EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
7
World Plumbing Conference
2019 — register now
Registrations are now open for the World Plumbing
Conference 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.
By Warren Robertson
This triennial event sells itself as being
“a unique opportunity for the global
plumbing community to come together
for knowledge sharing, networking, and
professional development”, and this
year will shine a spotlight on ‘the four
pillars of plumbing’.
“The three-day conference programme will
have a genuinely global focus and will offer
something for everyone in terms of technical
development, practical skills, and business
innovation,” explains a statement released by
conference organisers.
The event will take place from 11 to 13
September 2019 at the Melbourne conference
centre and includes the closing Gala Dinner
as well as Plumbing and Fire Industry Awards.
The main focus will however be the keynote
addresses and panel discussions around ‘the
four pillars’: Participation, Practices, Products,
and Protection.
‘Participation’ focuses on the training
required to work in the industry. Panels and
discussions on this topic will present case
studies from around the globe to identify the
best way to attract, train, and retain plumbing
practitioners, with particular focus on future
needs and requirements of plumbers in this
ever-changing global climate.
“Gathering information from stakeholders,
governments, and industry, we aim to
identify the key training requirements and
the best training methods,” explains the
council statement.
The panels on ‘Practices’ will look into
standards and accountability in the industry
and discuss the challenges that face the
global plumbing community with regard to
ensuring work practices meet minimum
quality/safety standards and determining
exactly what those standards should be.
The events centred around ‘Products’
will look into the features and quality of
materials, fittings, and appliances used in
plumbing work. The pressing questions of
the day, around how industries put systems
and processes in place that allow only
properly certified products to enter the
market, without stifling innovation, will be
answered. These issues will likely be very
important in South Africa, where the ability
to access new and innovative products,
such as contemporary backflow devices,
is likely key to improving health and
economic outcomes.
The final category, ‘Protection’, covers
the industry’s ability to minimise risks
and provide redress when failures do
occur. Avoiding negative incidents for both
plumbers and consumers is an integral
part of a successful plumbing industry, and
keynote speakers and panels will go into
detail on the systems, processes, and laws
that adequately protect consumers, the
community, and practitioners and how to
implement redress systems that are swift,
accessible, and fair.
Until 11 March 2019, tickets will cost AUD810
for members and AUD890 for non-members,
going up to AUD900 thereafter for members
and AUD990 for non-members.
Tickets for the Gala Dinner (Plumbing and
Fire Industry Awards 2019) are not included
in the registration and can be purchased as
an additional item during the registration
process. PA
Additional details can be found on the conference website,
https://www.worldplumbingconference.com/
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9