Kitchener, Ontario
2025 FEO "SYNERGY"
Conference
February 24 - 26, 2025
Monday, February 24, 2025 Schedule
07:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Conference Registration Desk Open
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
Run by
Ann Barker
Ticketpro
09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Half Day Session #1
How Personality Shapes Consumer Decisions: Let's Read The Room
How Personality Shapes Consumer Decisions: Let's Read The Room
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
Susan Patterson
SPG Consulting
09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Half Day Session #2
Green and Sustainable Festivals and Events
Green and Sustainable Festivals and Events
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speaker
Kate Johnston
Executive Director
Hillside Festival Guelph
Hillside Festival Guelph
01:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Half Day Session #3
How Personality Shapes Consumer Decisions: Let's Read The Room
How Personality Shapes Consumer Decisions: Let's Read The Room
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
Landon Logie
Landon Logie Events
06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Experience Kitchener Welcome Reception
Light appetizers courtesy Little Mushroom Catering Company and cash bar.
Light appetizers courtesy Little Mushroom Catering Company and cash bar.
Location
Kitchener City Hall Rotunda
200 King Street West, Kitchener
200 King Street West, Kitchener
Speakers include:
Berry Vrbanovic
Mayor of Kitchener
07:45 PM - 11:00 PM
Location
Bobby O'Brien's Irish Pub
125 King Street West, Kitchener
125 King Street West, Kitchener
Live Entertainment
T.B.D
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Schedule
07:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Conference Registration Desk Open
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
Run by
Ann Barker
Ticketpro
07:30 AM - 08:30 AM
Breakfast Buffet
Location
Grand Ballroom
08:45 AM - 09:00 AM
Official Conference Welcome
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
Dave MacNeil
Festivals and Events Ontario
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
09:00 AM - 09:45 AM
Keynote Speaker
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
To Be Announced Soon
09:45 AM - 09:55 AM
Mini Tech Talk
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
To Be Announced Soon
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Plenary Session #1
City of Kitchener and Downtown BIA Panel
Building Community Through Festivals and Events
Moderated by FEO CEO Dave MacNeil
City of Kitchener and Downtown BIA Panel
Building Community Through Festivals and Events
Moderated by FEO CEO Dave MacNeil
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speakers
Berry Vrbanovic
Mayor of Kitchener
Steve Roth
Manager of Special Events City of Kitchener
Jeremy Duek
Director of Culture and Entertainment City of Kitchener
Linda Jutzi
ED BIA Downtown Kitchener
10:45 AM - 11:00AM
Coffee Break
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Plenary Session #2
Hillside Festival
Pioneering Green Events
Hillside Festival
Pioneering Green Events
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
Kate Johnston
Executive Director
Hillside Festival
Hillside Festival
11:45 AM - 02:30 PM
Lunch and Marketplace
Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch
Meet & Greet & Shop with a room full of Vendors
Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch
Meet & Greet & Shop with a room full of Vendors
Location
Viking Suites
Breakout Sessions #1
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
Admiral Live
Audience Data Analytics
Admiral Live
Audience Data Analytics
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
Paul Fairley
Chief Executive Officer
Admiral Live
Admiral Live
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Beyond the Boardroom - Connecting the Business Community with Festivals and Events
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Beyond the Boardroom - Connecting the Business Community with Festivals and Events
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speaker
Katie Steil
Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
Ontario Cultural Attractions, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Gaming and Ontario Music Investment Fund.
Providing Information on Three Different Ontario Funding Programs
Ontario Cultural Attractions, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Gaming and Ontario Music Investment Fund.
Providing Information on Three Different Ontario Funding Programs
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speakers
Catalina Fellay-Dunbar
Operations Manager
OCAF
Anny Lee
Senior Program Consultant
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
Ward Dilse
Program Consultant
Ontario Music Office, Ontario Creates
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
Accessibrand
Digital Accessibility & why you need to know about it!
Accessibrand
Digital Accessibility & why you need to know about it!
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
Jolene MacDonald
Chief Executive Officer
Accessibrand
Accessibrand
03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Coffee Break
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Location
Kitchener Suites Foyer
Breakout Sessions #2
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Tourism HR Canada
Emerit Event Management Training and Certification: The Competitive Advantage
Tourism HR Canada
Emerit Event Management Training and Certification: The Competitive Advantage
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
Lyne Marcil
Director, Psychometric Services
Tourism HR Canada
Tourism HR Canada
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest and Metrolinx
LederGOsen Line – GTA to Kitchener Waterloo
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest and Metrolinx
LederGOsen Line – GTA to Kitchener Waterloo
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speakers
Tracy Van Kalsbeek
Executive Director
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
Kelly Johnston
Manager Tourism
Metrolinx
Metrolinx
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Little Mushroom Catering & Dining Lounge
A Balanced Approach to Event Planning
Little Mushroom Catering & Dining Lounge
A Balanced Approach to Event Planning
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
Stephanie Soulis
Owner and Chef
Little Mushroom Catering
Little Mushroom Catering
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Sultans of String
Indigenous programming Ideas for your festival or event.
Sultans of String
Indigenous programming Ideas for your festival or event.
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
Chris McKhool
Sultans of String
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Town of LaSalle
Large Events, Small Municipalities - How to Balance Facilitating both Internal and External Events
Town of LaSalle
Large Events, Small Municipalities - How to Balance Facilitating both Internal and External Events
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
Jordyn Rafuse
Recreation Programmer of Events
Town of LaSalle
Town of LaSalle
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Landon Logie Events
How Festivals and Events Can Effectively Use A.I
Landon Logie Events
How Festivals and Events Can Effectively Use A.I
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
Landon Logie
Chief Executive Officer
Landon Logie Events
Landon Logie Events
04:15 PM - 06:00 PM
Free Time
Unwind after a busy day or catch up with friends before dinner. Take a walk and explore the City.
Unwind after a busy day or catch up with friends before dinner. Take a walk and explore the City.
Location
Anywhere You Wish
06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Cocktail Reception
A great time to socialize and share experiences after a long day of education or visit suppliers you may have missed earlier in the day.
A great time to socialize and share experiences after a long day of education or visit suppliers you may have missed earlier in the day.
Location
Viking Suites Marketplace
07:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Oktoberfest Celebration
Enter Kool Haus, an authentic K-W Oktoberfest experience with Polka music, great bavarian food, a keg tapping and so much more. Plus, we celebrate our Service Excellence Award Winners.
Enter Kool Haus, an authentic K-W Oktoberfest experience with Polka music, great bavarian food, a keg tapping and so much more. Plus, we celebrate our Service Excellence Award Winners.
sponsored by Bingemans Kool Haus
Location
Grand Ballroom
Live Entertainment
The Golden Keys
Legendary Oktoberfest Band
Bingemans Kool Haus
Bingemans Kool Haus
Service Excellence Awards
Celebrating our FEO Suppliers
10:30 PM - 01:00 AM
Hospitality Suite #1
On night one we head down to the basement of the Crowne Plaza for a Fun & Games Night. Mini golf, arcade games, bowling and more. Throw in Karaoke and a free bar and you're guaranteed a great night.
On night one we head down to the basement of the Crowne Plaza for a Fun & Games Night. Mini golf, arcade games, bowling and more. Throw in Karaoke and a free bar and you're guaranteed a great night.
Location
Crowne Plaza Games Room
Live Entertainment
Karaoke
Liquid Courage Gets You Up and Singing
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Schedule
07:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Conference Registration Desk Open
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
Run by
Ann Barker
Ticketpro
07:30 AM - 08:30 AM
Breakfast Buffet
Location
TBD
08:45 AM - 09:30 AM
Keynote Speaker
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
To Be Announced Soon
09:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Gaming and Sport
TRIEM-Learn About The Ontario Tourism Regional Impact Model.
TRIEM-Learn About The Ontario Tourism Regional Impact Model.
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
Darren Winger
Regional Development Advisor
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Sport & Gaming
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Sport & Gaming
10:30 PM - 10:45 PM
Coffee Break
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario - Private Security and Investigative Services Branch
Is Your Event's Security Provider In Compliance With The Law? Risk, Liability, and the Realities of the Security Guard Industry in OntarioLocation
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
Mike Rosina
Compliance Inspector
Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario - Private Security and Investigative Services Branch
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
Mini Tech Talk
Location
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
To Be Announced Soon
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
SagePath Consulting
Firing on all cylinders -- Unleash your true potentialLocation
Grand Ballroom
Speaker
Michael Campbell
Strategic Executive Leader
SagePath Consulting Ltd.
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch and Marketplace
Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch
Meet & Greet & Shop with a room full of Vendors
Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch
Meet & Greet & Shop with a room full of Vendors
Location
Viking Suites
Breakout Sessions #1
01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session
Ground Level Insights & Harmony Marketing Present:
Leveraging Mobile Data: Unlocking Event Insights
Ground Level Insights & Harmony Marketing Present:
Leveraging Mobile Data: Unlocking Event Insights
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
Asif Khan
Founder & CEO
Ground Level Insights
Ground Level Insights
Victoria Mahoney
Marketing and Partnerships
Harmony Marketing
Harmony Marketing
01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session
Town of LaSalle
Large Events, Small Municipalities - How to Balance Facilitating both Internal and External Events
Town of LaSalle
Large Events, Small Municipalities - How to Balance Facilitating both Internal and External Events
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speaker
Jordyn Rafuse
Recreation Programmer of Events
Town of LaSalle
Town of LaSalle
01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session
Hillside Festival
Best practices of a strong volunteer program
Hillside Festival
Best practices of a strong volunteer program
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
Kate Johnston
Executive Director
Hillside Festival
Hillside Festival
01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Breakout Session
Landon Logie Events
How Festivals and Events Can Effectively Use A.I
Landon Logie Events
How Festivals and Events Can Effectively Use A.I
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
Landon Logie
Chief Executive Officer
Landon Logie Events
Landon Logie Events
02:15 PM - 02:30 PM
Coffee Break
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Enjoy a coffee, tea or cold beverage and network with friends
Location
Kitchener Suites Foyer
Breakout Sessions #2
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
T.B.D
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speaker
T.B.D
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
Supercrawl Productions
Street Festivals and Urban Events: Working with local business to form community partnerships
Supercrawl Productions
Street Festivals and Urban Events: Working with local business to form community partnerships
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
Lisa Larocca
Director of Operations
Supercrawl Productions
Supercrawl Productions
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
T.B.D
03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Break
Location
Speaker
Breakout Sessions #3
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
Event Safety Alliance
Synergy in Safety: Enhancing Occupational Health & Safety at Festivals and Events
Event Safety Alliance
Synergy in Safety: Enhancing Occupational Health & Safety at Festivals and Events
Location
Kitchener Suite 1
Speaker
Janet Sellery
Founder
Event Safety Alliance
Event Safety Alliance
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 2
Speaker
T.B.D
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 3
Speaker
T.B.D
03:30 PM - 04:15 PM
Breakout Session
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
T.B.D
Exciting session coming soon
Location
Kitchener Suite 4
Speaker
T.B.D
04:15 PM - 06:00 PM
Free Time
Unwind after a busy day or catch up with friends before dinner. Take a walk and explore the City.
Unwind after a busy day or catch up with friends before dinner. Take a walk and explore the City.
Location
Anywhere You Wish
06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Awards Gala Cocktail Reception
A great time to socialize and share experiences after a long day of education.
A great time to socialize and share experiences after a long day of education.
Location
Grand Ballroom Foyer
07:00 PM - 10:00 PM
FEO Celebrates The Blues
Welcome to the FEO Awards Gala where we recognize the best of the best and the Top 100 Festivals and Events in the Province. In addition to the awards, there will be an incredible on-line auction you can bid on and there will be a few Blues performances as well. It's gonna be an awesome night.
Welcome to the FEO Awards Gala where we recognize the best of the best and the Top 100 Festivals and Events in the Province. In addition to the awards, there will be an incredible on-line auction you can bid on and there will be a few Blues performances as well. It's gonna be an awesome night.
Location
Grand Ballroom
Live Entertainment
Live Blues Music
AMazing Blues Performers from the Kitchener Blues Fest
FEO Awards Gala
Celebrating the best of the best festivals and events
On-Line Silent Auction
Bid on your favourite items
10:30 PM - 01:00 AM
Hospitality Suite #2
We are close to announcing the theme and entertainment for the blowout bash to end the 2025 FEO Synergy Conference in Kitchener.
We are close to announcing the theme and entertainment for the blowout bash to end the 2025 FEO Synergy Conference in Kitchener.
Location
Viking Room