MY NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO REACH THE ISIAQ CONFERENCE

A few months ago, a single click turned my November upside down. I was getting ready to book my airline tickets to Honolulu, Hawaii, to attend the Healthy Buildings America 2021 conference. Before I clicked “purchase,” I opened up the conference webpage to double check the dates — and my stomach dropped all the way to the floor.

For months, the page had read, “Healthy Buildings America 2021: Honolulu, Hawaii, Nov. 9–11, 2021.” But that morning, it suddenly said, “Jan. 18–21, 2022.” What?!

I couldn’t believe it. The conference was originally scheduled for June of this year and had already been moved once. Would they really reschedule it again without sending out an email or announcement? To find out, I called the committee that hosts Healthy Buildings 2021: the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

It turns out the conference had been rescheduled just that morning due to COVID-19. I was sorely disappointed, and I still am months later! I look forward to attending these conferences every few years because the people who belong to ISIAQ are the brainiacs who do the important scientific investigation that moves our industry forward.

At each ISIAQ conference, researchers tell experts like me what works and what doesn’t and share the latest tips and techniques for managing indoor air quality. In particular, I was looking forward to the presentations from Dr. Joseph Allen of the Harvard School for Public Health (who wrote the book I reviewed in last month’s newsletter) and building sciences pioneer Terry Brennan.

I’ve heard Terry speak several dozen times. He always offers really good practical advice that I can apply in my business. Similarly, Dr. Allen was set to give a useful lecture called “What Makes an Office Building Healthy?” and lay out the post-COVID-19 returnto-office strategy for building owners and managers. That would have been particularly helpful for me to pass on to folks like you.

Honestly, my biggest frustration is that you will have to wait another three months for me to pass on the latest cutting-edge information. (Of course, I’m also disappointed I won’t be able to take Kaye to Hawaii and look like a hero, but that’s secondary. My clients’ needs come first!) I also feel for all the researchers who were set to give presentations this month. I’m sure it’s discouraging that they’ll need to wait even longer to share their insights with the world.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for indulging my bad temper! I’ll put a stop to it now because the news isn’t all terrible. I’ll still get to Hawaii in January, meet my colleagues there, and learn the latest in the IAQ space. Plus, the havoc COVID-19 wreaked on my schedule is nothing compared to the impact it has had on the lives of others. I’m grateful that a rescheduled conference is the worst I have to worry about!

I hope if you’re feeling frustrated about COVID-19’s impact on your holiday plans, you’ll join me in trying to look on the bright side. Better days are ahead. We just have to hang in there long enough to reach them!