From September 8 to 10, 2026, Destination Canada brought together a select group of senior international association and corporate leaders to Québec City for Innovate Canada, an invitation-only program built around a simple idea: where an event takes place can shape what that event makes possible.
This year’s program focused on digital industries and applied technology, with international leaders from organizations including Google, Informa, IEEE Communications Society, INFORMS, and Women in Tech Global engaging directly with Canadian expertise in artificial intelligence, quantum, cybersecurity, telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.
Collectively, these leaders represented millions of dollars in potential business events revenue for Canada and included professionals from some of the world’s most influential conferences, industry gatherings and executive forums. Their decisions influence where future international events are hosted, where partnerships are formed and where innovation ecosystems are showcased.
Over three days, participants experienced the ecosystem through curated technology visits, conversations with Canadian innovators and sector leaders, and one-to-one connections with representatives from Canada’s seven participating technology hubs. In Québec City, the program included experiences with OMY Laboratoires, OPTEL Group and Lü Interactive, demonstrating how Canadian companies are applying technology across very different industries.
“Innovate Canada is about more than showing event leaders where they can meet; it’s about demonstrating what becomes possible when the right people, expertise and place come together,” said Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada. “By connecting business events directly with the innovation happening across Canada, we can provide access to people, ideas and experiences that can strengthen programming, inspire fresh perspectives and create meaningful connections and opportunities that extend well beyond the event itself.”
Destination Canada was joined by seven Canadian technology hubs — Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec City — each bringing business events and sector expertise to the program and connecting clients with the people, ideas and opportunities within Canada’s broader innovation ecosystem.
Cameron Schuler, Chief Commercialization Officer and Vice President, Industry Innovation at the Vector Institute, joined Innovate Canada as a sector expert, providing perspective on Canada’s technology ecosystem and the translation of research into real-world applications.
“Innovate Canada was a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when world-class events connect with a world-class ecosystem,” said Schuler. “Going deep into Canada’s strengths in AI, quantum, and cybersecurity with global leaders reinforced how Canada’s research, and the translation of that research into applications, shape the conversations that matter most.”
Business events are an important economic driver for Canada, but their value extends beyond delegate spending. They bring global decision-makers, expertise and investment potential directly into Canadian communities, creating opportunities for Canadian businesses and researchers to build international relationships and for global organizations to connect with Canadian innovation.
Business events are an important economic driver for Canada, but their value extends beyond delegate spending. They bring global decision-makers, expertise and investment potential directly into Canadian communities, creating opportunities for Canadian businesses and researchers to build international relationships and for global organizations to connect with Canadian innovation.
Rather than simply showcasing Canada as a place to meet, Innovate Canada demonstrated how the environment surrounding a conference can strengthen its content, connect delegates to new expertise and create opportunities for collaboration, research, trade and investment that extend well beyond the event itself.
Innovate Canada Takeaways: 1. Canada is not one tech hub or one technology story — it is a connected ecosystem of innovation.
Across Canada, distinct technology hubs bring together world-class research, talent, companies, entrepreneurs and institutions in areas including AI, quantum, cybersecurity, robotics, digital media and applied technologies. Canada’s differentiator is not simply the depth of expertise, but the collaboration and connections between people, disciplines and sectors.
2. For a technology event, the ecosystem around the conference matters.
Choosing a destination isn’t only about getting delegates there and finding the right venue. The right host ecosystem can give an association or corporation access to researchers, innovators, companies, talent and new perspectives that strengthen its program and create value for its community. A conference can become a catalyst for collaboration, investment, research, talent and relationships that continue long after the event.
3. Canada offers the combination of intellectual capital and sense of place that can make an event both valuable and memorable.
Canada offers sophisticated innovation ecosystems alongside distinctive communities, cultures and landscapes. When those elements are intentionally brought into an event, people don’t simply attend a conference in Canada — they connect with the place, with each other and with new ideas. That’s the opportunity to meet with purpose and offer a fresh perspective.
