For the first time in the event’s history, the Hardlines Conference will move to Whistler, British Columbia, in 2023. The event has always taken place in the greater Toronto area but Hardlines plans to choose different destinations each year to host the event in an effort to better serve the industry on a national level.
The 2023 event will take place at the first-class Chateau Whistler Fairmont hotel on October 16-18 and is a key annual gathering point for top retail executives, leading dealers, major vendors and a roster of Canadian and international presenters.
“As Canada’s only truly national event for the retail hardware and home improvement industry, we felt it was important to make the Hardlines Conference as accessible as possible to all Canadians on an ongoing basis,” says David Chestnut, vice president and publisher at Hardlines Inc. “The Hardlines Conference is a showcase for the latest insights and big ideas that will point the direction for retail trends and customer behavior in the coming years. We plan to provide an improved venue by holding the conference in the Chateau Whistler. And the caliber of speakers will likewise be top-notch. We intend to bring to Whistler some of retail’s top international experts.”
Hardlines will partner with the province’s industry association, the Building Supply Industry Association of B.C. (BSIABC).
“It will bring a fresh perspective for conference delegates, and it will be a huge opportunity for our members to participate locally,” says BSIABC president Thomas Foreman. “The Hardlines Conference is simply the best information event I attend every year. It offers more information than any other event we attend. To have this now available right on our doorstep in British Columbia is very exciting. I believe it will be a real positive move for all of us. We’ll be working closely with our friends at Hardlines for our members to participate in a positive way.”
The 2022 Hardlines Conference will be held again later this year at the Queen’s Landing Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario on October 18-19.
“We have had tremendous success at the Queen’s Landing in recent years,” Chestnut says. “Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of Canada’s most prestigious tourist destinations—and it’s only a short 80 minutes away from Toronto. Moving to the mountains of Whistler in 2023 is going from strength to strength, as far as impressive surroundings are concerned.”
