Ventilation Critical Action Summit 2022

14 February 2022

Building industry professionals are invited to join a timely conversation on creating safe indoor environments with a two-day virtual national ventilation summit on 24–25 February 2022, organised by AMCA Australia. An impressive list of speakers from government, academia, media and multiple disciplines in the building industry will share their expertise. Book now!

With airborne transmission now widely acknowledged as the primary source of COVID-19 transmission, the building industry has a vital role to play in supporting Australians to return to workplaces and other indoor settings confidently, safely and sustainably.

Recognising both the technical and people challenges involved in providing safe indoor environments, the Building Ventilation Summit brings together experts from across the sector and beyond to discuss the latest approaches being adopted by industry; the health, economic and political contexts; and the likely medium-and long-term reform implications.

Why a Building Ventilation Summit?

Airborne transmission of COVID-19 is now widely acknowledged by government, global public health authorities, and experts from various health, engineering and design disciplines. In fact, poorly ventilated buildings have been identified as a key risk factor to outbreaks in hotel quarantine, aged care, schools, hospitals, and numerous workplaces and public venues.

With increasing media reports and an emerging community awareness about importance of indoor air quality in mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the building industry has a vital role to play in supporting Australians to return to workplaces and other buildings confidently, safely and sustainably.

Practitioners must be prepared to deliver measured advice and practical recommendations, while establishing realistic expectations about what can be achieved depending on the building type, design, usage, services, and age.

Unfortunately, many practitioners involved in the delivery of safe indoor environments remain unclear about their roles and responsibilities, and how these interrelate with the responsibilities and services provided by others.

With speakers drawn from across the building industry, as well as some of Australia’s leading researchers, health experts and reform advocates, the Building Ventilation Summit will provide attendees with valuable insights into the latest measures being taken by industry, government, regulators, and standards bodies, while adding much-needed weight to the long-overdue public discourse around the importance of indoor air quality for health outcomes.

Program overview

Recognising that COVID risk mitigation in buildings is both a technical and human challenge, the Building Ventilation Summit brings together experts from across the sector and beyond.

Day 1 – Thursday, 24 February

Day one will have a largely technical focus, including discussions about current approaches being adopted by industry and the medium- and longer-term reform implications of COVID-19.

  • Ted Baillieu, Chair of the Cladding Taskforce
  • Jeanette Barbaro, Minter Ellison
  • Brett Fairweather, It’s Engineered
  • Dr Vyt Garnys, CETEC
  • Geoff Hanmer, Professor in architecture
  • Dr Trevor Pisciotta, Victorian Government
  • Brad Prezant, Prezant Environmental
  • Dr Lidia Morawska, Queensland University of Technology
  • Dr Norman Swan, Host of Coronacast on ABC
  • Panel discussion: Building ventilation practices
  • Panel discussion: Long-term reform implication
Day 2 – Friday, 25 February

Day two will focus more on people, workplaces and communities, as well as the ongoing economic and political context.

  • Rob Adams, City Architect, Melbourne City Council
  • Kate Cole, Cole Health, Occupational Hygienist
  •  Jon Faine, Journalist and former radio host
  • Adam Garnys, CETEC
  • Dominique Hes, Melbourne City Council
  • Bernard Salt, Demographer
  • Joe Scholz, QED Environmental Services
  • Tim Wheeler, Property Council
  • Panel discussion: Future of workplaces
  • Panel discussion: Supply chain issues

Virtual Event

Due to Victoria’s COVID-19 case load, the decision to move the Building Ventilation Summit to a virtual event is the logical step. In doing so, the summit is now highly accessible to industry with on-demand access to all recordings included in the ticket price.

Ticketing

An all-access ticket to the virtual event is just $77. This entitles you to access all sessions over the two-day Summit, as well as on-demand access to all recordings after the event. Watch at a time that suits you.

Who should attend?

The Building Ventilation Summit is targeted at all building industry stakeholders with a responsibility for providing safe and healthy indoor environments for people to live, work, and play. We also encourage government departments, industry regulators and standards setting bodies to actively participate.

  • Architects
  • Builders
  • Building managers
  • Engineers
  • Specialist contractors
  • Service and maintenance professionals
  • Facilities management
  • Government departments
  • Regulators

Information & registration

For more information and to register for this event, head to the booking page.