Wisconsin Dells is well known as the “Waterpark Capital of the World” and the numbers help explain why. The area’s waterparks feature more than 220 waterslides and over 16 million gallons of water. Our conference venue, Wilderness Resort, contributes a combined 500,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor waterpark space to that total. (Source: Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau.)
While I didn’t get a chance to make a splash at the waterpark, I made plenty of connections on November 4, 2026, at WI-CARH’s 27th Annual Conference, where we joined Wisconsin’s affordable housing community for a day of conversation and shared ideas.
This year’s conference centered on “Navigating Affordable Housing.” It’s a fitting theme for an industry where managing properties means balancing resident needs, operational demands, changing requirements, and long-term planning.
As an exhibitor, I spent my time at our booth meeting housing professionals and learning more about their priorities. Those conversations are a valuable part of why we participate in events like this. They give us an opportunity to listen, ask questions, and better understand the work our customers do every day.
A Broad View of Affordable Housing
The conference agenda reflected the range of issues facing affordable housing teams. Topics included USDA Rural Development housing programs, WHEDA resources, federal housing legislation, and Wisconsin lease and legal updates.
Even a look at the session titles makes one thing clear: affordable housing professionals have a lot to keep up with. Their work requires attention to the details of daily operations alongside an understanding of the programs, policies, and resources shaping their communities’ futures.
Gatherings like WI-CARH create space for that broader perspective, bringing education, industry resources, and peer connections together in one place. After sponsoring the NeighborWorks Training Institute in August, I appreciated the opportunity to continue those conversations closer to home. Canvas Cloud is based in Appleton, Wisconsin, so exhibiting at WI-CARH was a natural fit, and a chance to connect with the housing professionals serving communities across our home state.
Conversations at the Booth
For me, the opportunity to connect directly with attendees was the highlight of the day. A conference booth gives us a chance to hear the context behind a question, learn how different teams approach their work, and explore where we can help.
These conversations help guide our thinking long after an event ends. The more we understand the priorities of the people using our products and services, the better we can support them.
Carrying the Conversation Forward
Thank you to WI-CARH, the organizers, speakers, and everyone who stopped by our booth. We appreciated the opportunity to be part of this year’s conference and connect with the people supporting affordable and rural housing across Wisconsin.
To the property managers, maintenance teams, owners, developers, and partners doing this work every day: thank you for your time and perspective.
We look forward to continuing those conversations. If we missed you at the conference or you’d like to pick up where we left off, let’s talk.
About the Author
Daniel Dibble is President and CRO of Canvas Cloud, a Salesforce Consulting Partner. Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn. If you’d like to meet with Daniel to discuss your organization’s Salesforce strategy, fill out our Contact Us form.
