DAVID PERCIVAL

Dr. David Percival wears many hats in his professional life. He’s a Professor, Director of the Wild Blueberry Research Program at Dalhousie University, as well as the chair of the Vaccinium Species and Management Working Group for the International Society for Horticultural Science. 

David’s experience and undeniable passion were key factors in Halifax landing the 13th International Vaccinium Symposium to Halifax in 2024 and ultimately led him to be the conference convener, Chair of the organizing committee.

Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs that produce fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, partridgeberries/lingonberries and huckleberries. This Symposium brought academia, industry, and producers from this sector together, and included pre-and post-conference tours and workshops, a field excursion day and three days of technical sessions. David put it best, “it provided an excellent opportunity to not only see the city but also enjoy the spenders of Nova Scotia as a whole.” 

WHY THEY DID IT

It’s clear that the topic of the event aligns nicely with David’s area of focus and the attendees of this conference which is held every 4 years are from Vaccinium-growing countries from all over the world.  

David felt it was time to bring the Symposium to Halifax. The meeting itself focused predominantly on blueberries and cranberries, both of which are native to Nova Scotia. “Blueberries are Canada’s most important fruit crop in terms of production and export value.” said David. “Given that Nova Scotia is home to a number of native species that were involved in this meeting, it was a logical fit.”

David was part of initial discussions about the conference coming to Halifax back in 2016 when Halifax was first nominated as a potential host city. So, this homecoming was a long-time coming for David. 

BIG OUTCOMES

The International Vaccinium Symposium drew 300 delegates from over 40 countries to Halifax. It is estimated to have contributed more than $610,000 in economic impact to Halifax and supported communities outside the city boundaries as well.
 

David said the feedback from attendees was very positive and he’d be happy to host another event in Halifax. “People were pleasantly surprised by what Halifax had to offer. Not only from a scientific perspective but also with the cultural experiences and excursions.”