Collision Tech Conference@ENERCARE CENTRE,-Mon., JUNE 26-Thursday.,June 29, 2023

By Sally Warburton

June 26 – 28, 2023 was the 3rd in-person Collision Conference in Toronto. And it has grown… massively! The 3 day international tech conference was a very, very busy hive of activity! Learning, networking and promoting every type of tech business from every corner of the world. From the minute it started to the seconds before it ended, the Collision Conference was non-stop. Held at the Enercare Centre in downtown Toronto over 10 stages set up throughout the Enercare Centre held talks, panel discussions and Q & A. This year’s Collision Conference focus was AI – Artificial Intelligence. Anything you wanted to learn, to discuss, to use, it was all there for you. In addition to the full Enercare Centre, the Beanfield Centre just across the road held many of the talks in the rooms on the 2nd floor area. Start-ups pitching their business was a big focus. Businesses could pay to have their booth for one day of the conference – creating lots of awareness of their businesses. Excellent way to promote.

Co-founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave was seen throughout the venue (easily seen due to his height!) and spoke at several stages.

Highlights included on Tuesday – In Conversation with Adam Selipsky CEO of Amazon Web Services on Centre Stage. Citizenship Ceremony for 5 new Canadians with Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser and Judge Tremblay. Audience attendees got to watch and participate in the bilingual ceremony by singing O Canada, repeating vows and congratulating the new citizens. Amazing experience!

Wednesday had an emphasis on sports, with Canadian Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak giving both a discussion on big stage and a more intimate Q&A on smaller stage. Sports Branding with David Meltzer. Kris Versteeg – From Ice to Innovation – interviewed by Kayla Grey. Two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis – The State of Collectibles in 2023 on the SportsTrade Stage.NFL linebacker of the Arizona Cardinals-Kelvin Beachum,an advocate for ending domestic and worldwide hunger, along with providing access to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math in underserved communities.NBA champion Shane Battier and Fount founder, Andrew Herr, as they showcase how optimized health and performance. NFL player from the New England Patriots-Ju-Ju Smith Shuster with CEO Michael Vela of World Champion Fantasy-The hybrid evolution of esports and fantasy sports leagues.Q&A with Vancouver’s Mayor Ken Sim. And for the travellers. Tar Bunch and Naba Banerjee of AIRBNB – Safe Travels: Building Trust at Airbnb. Shopify and the future of Commerce with Kaz Nejatian (Shopify) and Kia Kokalitcheva (Axios). To add to this action filled day – In Conversation with the Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton (University of Toronto), Nick Thompson (The Atlantic)

Thursday’s workshops included recruitment, team-building, design, attracting and retaining top talent, well-being at work, financial, time is money, cybersecurity, climate solutions hosted by World Wildlife Fund. Q&A with Phil Wiser, Executive of Paramount Global. Book-signing by Mustafa Suleyman. TikTok sensation Michael Le on how to engage viewers and what makes a video pop on TikTok platform. Musician, Raine Maida of the Canadian band, Our Lady Peace, and Drrops – the importance of owning data, the value of direct-to-fan interaction.

Colleges and Universities were there with their booths as were different cities in Ontario, Canada and other countries. Excellent way of promoting and advertising. Every booth and kiosque were busy – constantly.

For attendees Food Truck alley with a wide variety of food was set up on the street between Enercare and Beanfield Buildings. In the evenings of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday there were huge organized outdoor events enjoyed by all (thank you to the great weather!) at Grand Bizarre on CNE grounds, The Distillery and Stackt. These provided even more opportunity to network and connect while exploring different parts of downtown Toronto. It was all fantastic! An amazing learning and connecting experience.