ELO is pleased to announce that it will be holding its ELO Forums live and in-person in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto in November this year. This will be an opportunity for people to reconnect after about two years of Covid-restricted interaction. 

The main Forum theme is “Bridge-Building Leadership” (see recent blog post on this topic). Why? After two years of COVID, people have rarely been more polarized. As a result, there has hardly been a time with a greater need for bridge-building leadership. Here are five of the sources of polarization that create chasms in our society and workplaces: Government Reach; Concepts of Work; Generations; Inclusivity and Diversity; and Religions and Their Institutions  

How do we build bridges across these five chasms? The Forum will cover these issues, allow opportunity for discussion, and provide action items. We will highlight the faith and entrepreneurial journeys of successful marketplace leaders. There is an important role for bridge-building leadership which can inspire people with a vision of the common good. This will be the start of bridging the five chasms in a post-pandemic polarized world. The more successful leaders will reflect an ability to do just that. In each case, we are asking, "How can we become more effective bridge-building leaders?"  

This year’s Forums will provide a platform for conversation and mutual learning. It’s not only learning from panelists but fellow attendees as well. Attendees will have the opportunity to be engaged in discussions with speakers and tablemates and the spontaneous interaction during the breaks by the coffee station.  

What’s new? The Forums will incorporate many varied voices from the podium. We are integrating panel discussions to address the theme of the Forum. They will each consist of 2-4 panelists that represent marketplace leaders from across the community. We will incorporate time for table discussion and engagement with panelists and speakers. The Forums will take place in the afternoon (there will be no evening dinner component this year), allowing for ample time to connect with others.  

Who are the speakers and panelists? We will have 10-12 speakers and panelists at each Forum. So far, the list for Toronto includes Doug Nix, President, Stillwater Capital; Harold Reinders, President, Maple Reinders; Chris Spanjaard, COO, Purolator Inc.; Rob Wildeboer, Executive Chairman, Martinrea Inc.; and Diane Craig, President and Founder, Corporate Class Inc. The list for Vancouver includes Graham Carter, Principal, Vertex Developments; Paul Fast, Founding Partner, Fast + Epp Structural Engineers; Dale Lutz, Co-Founder, Safe Software;  and Joo Kim Tiah, President, Holborn Inc. Winnipeg speakers are still to be announced.   

The Forums build on a track record of success dating back to 2005. The ELO Forums succeed due to the collective effort of ELO advisory board members, sponsors, table hosts, supporting organizations, volunteers, and ELO staff. In 2020 and 2021, the ELO Forums were held successfully as online events. This year we are back to live and in-person events. 

Further details regarding the dates, venues, and costs will be released shortly.