5 Things We Learned At The Buildings Show 2021

12/08/2021
4 minute read

After three exciting days, The Buildings Show, an annual event showcasing the innovative technologies that are directly impacting the future of the built world, came to an end. It was an exciting opportunity to be able to meet so many industry leaders and attendees that are actively interested in working towards a future with smarter, more sustainable buildings. Despite the busy three days, the 1VALET team was able to capture some valuable insights from many of the industry professionals and thought leaders that attended the event. Here are 5 of our biggest takeaways from our time at The Buildings Show 2021 in Toronto.

Smart Buildings Are For Everyone

The event welcomed people from different sectors of the building industry, allowing the 1VALET team to meet with many of the visionaries behind new developments across Canada, as well as long-established property managers from some of Canada’s largest portfolios. Despite both groups looking to address their own separate needs, they shared one thing in common – they were looking for a platform like 1VALET to make their buildings smarter, more efficient, and more connected. The needs of retrofit buildings stood out the most to the 1VALET team, as owners and property managers were looking for ways to turn their heritage-filled buildings into smart ones. To some attendees, this was an impossible task. They had tried before to integrate new technologies into their communities but saw little-to-no success. With solutions for both new construction and retrofit projects, the 1VALET team was able to show them that any building can easily be turned into a smart building, if powered by the right system.

Software Over Hardware

If there is one reason why so many people attend The Buildings Show, it is because that is one of the best places to learn about the latest innovations in the building industry. An event like this was the perfect platform for industry professionals to speak about the direction in which smart building technology is heading. Hint, it’s not hardware. Many of the concerns brought to the 1VALET team revolved around the inevitable obsolescence of hardware-based solutions for smart buildings. With technology evolving so quickly, how can property and asset managers commit long-term to a hardware-based solution that may be outdated in a couple of years? How can they ensure the solution they are buying is “future-proof”? This shift towards software-based solutions was evident at this year’s event, with many exhibitors tailoring their solutions to be less hardware-focused. This demonstrates that the best way to future-proof buildings is through software-based platforms with hardware integrations that consistently receive updates.

Resident Experience is Key

Living spaces are evolving to meet the standards and needs of their end-users, the residents. This was extremely evident at this year’s show, with a lot of the focus being around the resident experience and how important connectivity within the building is to the future of living spaces. The resident experience is key to creating smarter buildings. Today, residents in multi-family buildings are concerned about the living experience, and how the amenities in the buildings can fit into their busy lives. With this in mind, many attendees were interested in solutions that would enhance the living experience of their residents. As one of our pillars, the resident experience has always been top of mind for 1VALET. That’s why we created our Building Operating System and Resident App to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. With convenience in mind, 1VALET provides residents with a number of features designed to make their life easier, and seamlessly connect them with their building. From booking amenities and unlocking doors with their phone, to facial entry at the Entry System and so much more, 1VALET has created a platform that brings convenience and the resident living experience to a new level.

Efficiency, the Goal of Smart Housing

Resident experience and an intercom system that future-proofs a building were amongst the main interests from visitors to the booth. There was, however, another topic that was frequently brought up – do smart building platforms help the building operate more efficiently? Meaning, can they help reduce a building’s carbon footprint, while also streamlining operations and reducing operational costs? The answer is yes. Efficiency is, in fact, one of the goals of smart housing. The 1VALET team gathered feedback from attendees pointing out how they were looking for a platform that would streamline operations and make building management simpler. They wanted something that would help them save on their operational costs, and help them easily diagnose issues in their building. They wanted a platform that would not only help identify potential issues, but that would also allow them to jump right in from anywhere to solve them. With 1VALET, we made building management easy while reducing your operational costs.

Our Partners Are a Reflection of Our Hard Work

Talking with some of 1VALET’s partners who were also attending the show, such as Snaile, SALTO, SWTCH, and Yardi was an opportunity to learn more about the new features they are releasing. It also gave the team a chance to brainstorm new ways in which they could strengthen their relationships to continue offering unique solutions to the building industry. From these interactions, the 1VALET team learned that we are surrounded by the right partners, all of whom are leaders in their respective verticals. Ultimately, The 2021 Buildings Show was a great experience for the entire 1VALET Team. They were able to create new, meaningful connections with some of the industry’s biggest names while meeting and interacting with the hundreds of attendees that stopped by the booth. If you want to learn more about 1VALET and our solutions, book a demo here.

About 1VALET

1VALET is a smart building operating system that integrates IoT technologies to better connect residents to their community, and easily convert any multi-family building into a connected smart building. By centralizing building systems into one web-based dashboard and empowering tenants with a Resident App, 1VALET can enhance resident engagement, increase NOI, and create safer, smarter communities.