2026 PROGRAM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Join us as we kickstart the conference with local renowned drummers and throat singers.
John Colton (Ph.D., Head, Community Development, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Acadia University)
Acadia University professor and a long-time adventure guide will kick off the conference with a session that provides a clear-eyed overview of the current state of our climate.
Grounded in science and the latest global and regional data, the Climate Reality Check sets the tone for the conference by highlighting the risks, challenges, and opportunities facing the tourism industry. It’s a moment to align our understanding, confront the realities of climate change, and frame the urgency and focus needed for the discussions ahead.
Catherine Newhook (Shorenet Network Manager, Shorefast), Micha Fardy (Executive Director, Friends of Fundy / Fundy Guild Inc.), Alaina Lockhart (President, Woodland Ventures and Chief Experience Officer, Sussex Ale Works) & Jennifer Dingman (Executive Director of the UNESCO designated Fundy Biosphere Region and the Stonehammer Global GeoPark)
How can tourism create stronger community economies, not just stronger visitor economies? This session shares the stories of places that have tackled this question with a practical, community-led approach, with tourism as a catalyst for broader place-based economic stewardship.
The Fundy Partnership, a collaborative network working across the Fundy Coast & Fundy Foothills region of New Brunswick, along with the Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies, based on 20 years of development work on Fogo Island, will share their experiences. Together, they'll offer practical tools and examples of places coming together, connecting local assets to build community economies strong enough to serve the people and places they belong to, as well as the people who visit them.
Moderator: Nora Fever (Director of Programs & Innovation, Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism)
Panellists: Genevieve McCorquodale (Project Manager, Irish Loop Tourism &
Nicole Holland (Regional Tourism Development Officer, Green Bay, NL)
How can tourism build resilience and help communities thrive on their own terms? Hear from
community practitioners using grassroots, strengths-focused, place-based approaches to explore how tourism can bring sectors together, strengthen local capacity, and keep community well-being at the centre of development. Discover how this shift can spark pride, collaboration and hope, empowering local people to shape tourism and uncover opportunities while protecting what makes their communities great places to live and visit.
Maureen Riley (Vice President, Industry Engagement, Destination Canada), and Caroline MacDonald (Director, Business Development - Curated Learning , Keyin College)
This session looks at how artificial intelligence is changing the way tourism works — from understanding what visitors want to marketing destinations more effectively. Destination Canada and Keyin College share real examples of AI tools being used right now, including the Aurora platform, and discuss what this means for tourism businesses and communities across Canada.
Let all that knowledge sink in!
Andy MacLellan (CEO, VERB)
Travel discovery has changed shape. A trip that once started with a search and a dozen open tabs now often starts with a single conversation that ends in a shortlist of three. For hotels, resorts and destinations, that shifts the question from how do we rank to how do we become the answer.
This session looks at how AI actually assemble travel recommendations, why more than just your website helps influence how your cited, and why earned media has quietly become a distribution channel rather than a PR line item.
Maya Douglas (Executive Director: Sustainability, Environment & Regulatory Law, KPMG Law)
Getting called out for greenwashing is any company’s worst nightmare, especially if sustainability is key to your guests and core to your operations. This session will get you up to speed on public (and regulatory) scrutiny, the words that matter, and the processes you can put in place to drive change and trust in your brand.
Speakers TBC
This session explores how Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) and the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI) are leading Atlantic Canada's shift toward regenerative tourism — moving beyond minimizing harm to creating experiences that actively benefit local communities, ecosystems, and cultural heritage.
David Goldstein (CEO, Travel Alberta), Christine Loth-Bown (Vice-President, Parks Canada) and Tyler Riopel (CEO, Tourism Jasper) | Moderator: Seamus O'Regan
Two years after the devastating wildfires, this panel looks at Jasper National Park's recovery — what's changed, what's been learned, and what it means for the future of the park and the communities that depend on it. Panelists share on-the-ground perspectives on rebuilding, ecological recovery, and the path forward.
John Steele (Owner & CEO, Steele Hotels), and TBC
How Gander, Newfoundland turned a few days in 2001 into Come From Away — and built a whole tourism economy around it. John Steele talks about what the town did right, what's stuck, and what other rural places can learn from the story.
Grab a coffee, find a new conversation, and keep the ideas flowing between sessions.
TJ Arch (Creative Director, Target Marketing)
TJ Arch talks about the Hello Humpback app — how it helps people find, identify, and learn about humpback whales, and what it takes to build a tourism app that actually works for both visitors and local operators.
Roger Grimes (Former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; Chair, C-NLOPB), Jim Keating (CEO, Oil & Gas Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador), and TBC
A conversation on energy and sustainability — what's changing, what's working, and what rural and coastal communities need to think about next.
Fast, practical ideas for resilient places. Seven-minute rapid pitches from practitioners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders offering tangible, scalable solutions for sustainable tourism and local economies.
3:30pm: Advancing Marine Transportation Decarbonization in Newfoundland and Labrador and Across Canada — Colin Corbett (Director, Innovation, Econext)
Marine transportation is vital to Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy and connectivity. Ferries, cargo vessels, fishing boats, offshore supply vessels, and government fleets support the movement of people and goods between coastal communities while linking the province to national and international markets. At the same time, the sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 8% of the province’s total emissions. This presentation will provide an overview of econext’s work to advance marine transportation decarbonization in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
Join us at Quidi Vidi Brewery — a working craft brewery tucked into a historic fishing village — for an evening of local brews, harbour views, and good conversation.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Join us for a continental breakfast and the opportunity to connect with fellow attendees before the day begins!
Morgan MacRae (Co-Founder, The Masonic Project / Chair, The Marlowe Foundation)
What does it take to reimagine a historic building as a welcoming space for creativity and connection? The Co-Founder of The Marlowe Foundation and The Masonic Project shares the story behind the vision to transform a former Masonic Temple in downtown St. John's — from the decision to adaptively re-use a heritage building, to engaging the community for feedback and support, and considering how the space can serve both locals and visitors. A candid look at an ambitious project in progress.
To be announced
Sébastien Benedict (President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada)
Sustainability matters to Canada’s tourism industry, but where does it really rank among the federal government’s priorities? This session will look at sustainability through the lens of Ottawa’s evolving political and economic agenda and explore how our industry can make the case for sustainability in a way that resonates with government and drives action.
Featured panelists — to be annouced!
How cruise itineraries and visitor experiences are developed — with an emphasis on community engagement, destination stewardship, and creating authentic experiences that benefit both visitors and residents. Using cruise as a lens to explore broader destination development themes, including collaboration between destinations, ports, tourism operators, and cruise lines, and the growing importance of community buy-in, social licence, and authentic local experiences.
Jessica Winters (Executive Director, Arctic Inspiration Prize)
With $3.7 million awarded annually to projects and programs, Arctic Inspiration Prize Laureates develop and lead northern-based programs and projects that uplift, strengthen and build capacity within their communities. AIP Executive Director Jessica Winters will talk about the work being done across the Arctic, its implications for tourism and local capacity, and how businesses and organizations can support solutions that are by the North, for the North.
Enjoy a refreshment break while networking with attendees and speakers!
Amy Coady (Municipalities NL), Gracen Chungath (Senior Vice President, Investment and Destination Development, Destination Canada), & Jennifer Dingman (Executive Director, UNESCO-designated Fundy Biosphere Region & Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark)
Featured speakers — to be announced
Jillian Larkham (Director of Tourism, Language, Culture and Tourism, Nunatsiavut Government), Stephanie Webb (Visitor Experience Coordinator, Nunatsiavut Government), & TBC
How does a remote, culturally significant region become a world-class tourism destination? This session traces the evolution of the Torngat Mountains experience—from early community vision to the thriving Base Camp operation of today.
Connect7 — Featured speaker TBC
Climate emergencies, accidents, and intentional acts dominate our news cycle and impact our communities at an ever-increasing rate. From massive wildfires, prolonged droughts, and torrential flooding to transportation incidents and acts of extreme violence, the world is a changing place — and tourism operates at the front line of these disruptions.
This session builds on the Risk Management and Resilience framework developed by Connect 7, applying it directly to the tourism sector. Participants will explore how to adapt resilient business strategies that protect both operations and reputation, and — most critically — how to ensure that visitors in our care are informed, supported, and, when necessary, safely repatriated during a crisis.
To be announced
To be announced
Grab a final cup and connect with fellow participants. A chance to exchange contacts, share takeaways from the day, and continue conversations before the closing session.
To be announced
To be announced
This session is a call to action for tourism professionals and community leaders to unite around shared sustainability goals, commit to meaningful change, and take concrete steps toward a more responsible industry.
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