WCTA 62nd Annual Conference in the Books
By Jerry Rousseau
February 26, 2026
The WCTA office officially re-opened on Monday, February 23rd after a demanding week of post-production and catch-up following our very successful, 62nd Annual Conference and Trade Show.
Yes, I’m glad the dust is starting to settle on what was a record-breaking event in several measures and it’s time to provide our final follow-up.
But first and on behalf of all WCTA Members and Board of Directors, I would like thank everyone who participated in the largest golf and sportsfield management event in Western Canada and for supporting the Western Canada Turfgrass Association!
With that, here’s how things played out:
• In total, 484 turf management industry personnel participated this year including 289 professional turf management delegates, 180 supplier and service provider personnel and 15 speakers.
• The main trade show floor sold out once again and we had to expand available space. In total, 54 companies squeezed into 72 of 73 booths making this our largest trade show ever at the River Rock and the most booth space taken in nearly a decade!
• Hotel pickups came in at 328 room nights, surpassing our 269 room block by a long shot and interestingly, was the exact same volume as last year.
• Our 25th Annual Silent Auction raised a record $14,549! This total is well over double last year’s effort (nearly triple actually!) and completely shattered our expectations. We have to determinedly thank all contributors and bid winners, along with our new auction boss, Tab Buckner from the Township of Langley, for this incredible result.
Much post-production work remains and it will be at least a couple weeks before we have final financial performance numbers but I can report gross revenue beat forecast and is second only to last year’s all-time WCTA record.
Of course, the expense side keeps growing due to factors beyond our control and while we keep a close eye on costs, there is also conscious investment in key areas to ensure a solid show, ie. our world-class speaker program coming in at about $35k this year.
Why is this important? WCTA members need to know that a successful event helps drive the association financially, enabling education and networking opportunities, a variety of member services, providing funds for turf research that helps ensure our chances of a sustainable future, the ability to lobby government and advocate for our industry and much more. It is especially indicative of a strong and successful industry in the overall, something we’re happy to be part of.
Looking ahead, our 63rd Annual Conference and Trade Show will take place February 9-11, 2027 at the one-of-a-kind River Rock Casino Resort. This will be our lucky #7th trip to the River Rock and we look forward to seeing you next year!
All the best throughout the upcoming season and as always, feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.
