MAPLE RIDGE, BC — On April 24 and 25, 2025, in the heart of BC Construction Month, Future of Work 2025 emerged as a new kind of gathering — one that replaced tradition with momentum, and discussion with action.
Hosted at Pitt Meadows Plumbing’s Shop XL in partnership with Houle Electric, Future of Work 2025 brought construction leaders, trades, and innovators together for two days of conversation, learning, and connection — all focused on how the industry must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
The two-day format included a Thursday evening Industry Mixer, featuring curated food stations and networking among project owners, general contractors, trades, and innovators, followed by a full conference day on Friday packed with panels, keynote presentations, and sponsor activations.
Throughout the event, a clear message resonated:
Real collaboration stems from culture, trust, and early engagement. It’s not just about tools—it’s about empowering people and aligning teams from day one.
At a time when the sector faces unprecedented challenges — from skilled labour shortages and shifting delivery models to the pressures of technology and productivity — Future of Work offered something rare: an honest, practical, and forward-looking platform that centered real builders and real solutions.
“We didn’t build this event to mirror other conferences,” said Matt Bewsey from Houle. “We built it because construction deserves a conversation that is grounded in experience, elevated by innovation, and led by the people doing the work.”
Future of Work stood apart in every way — from its authentic working venue to its handpicked speaker lineup focused on relevance over rhetoric. Five expert-led panels and two keynote presentations tackled the most critical themes facing the built environment today:
•Collaborative project delivery models and new ways to align project teams
•Technology integration that moves beyond tool adoption to real operational change
•Workforce development and reshaping public perception of the trades
•Leadership, innovation, and collaboration as the industry’s most valuable assets
The event’s growth trajectory tells a powerful story: sponsorship support increased by over 45% compared to last year, and ticket sales grew from just over 200 in 2023 to more than 800 across two days in 2025. Over 30 sponsor booths filled the transformed fabrication floor, bringing hands-on activation to life.
In addition to inspiring dialogue, the event included a community-driven initiative: gently used PPE donations were collected onsite for Working Gear Clothing Society, helping equip individuals entering the skilled trades.
“Pitt Meadows Plumbing is doing quite a bit of thought leadership on the future of work and what it looks like for our trade contractors. Being here to support them and network with our members is important to us.”
— Jeannine Martin, VRCA
“The Future of Work is such an incredible event...for us to be able to partner with them during construction and Skilled Trades Month is an absolute honour for us...it is bringing the right messages to the future workforce. Let’s, imagine something...that’s bigger and better for our industry. BC is an incredible place to live, work, play and build.”
— Chris Atchison, BCCA
“When I started my career, or even when I was younger, I had no exposure and no idea that there were so many wonderful opportunities in construction. So I think any time we can, generate awareness in a classroom or at a student organization or partner with colleges or universities where we can really showcase and highlight the incredible opportunities that are in the modern construction industry.”
— Dr. Irish Horsey, Procore
One of the most powerful moments of Future of Work 2025 came during the final session, as attendees were challenged to think beyond their own careers and companies. Dr. Irish Horsey urged the industry to take collective responsibility for its future — encouraging every construction professional to mentor others, volunteer their time, and help open doors for the next generation entering the trades.The message was clear: shaping the future of work isn’t just about embracing new technology or delivery models — it’s about investing in people.
The success of Future of Work 2025 would not have been possible without the tireless
support of partners including The Social Concierge (Tyson Villeneuve), TF Events (Tim Furness), Artech Audio Visual (Jeff Zimmerman), Cocktails and Canapés (Alexia), and Moli Energy for
overflow parking coordination.
Special thanks to Platinum Sponsors - you can download our full list of sponsors below.
•Procore
•Olympic International
•Victaulic
•KMS Tools
Speakers included Amy Marks (Compass Datacenters), Nick Masci (ICG), Melissa McEwen (ICG), Jeff Good (Infrastructure BC), Noor Esmail (Fraser Health), Ryan Tones (Kiewit Canada), Craig Enns (EllisDon), Karina Delcourt (ETRO Construction), Hammad Chaudhry (Timescapes), Jonathan Boyce (Ledcor), Thomas Dell’Arario (OpenSpace), Aaron Akehurst (PCL Construction), Javier Glatt (cmBuilder.io), Corey Clasen (Revizto), Sam Revel (Pitt Meadows Plumbing), Steve Robinson (Pitt Meadows Plumbing), Matthew Bewsey (Houle), Dr. Irish Horsey (Procore), Kristine Szeto (Turner Construction Canada), Jeannine Martin (VRCA), and Scotti Ogden (Ogden Contracting).