Dr. Jim Weese - The 5C Approach to Leadership: Exceptional Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Times
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Jim Weese is the former Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at The University of Western Ontario. He is a current professor Emeritus, internationally recognized leadership expert, author, and speaker. Throughout his distinguished career, he has held several senior academic leadership roles, including Dean at the University of Windsor, Acting Vice-Provost (International), and Founding Executive Director of the Western Leader Academy.
Widely recognized for his work in transformational and team-based leadership, Dr. Weese is the author of The 5C Leader and a sought-after consultant and keynote speaker for universities, corporations, and organizations across the globe. His contributions to leadership, higher education, and sport management have earned numerous prestigious honours, including the Queen’s Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the 2026 Lester B. Pearson Award.
Heather Reid - Level Up Your Event Contracts
Keynote Speaker:
Heather is the CEO and Founder of Planner Protect Inc., Canada’s first event contract agency dedicated to helping event planners and vendors negotiate balanced, risk-conscious contracts. A former event professional with more than 30 years of experience planning association conferences across Canada, Heather founded Planner Protect in 2013 and has since helped organizations generate more than $10 million in cash savings and avoided risk.
A respected speaker, educator, and industry thought leader, she is widely recognized for her contributions to event contract education and innovation, including the launch of the first Certified Event Contract Professional certification program. Heather has received numerous national industry honours, including induction into the Canadian Meetings & Events Expo Hall of Fame, Smart Women in Meetings awards, and multiple leadership and innovation awards from the Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners.
Dr. Matthieu Yuill - Communication that Drives Revenue
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Mathieu Yuill is the founder of Leading With Nice, a Toronto-based marketing and strategy firm that works with organizations across Canada and the U.S. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, communication, and collaboration, helping teams work together more clearly across departments and roles. Mathieu completed his doctorate in leadership in 2025, focusing on how alignment is built through everyday communication rather than top-down messaging. He brings a practical perspective shaped by experience in journalism, marketing, and higher education, and regularly works with nonprofits, associations, and institutions navigating growth, change, and internal complexity.
The True Cost of Service: Navigating Internal Charges in Higher Education
Panel Discussion:
Internal charge structures continue to be a significant challenge across colleges and universities, often creating tension around cost transparency, service expectations, and budget management. This panel discussion will explore how institutions structure, communicate, and manage internal charges while balancing operational needs and financial realities.
Panelists will share common challenges, lessons learned, and different institutional approaches, offering participants an opportunity to discuss strategies for improving understanding, collaboration, and accountability across campus partners.
Key Learning Outcomes:
- Compare approaches to internal charge structures
- Improve communication around service costs and expectations
- Identify strategies to strengthen campus collaboration and accountability
Building Resiliency Through Shared Experience
Scenario-Based Roundtable:
This interactive round table exercise immerses participants in realistic, high-pressure scenarios from conference services, accommodation, and event operations. Working in small groups, attendees will analyze complex challenges where policy, client expectations, and operational realities conflict.
Participants are encouraged to focus on practical, real-world solutions by identifying systemic areas for improvement, testing assumptions, and applying thoughtful decision-making under pressure. Each group will present a final response, simulating real-time, cross-functional decision-making.
Learning outcomes include:
- Strengthening decision-making under pressure
- Identifying system and communication breakdowns
- Enhancing client service & recovery skills
- Developing practical, scalable operational solutions
Concurrent Sessions
Two interactive 45-minute sessions aligned with key conference tracks of:
- Sales, Marketing & Revenue Generation
- Operational Excellence
- Leadership
Session descriptions and learning outcomes will be shared closer to the conference.