Program 

**Program is subject to change**

 

Wednesday, May 22

 

 5:00PM - 6:30PM

Welcome Reception & Tradeshow
 

 

Sponsored by:

Thursday, May 23

 

HAC Conference Host

Jessica Holmes
Jessica Holmes
Celebrated Comedian | Author | Mental Health Advocate

8:00AM – 9:00AM

Networking Breakfast & Tradeshow

 

Location: Grande Place (8th Floor)

Sponsored by:

9:00AM - 9:45AM

HAC Opening Remarks

 

Location: Fortifications Ballroom

Susie Grynol
Susie Grynol
Hotel Association of Canada
President & CEO

Tony Cohen
Tony Cohen
EVP & Partner, Crescent Hotels & Resorts
HAC Chair

9:45AM – 10:00AM

Speed Stats

 

Location: Fortifications Ballroom

Breaking through the noise of industry data.

 
In this 15-minute session, our industry data partners will deliver the numbers (and what they mean) in a speed style presentation.

JoAnna Abrams
JoAnna Abrams
CEO
Mindclick

Emile Gourieux
Emile Gourieux
Regional Manager
STR

Nicole Nguyen
Nicole Nguyen
SVP, Canadian Practice Lead, Hotels Valuation & Research
CBRE Hotels

Monique Rosszell, AACI, MRICS, ISHC
Monique Rosszell, AACI, MRICS, ISHC
Senior Managing Partner
HVS Montreal and Toronto

Marsha Walden
Marsha Walden
President & CEO
Destination Canada

10:00AM–10:45AM

The Next 730 Days: What to Expect in Technology, the Economy, and the Future of Work

 

(Keynote Presentation)

 

Location: Fortifications Ballroom

 

History has shown that we can only accurately predict two years ahead, or 730 days. So, while many are sharing their 5, 10, 15, 20-year forecasts, often with conflicting ideas and notions, this keynote is your antidote. A clear, narrow-focused exploration of the forces shaping our near future and how leaders and organizations can better prepare for it.

 

Award-winning business and technology visionary Leonard Brody provides a data and research-driven look at this next critical period in technology, the economy, and the future of work, while also sharing proven best practices. This includes an in-depth exploration and analysis of:

 

  • The secret to an economic and technological pattern that has repeated itself over the last 300 years. Learn how to recognize and manage against it.
  • The future of work and retaining talent, including the myth of the Great Resignation and the future of the office.
  • The next chapter of AI and blockchain and its immediate applicability.
  • The next two years of the economy and the drivers behind it.
Leonard Brody
Leonard Brody
Multi-Exit Entrepreneur | Business and Technology Visionary

Sponsored by:

10:45AM – 11:15AM

Networking Coffee Break & Tradeshow

 

Location: Grande Place (8th Floor)

Sponsored by:

11:15AM – 12:00PM

Breakout Sessions

GM Breakout: (Location: Ville Marie)
How AI can simplify your hotel work life 

 

Do you have multiple responsibilities as a GM? Join this session and learn how to boost your productivity and maximize each day. This interactive session, designed for GMs, will show you how to apply particular AI tools to streamline your tasks. 

 

Led by two AI specialists who knows the challenges of hoteliers, this crucial session will help you reclaim your time. 

Catherine Mercille
Catherine Mercille
AI Expert and Hospitality Veteran
Deloitte Greenhouse

Sonia Solova
Sonia Solova
Generative AI National Leader
Deloitte

Sustainability Breakout: (Location: Viger)
Emerging Trends in Green 


Sustainability experts explore how hospitality is affected by recent trends, such as the circular economy, carbon neutrality and sustainability certification, and how you can leverage these to make sustainability achievable for your property. 

 

Moderator:

Rebecca Bartlett Jones
Rebecca Bartlett Jones
Director of Business Development
Green Key Global

Panelists:

JoAnna Abrams
JoAnna Abrams
CEO
Mindclick

Jill Doucette
Jill Doucette
Founder & CEO
Synergy Enterprises

Amy Hulbert
Amy Hulbert
Vice President, Boutique and Upscale Brands
BWH Hotels

General Breakout: (Location: Fortifications Ballroom)
Data Deep Dive 
Dig in deeper! This interactive session will allow attendees to unpack what the data means and how the trendline might impact your property. Join us as our data experts break it all down. 

 

Moderator:

Sandrine Rastello
Sandrine Rastello
Journalist, Conference Moderator, Writer, Actor

Panelists:

Meaghan Ferrigno
Meaghan Ferrigno
Senior Vice President, Chief Data & Analytics Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Destination Canada

Emile Gourieux
Emile Gourieux
Regional Manager
STR

Nicole Nguyen
Nicole Nguyen
SVP, Canadian Practice Lead, Hotels Valuation & Research
CBRE Hotels

Monique Rosszell, AACI, MRICS, ISHC
Monique Rosszell, AACI, MRICS, ISHC
Senior Managing Partner
HVS Montreal and Toronto

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

11:00AM – 12:30PM

CEO Workshop (Invite Only)

 

The Ultimate CEO Roundtable - Disrupting the Hospitality Landscape 
This invite-only, closed-door roundtable is designed specifically for the boldest and brightest Hotelier CEOs in the hospitality industry. Engage in unfiltered, peer-to-peer conversations with fellow industry leaders and leave no idea or topic off the table. This is your chance to share your insights, learn from others, and walk away with fresh perspectives and game-changing strategies to drive your business forward. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind opportunity to unleash the future of hospitality. We can’t wait to see you there. 

12:00 PM – 1:30PM

Networking Lunch & Tradeshow

 

Location: Grande Place (8th Floor)

Sponsored by:

1:30PM - 2:15PM

CEO Gameshow

 

Location: Fortifications Ballroom

 

Nothing is off the table in this incredibly entertaining Q&A gameshow session featuring a panel of industry CEOs and hosted by HAC President & CEO Susie Grynol.  

Tony Cohen
Tony Cohen
HAC Chair
EVP & Partner, Crescent Hotels & Resorts

Mandy Farmer
Mandy Farmer
CEO
Accent Inns/Hotel Zed

Christiane Germain
Christiane Germain
Co-Founder and Co-President
Germain Hotels

Alnoor Gulamani
Alnoor Gulamani
President
Bayview Hospitality Group

Brian Leon
Brian Leon
Chief Executive Officer
Choice Hotels Canada Inc.

Sponsored by:

2:15PM - 2:35PM

Networking Coffee Break & Tradeshow

 

Location: Grande Place (8th Floor)

Sponsored by:

2:35PM - 3:45PM

Mastermind Session

 

Location: Fortification Ballroom

Because hundreds of minds are better than one! 

A Mastermind group brings together people to support each other in overcoming challenges by sharing their skills, experience and resources with others.

 

Join forces with your peers during HAC’s interactive onsite Mastermind Session, to share perspectives and get to the heart of what matters to your business. 

 

 How it works: 

  • Sit with someone you want to learn from
  • Share what “keeps you up at night” in a roundtable format
  • Receive insights from your tablemates
  • Share your learnings on others’ top concerns
  • Mastermind!

3:45PM - 4:00PM

Mission Briefing: Hotel Workforce Hackathon

Location: Fortification Ballroom

 

 

Get the essentials for tomorrow’s Hotel Workforce Hackathon in this 15-minute prep session led by Jen Hunter, Lead Facilitator, Deloitte Greenhouse. This energizing briefing is a must attend for a successful hackathon and delivers key resources for you on: 

 

  • The challenge: what we’re tackling together
  • Thought starters: why it's critical for our industry to act now 
  • Inspiration: how to get ready for a design thinking mindset
Jen Hunter
Jen Hunter
Lead Facilitator
Deloitte Greenhouse

7:00PM - 11:00PM

The After Party: A Reservation with Gregory Charles

Join us for dinner, drinks, entertainment and more!

Location: The Windsor Ballrooms

1170 Rue Peel #110,

Montréal, QC H3B 0A9

 

Sponsored by:

Friday, May 24

 

8:00AM – 8:30AM

Breakfast

 

Location: Montreal Ballroom Foyer

Sponsored by:

8:30AM – 9:00AM

The Honourable Minister of Tourism Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Destination Canada: Official Launch of the Canadian Tourism Data Collective

 

Location: Montreal Ballroom

 

Looking ahead to 2030, Destination Canada has a new strategy to boost our tourism sector’s global competitiveness, unlocking new opportunities and addressing challenges head-on. One of the key strategic drivers of this new strategy is Collective Intelligence – data, insights, and analytics must guide everything we do. The Canadian Tourism Data Collective is a pioneering new initiative using Data and AI to revitalize the tourism sector post-pandemic. A partnership between Destination Canada, Statistics Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Data Collective will provide secure access to timely, relevant and actionable tourism insights from coast to coast to coast, and is poised to transform marketing, destination development, policy guidance, and accountability across and beyond the tourism sector. This groundbreaking project paves the way for a resilient and competitive future for Canada's essential tourism industry and its impact goes well beyond economic measures.

 

Join Destination Canada’s Meaghan Ferrigno, Senior Vice President, Chief Data & Analytics Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the official public unveiling of this innovative platform and an insightful look into the purpose, potential and passion that drove its creation.

The Honourable Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada
The Honourable Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada
Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Meaghan Ferrigno
Meaghan Ferrigno
Senior Vice President, Chief Data & Analytics Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Destination Canada

9:00AM – 2:00PM

Hotel Workforce Hackathon: 
Collective action session with Deloitte Greenhouse 

Location: Montreal Ballroom

 

Your group mission: 

Informed by custom research from HAC and the Deloitte Future of Work team and guided by the Design Thinking experts at Deloitte Greenhouse, hoteliers will have three hours to tackle the toughest workforce challenges. 

Through AI, this event will empower real-time collective action on workforce growth that you can immediately take back to your teams. 

This session is designed to ignite your imagination and unlock creative potential. You will discover how other industries are already leveraging AI for breakthroughs in employee experience and productivity and work together as GM, CEO, owner, management company and supplier teams to address the problem. 

 
Be part of what will be the most talked about problem-solve session in the industry. 
 

How the day will work: 

  • Part 1: We will connect to our purpose, our collective journey, expert insights and the technology that will support us in our mission.  
  • Part 2: Having unpacked the problem, we will apply Design Thinking and prototype solutions that will address real challenges and opportunities.   
  • Networking Tradeshow and Lunch (Grande Place (8th Floor)
  • Part 3: With a fresh perspective and bold new ideas, we will share our most meaningful conclusions and commit, as a team, to future efforts. 

Want to know more about Deloitte Greenhouse and design thinking?

   

WATCH: https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/deloitte-greenhouse.html

Closing Remarks

 

Location: Montreal Ballroom

Susie Grynol
Susie Grynol
President & CEO
Hotel Association of Canada