Seminar Schedule for the AEA Electrical Learning Expo – March 11, Edmonton
February 19, 2026
Discover the latest advancements in technology and services powering our vibrant industry. This is your chance to connect with experts, explore cutting-edge solutions, and gain insights from industry leaders. For one day only — don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to stay ahead in the ever-evolving electrical field.
The Electrical Learning Expo on March 11 at the Edmonton Expo Centre features seminars ranging in topics from AI on the jobsite, quality lighting design, an economic update, indigenous partnerships, and integrated system testing.
Seminar Schedule
10AM: AI isn’t on the Horizon – it’s already on the job site.
Speaker: Greg Widmeyer – Director of Technology – DIALOG Design
The real question is whether it’s creating value… or just noise.
This seminar will look at the AI tools that show promise towards streamlining workflows and automating the busywork — and just as importantly, the new face of change management:
- How you deploy these tools internally, including governance and pilots,
- Manage vendors,
- How you deploy these tools internally, including governance and pilots.
11AM: Quality Lighting isn’t an accident.
Speaker: Tanya Steeves
It’s the result of aligned decisions—made early, revisited often, and carried through to install. This presentation will explore why lighting outcomes so often miss the mark despite good intentions—and how misalignment between design intent, budget, and construction quietly erodes quality long before installation.
This session is about more than fixtures or specs. It’s about:
- Where lighting quality is most often compromised
- Why substitutions and value engineering frequently miss the real trade-offs
- How clearer intent and better process reduce rework, callbacks, and frustration
- What “equivalent” should mean when performance matters
The focus isn’t blame—it’s collaboration. Designers, architects, contractors, manufacturers, and distributors all influence the outcome, whether we mean to or not.
12PM: Economic Update with ATB Senior Economist
Speaker: Siddhartha Bhattacharya – Senior Economist – ATB Financial
Join ATB Financial’s Senior Economist Siddhartha Bhattacharya as he cuts through the economic noise to deliver the latest economic insights.
- Siddhartha will dissect the impacts of the ongoing trade tensions,
- provide an in-depth look at Alberta’s business sectors,
- housing, and
- labour markets.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain critical foresight into the economic forces shaping our future, including interest rates and population growth.
1PM: Building Indigenous Partnerships That Drive Profit
Speaker: Michelle Goodkey – Managing Principal – Good Synergies
What Electrical Contractors and Engineers will Learn:
- Who Indigenous communities are in an Alberta project context and why their involvement matters to winning work today.
- When Indigenous requirements typically appear in bids and projects—and what contractors are expected to deliver.
- The real issues contractors face (eligibility, timelines, capacity, compliance, trust) and how to avoid common mistakes.
- Practical pathways to eligibility, invitations to bid, and sustainable working relationships with Indigenous communities.
- Clear, actionable steps to move forward confidently and profitably while meeting owner and stakeholder expectations.
2PM: CAN/CSA S1001 – Building Integrated System Testing: Technology and Business Value
Speaker: Trina Larsen, P.Eng., MSc., LEED AP+ BD&C – Principal & Peter Wing, P.Eng. – Larsen Engineering
Life safety systems such as fire alarms, sprinklers, smoke control, elevators, generators, emergency lighting, and door sequences, must operate as a unified network to protect occupants. CAN/CSA Standard S1001 defines the process for Integrated System Testing (IST), ensuring these technologies “talk” to each other. This presentation explores how IST is shaping Alberta’s electrical industry, as it has become a part of the building code, impacting all designers – architects, engineers, contractors and others.
Attendees will learn:
- Technology foundations of IST and its role in modern building automation.
- Regulatory trends: AHJs are expanding IST requirements to smaller projects, which requires defining boundaries for renovations to avoid costly scope gaps.
- Collaboration strategies with AHJs to streamline approvals.
- Documentation and verification workflows that reduce risk and improve compliance.
- Business benefits: How IST expertise differentiates firms, creates new service offerings, and strengthens client trust.
- Lessons learned from dozens of IST projects, including when to engage third-party coordinators versus leveraging design teams.
By understanding IST as both a technical and business opportunity, participants can position themselves for growth in Alberta’s evolving construction landscape.
