Canada.”
“Exhibition space was large, diverse, well designed. Good mix of vendor types.”
“I think the Exhibition is always the BEST part of the TAC Conference. I learn so much from the vendors and I can connect with meaningful resources post meeting.”
Survey observations – Exhibition and Networking:
The Monday Night event and lunches were rated less favorably than usual, with the main negative comments being about lineups for food and needing to wait until after programming to eat. Some attendees felt that the improv comedy on Monday Night didn’t suit the event. Other comments referred specifically to the Tuesday Lunch being vegetarian, which received mixed reviews. TAC will look into ways to avoid long food lineups and programming adjustments for 2023.
Survey observations – Events and Activities:
84% of attendees who rated the Conference App, rated it favorably. Some respondents commented that developing tutorials or tips for more effective use of the App’s features would be helpful.
Survey observations – Communications and Services:
This feedback will be used to inform planning and adjustments for the 2023 TAC Conference & Exhibition being held in Ottawa, September 24-27. Information about the event, including details about the Call for Conference Submissions for authors and presenters, will be posted soon on www.tac-atc.ca. Registration for delegates opens in spring 2023.