Train #664 departs Union Station (Toronto) for Kingston

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 1000 Island Cruise aboard the Island Queen, Crawford Wharf

Enjoy a one-hour cruise on the Island Belle, a replica St. Lawrence River steamer.  The tour will offer an introduction to the unique sites and heritage of Kingston’s waterfront, including Fort Henry, Royal Military College of Canada, and Kingston Penitentiary, all National Historic Sites.

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 Welcome Remarks 

Opening Keynote: Shane Feldman, Future-Proof Passport: Driving Connection and Collaboration in This New World

In today's unpredictable landscape, collaboration is your competitive edge. In this empowering, forward-looking talk, Shane Feldman goes beyond the hype and speculation to reveal a fundamental truth — in this new world of work, community and relationships are what will set you apart.

Having researched community leadership and human behaviour across 40 countries and six continents, Feldman brings audiences on a journey around the world, sharing lessons learned from global leaders. He decodes how to empower human connection, future-proof any organization, and optimize people, planet, and profit through real-world examples and clear strategies that can be applied right away. Audiences are left re-focused, re-connected, and ready to elevate their impact.

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 Lunch 

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Chief Matthew Pegg built and maintained an extraordinary reputation and unparalleled level of public, staff, and elected official trust and confidence throughout his 32-year career as a first responder. This included eight years serving as chief of the largest fire and emergency service in Canada, where he was independently ranked as the sixth most influential person in Toronto and maintained a global media profile and presence through some of the nation’s most significant issues and events.

In this keynote and training session, Pegg will share the skills that emergency incident commanders use to manage and lead through emergencies and crises. He will explore why these skills are largely absent from the c-suite today and how they are found in the uncomfortable space between risk management and crisis communications. Through this, audiences will learn the recipe for results when they matter the most, and leave equipped with the basis for a crisis management playbook to help them thrive under pressure.

 Networking Break 

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 Education Session:  The Ignite Collaboration Lab: Entrepreneur Edition

Imagine being in a room full of trusted career coaches ready to tackle your biggest painpoints. Welcome to the Ignite Collaboration Lab, with its signature mix of candid conversation, small group brainstorming and tangible takeaways!

The Ignite Collaboration Lab is a facet of the Worth It Stand Up for Business Events initiative, launched to spark discussion on tough topics in order to elevate our worth as event professionals, as companies, and as an industry.  

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 Free time

 Welcome Reception and Dinner

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 Breakfast

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 Keynote Speaker

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 Networking Break 

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Education Session:  Open Space (Collaborate, Share, Solve)

While our conference agenda is packed with sessions, some of the best learning happens in spontaneous hallway conversations. Introducing, Open Space - a participant-led session where you create the afternoon program based on the topics that matter most to you.  It’s a chance to collaborate, share ideas, and solve challenges in an organic, dynamic way. No rigid structure—just meaningful conversations that lead to real takeaways.

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 Lunch:  Regina Runway 

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 Education Session - Open Space (Collaborate, Share, Solve) - continued

While our conference agenda is packed with sessions, some of the best learning happens in spontaneous hallway conversations. Introducing, Open Space - a participant-led session where you create the afternoon program based on the topics that matter most to you.  It’s a chance to collaborate, share ideas, and solve challenges in an organic, dynamic way. No rigid structure—just meaningful conversations that lead to real takeaways.

 Saskatoon Saloon

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 Depart for Fort Henry

 Fun Night at Fort Henry

Tourism Kingston, Kingston Accommodation Partners, and an array of local food and beverage partners will welcome CanSPEP Conference delegates to the Great Hall at Fort Henry for an evening of delicious food, delightful beverages, alluring entertainment, and perhaps an absorbing game or two.

We’ll make the short trip to the Fort on Kingston’s iconic Red Trolleys, crossing the century-old LaSalle Causeway and passing Royal Military College before arriving at the Great Hall.  With a terrace overlooking the first of the 1000 Islands at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Cataraqui rivers and Lake Ontario, we’ll enjoy an evening of engaging conversation and meaningful networking in a spectacular setting within the Rideau Canal/Kingston Fortifications UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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 Breakfast

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Keynote:  Trevor Lui, What is the Real Cost of a Bad Cup of Coffee

Event food and beverage experiences have long been dictated by outdated, uninspired practices that fail to meet the evolving expectations of today’s attendees. Highbell Hospitality, a boutique hospitality agency, is challenging the status quo—rethinking event food through intentional, inclusive, and culturally rich experiences that uplift local economies and enhance community connections.  This session explores how event professionals can break free from traditional constraints and embrace a new model that integrates small businesses, supports women- and BIPOC-led establishments, and reinvents the way we think about food budgets. 

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 Education Session

 Presented by: CanSPEP Business Associate Advisory Council

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 Awards and Recognition Luncheon

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