HPBAC membership saves you the cost of EXPO passes. Members always receive preferred rates for HPBAC and HPBA programs and events. And you can also save through our Member Savings Programs, including Errors & Omissions Insurance for WETT Inspection Services in Canada, and through discount programs such as Choice Hotels Privileges Rewards and the Esso Business Card Program. 

HPBAC currently has close to 500 members across Canada. Many of your competitors are already members, taking advantage of the savings and resources we offer. We’d like to make the association even stronger, giving us a stronger voice with government and the ability to increase our public relations efforts and continue to improve our member benefits.

You can become involved in the association by joining an HPBAC committee or participating in a task force, or you can just enjoy the benefits of membership without volunteering. It’s up to you how involved you become, but volunteering provides many advantages to members. To learn more about volunteering, please visit the Volunteers section on the Committees page.

Regulation that affects your business could be introduced at any level of government. Sometimes this is positive, such as incentives to homeowners to upgrade to a more efficient appliance. You will want to be informed of these opportunities as they arise. Government usually communicates to an industry through its trade association and the association is in contact with the government in order to keep you informed. The association also advocates for these programs on behalf of industry. Often regulation can have a negative effect by limiting and sometimes eliminating the products you sell. This can happen through municipal bylaws such as burn bylaws. HPBAC will help you fight unfair regulation and will advocate the benefits of your products to government.

HPBAC publishes regular bulletins which include updates on association activities, government relations issues, industry news and notices about information that is available to members, such as market research results and articles in the media. 

Our website contains information for members and homeowners on products, events, resources and safety tips and a Search function so homeowners and members can find members. HPBA’s website is also full of great resources for members, including press releases, market research, product fact sheets and much more.

HPBExpo features the biggest selection of hearth, patio and barbecue products under one roof. You’ll want to see all of the exciting new products available, meet with your suppliers and look for new products. It’s important to keep your store current and fresh to keep customers coming back and to draw in new customers. HPBExpo also offers a great selection of sales, marketing and business management education sessions and technical training. It’s a great opportunity to network with other industry members. HPBAC hosts a Canadian Reception at HPBExpo each year, which is attended by over 250 people each year and is always a lot of fun. You’ll meet people from all over and have a chance to network in a relaxed environment.

We host regional Education Days and local meetings with a range of topics. In the past as part of our Building Your Business series we’ve offered The Art of Selling, Professional Service is Profitable and The Changing Retail Environment as well as Barbecue Education Days. HPBAC also supports the ongoing development of industry-specific training courses.

Both HPBAC and HPBA act as a resource for media and the public. We receive more and more enquiries from the media on issues relating to hearth, patio and barbecue products. Press releases are issued regularly on topical issues such as “Are you Prepared for a Power Outage”, “Consumer Survey Indicates Fireplaces and Stoves Play Key Role in Selling Homes” and “Consumers Prefer to Stay Home to Cook Out”.

There are Barbecue and Hearth product information pages available on the HPBAC website, which contain great information on your products and how to use them.

We have also worked with government to develop programs such as EnerChoice which identifies the 25% most efficient gas hearth appliances and the Burn it Smart program across Canada which was adopted by the US EPA into their Burn Wise program. HPBAC also consults on publications such as The Guide to Residential Wood Heating — a popular guide published by Natural Resources Canada, along with various other publications relating to hearth products.

Along with all of our communication and outreach efforts, HPBAC has become much more involved in advocacy and lobbying efforts to municipal, provincial, and the federal governments. We are continuously fighting for your rights to sell the products you sell, and working with the government to fund projects, like Woodstove Changeout Programs, to not only promote the sale of products, but also to demonstrate the benefits of the products our members sell.