SPEAKERS
We are pleased to present the following speakers and panelists.
EVAN BABINS
Event and Experiences Producer
Evan Babins has 13 years’ experience in corporate event production. Throughout his career, he has had the chance to manage event logistics and technical event production for many world class clients like: Nissan Canada, Equitable Bank, Kia Canada, Novartis, TD Bank and Intuit Canada, to name a few.
Evan has worked in both the live, virtual and hybrid event spaces, honing his craft as a top tier event industry trendsetter. Evan has been included in BizBash's Top 250 Event Professionals, Eventex's Top 50 Most Influential Event Technology Professionals & Top 100 Most Influential Event Pro’s, Bizzabo's Top 55 Event Experience Leaders & Special Event Magazine's Top 20 Young Event Pro's to Watch lists.
KRISTIN BANTA
Founder and Creative Director - Kristin Banta Events Inc.
Kristin Banta is the creative force behind Kristin Banta Events, one of the country’s leading experiential event design and production firms. Named 2025 Best Event Design by California Wedding Day, 2025 Best Overall Private Event by ILEA, and one of BizBash’s Most Influential Event Professionals of 2025, Kristin continues to set the standard for high-concept, high-impact celebrations worldwide.
Kristin and her team have spent more than two decades producing immersive weddings, influential industry soirées, luxury brand activations, and destination events for a discerning global clientele. Known for bold creativity and meticulous execution, KBE transforms visions into provocative, multi-sensory experiences that tell unforgettable stories.
MARGO BUCKLEY
Founder and Fundraising Coach - Good 4 U Consulting Inc.
Margo Buckley has been a fundraiser for over 13 years & founded Good 4 U Consulting Inc. in 2020. With experience in every corner of Fund Development, Margo specializes in fundraising systems & processes, partnering with non-profits to create effective fundraising & stewardship strategies. Margo’s fundraising approach is grounded in mindset before money and how understanding the power of gratitude and stewardship should inform every step of a fundraising model.
HAILEY DAWOOD
Owner and Chief Huntress - The Idea Hunter
Hailey Dawood is a powerhouse event professional, entrepreneur, and content creator recognized as one of the leading voices in Canada’s corporate event industry. As the Owner and Chief Huntress of The Idea Hunter, Hailey leads a dynamic team that partners with top brands like Toronto Blue Jays, Sun Life, Air Canada Vacations, Shoppers Drug Mart, and many more to create elevated, unforgettable event experiences.
Known for her creative vision and strategic execution, Hailey blends artistry with business acumen to transform events into impactful brand moments. Her leadership style is fearless, collaborative, and deeply rooted in growth—qualities that have earned her accolades such as Event Professional of the Year (2023) and Emerging Industry Leader (2019) from Canadian Special Events, as well as recognition among the Top 10 Women in Leadership shaping Canada’s event industry.
Beyond the boardroom, Hailey is a passionate content creator who shares insights on leadership, creativity, and mindset. Her content empowers other entrepreneurs and event professionals to think boldly, lead authentically, and build businesses that align with purpose and passion.
ARTHUR KEREKES
Founder, Fusion Events & Fusion Interactive | Creator, uRequest Live | Creator, BananaCam.ai | Host, “That’s Entertaining” Podcast
Arthur Kerekes is an innovator at the intersection of live entertainment, technology, and AI. As founder of Fusion Events and Fusion Interactive Agency, he creates immersive experiences that connect audiences through interactivity, storytelling, and design.
He is the creator of uRequest Live, an audience-curated concert experience, and the developer behind AI-powered entertainment platforms like Bananacam.ai and Selfie Photosphere. Through Fusion Interactive, Arthur also builds custom apps and digital experiences that explore how artificial intelligence can elevate engagement in live and virtual environments.
As host of That’s Entertaining, Arthur spotlights the creators and technologies reshaping the future of events and inspires others to think bolder about what’s possible.
TRISH KNOX
Owner - TK Events
Trish has been producing events for over 30 years and leads an award-winning team in Canada and the UK. The agency is focused on bringing unforgettable brand experiences to life, producing live and virtual events for global corporations. Known for industry leading conferences, creative brand activations and hybrid innovation delivered with heart and precision, Trish brings an international perspective on strategy and scale. With a tech forward mindset, recently she has led the launch of Virtual Creator Studio, a first of its kind, DIY, no code virtual venue solution, where you can design and host your own virtual events in a simple point and click solution.
Whether it’s curating an inspiring technical production, immersive creative experience, or elevating an agenda, Trish brings unique insights on what resonates with today's audiences.
ANCA PLATON TRIFAN
CEO - Tree-Fan Events Production
Anca Platon Trifan, CMP, WMEP is an award-winning speaker, AI strategist, and bodybuilding champion with over 20 years of experience in event production and event technology. As CEO of Tree-Fan Events Production, she brings precision, power, and practicality to every stage—helping teams lead smarter, implement tech with confidence, and show up stronger under pressure. She’s the host of Events: Demystified, founder of the #FIT4EVENTS framework, and a top voice driving honest, no-hype conversations around AI, AV, and industry leadership.
CHRISTINE RENAUD
Founder - Braindate
An internationally recognized Montreal entrepreneur, Christine Renaud is the founder of Braindate, a pioneering technology that transforms events into peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing experiences. Built without venture capital, Braindate was named one of Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies in 2025 and a finalist for two Webby Awards in 2023. It is now used by global leaders such as Salesforce, TED, SXSW, and NVIDIA.
Trained at Harvard University in education and guided by deep values of authenticity and community, Christine designs spaces where collective intelligence can be fully expressed. Her unique voice inspires those who wish to do business differently—with boldness, kindness, and purpose.
A sought-after speaker (SXSW, IBTM, C2 Montreal), she candidly addresses the realities of entrepreneurship, the power of courageous conversations and the urgency of reinventing success in an era where solitude must give way to human connection.
LISA SCHULTEIS
Founder, Consultant and Event Strategist - Electralime Marketing
Lisa Schulteis is a speaker and founder of two industry-leading virtual and hybrid event companies. She is regarded as a go-to source on growing and scaling businesses through events. In addition to speaking, Lisa works directly with companies and entrepreneurs, providing event strategy and consulting. Her experience with live and virtual events comes from her years of working with Fortune 500 companies, organizations and associations, helping them grow and scale using events. As a virtual event producer and manager, she has designed, built and produced hybrid and virtual events from virtual summits to large corporate events and full-scale conferences.
ADRIEN TOMBARI
Founder and CEO - adn conféncier.e.s
Adrien Tombari is the founder and CEO of adn conféncier.e.s, a Canadian talent and content agency providing speakers, hosts, trainers, workshop creators, team-building experts, and bilingual coaches for organizations around the world.
In just five years, Adrien and his team have led over 1,000 initiatives for more than 500 clients, guided by their mission to “change the world, one connection at a time.”
Committed to making the industry more inclusive, Adrien is actively involved in the DE&I chapter of MPI Toronto and is regularly featured in the media, podcasts, and industry events across Canada, including Ignite Magazine, MPI, Adrenaline, and Hypergrowth.
BRENT BAROOTES
President and CEO - Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists®
Brent Barootes is President and CEO of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists®, a national sponsorship marketing consulting firm. In the past 35 years Brent has worked directly or indirectly with many events, conferences, festivals, municipalities, sport organizations, Canadian brands, corporations, small and medium sized businesses as well as charities and non profits, to develop, audit, enhance and build effective sponsorship marketing programs for them. Brent excels in development of sponsorship asset identification, valuation and ideation for event sponsorships that will yield the event, the attendees and the sponsoring partner maximum ROI.
Brent is also the author of Amazon.ca’s #1 Best seller in the Nonprofit Marketing and Communications category; Reality Check – Straight Talk about Sponsorship Marketing. Brent is a regular speaker at conferences and conventions as well as a TEDx presenter on “Busting the Work-Life Balance Myth”.
Brent lives with his wife of 25 years in Nanaimo BC while their daughter studies at McGill in Montreal.