INNOVATEwest (IW) features 6 key content summits. Each summit is carefully curated to showcase relevant and revolutionary content for tech and business leaders.
Note: Your Full Conference Pass will give you access to all Keynotes & Breakouts on all summits/streams.
INNOVATEwest is a multi-sector tech and innovation conference, designed by industry for industry. The conference features six summits under one roof: AI & Applications, Data & Analytics; The Human Experience; Digital Business Economy; Cybersecurity, Privacy & Trust and Start-Up/Scale-Up. This two-day “business first” conference merges ideas and strategies with tactical solutions that will inspire business and technology leaders.
AI is top of mind for every business leader. If you don’t embrace its power and opportunity, you won’t catch up. Determining how to navigate AI and incorporate it safely and ethically into business practices and alongside innovation is of the utmost importance for business leaders. This major theme will appear throughout INNOVATEwest as all business leaders are asking: What are the real-world applications of AI in my business?
Amassing large amounts of data is not enough – now more than ever companies need to understand what the data is actually saying versus what organizations want it to say. Gain insights from industry leaders, explore emerging trends, and learn how data tech advancements are shaping the future of businesses in the era of digital transformation.
Cybersecurity is highly dynamic, and the pace of change is daily. There’s never a dull moment in this industry if you’re not afraid to lean into change and be highly collaborative with your peers, partners and even competitors. But how do you ensure you assess all the risks and plan for a breach?
How technology intersects with humans is at the heart of innovation. Human-centered design plays a pivotal role in elevating our business practices, processes, efficiencies and overall value. Thinking ‘human first’ serves as a powerful catalyst that can enhance growth capabilities and connect us to a world of endless possibilities.
You’re only as strong as the foundation you build, and nothing is more true for early-stage and rapidly-scaling companies. We’ll dive into the challenges of funding, product fit, development and iteration, customer and talent acquisition, market expansion, leadership and more. We will uncover new ways to navigate the journey from start-up to scale-up – with the goal of sustainable growth.
The digital economy explores strategies and disruptive innovations that are changing e-commerce and digital marketing. We’ll see how new and exciting technology combined with data-driven insights and customer-centric approaches are driving growth internally and externally. Discover how fellow industry leaders are leveraging digital technologies and business models to revolutionize their industries.
The inaugural INNOVATEwest is heavily inspired by the following themes: Innovation, Growth, AI, and Sustainability. These key themes will impact all summits at the conference and serve as the north star for the content you’ll discover and the conversations you’ll engage in during your experience.
Innovation is not an indulgence for business and technology leaders. We hear from successful business leaders who embrace innovation in all forms to remain competitive globally.
Is it just tech or is it how businesses approach innovation? We hear first-hand from leaders as they share what innovation means to them.
How will AI, Web3, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Quantum computing etc., bring about a Fourth Industrial Revolution?
How forward-thinking business leaders can look at Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) opportunities to create positive impact while gaining a competitive edge.
How do you foster a culture of innovation within your organization that is seen and respected as a priority offering?
How can companies use emerging technology to create new or improved value for customers, employees and stakeholders?
Canadian companies are often plagued with structural issues hindering them from moving from start up to scale up and becoming the centaurs they aspire to be. We’ll hear the challenges, but more importantly the solutions for strengthening these phases, to ultimately be more attractive to investors.
The West has a long history of creating successful products, with many being acquired outside of the country. We’ll spotlight some of the most innovative in order to identify the traits that helped them excel.
What does the future of our work look like when AI can do the jobs we don’t want to do? What does this mean for senior leaders as they try to keep workers engaged and connected while protecting their company’s privacy?
Developing a growth mindset as a business leader is imperative to prioritize learning, development, innovation and improvement in business systems, company culture and the bottom line. We learn strategies to make this a company-wide priority.
Take in opposing viewpoints of newly-minted unicorns and historical legacy global businesses as they discuss the universal strategies that foster growth.
How are successful companies growing and what tactics can they utilize to continue scaling up while not losing ground?
If training AI data contains historical biases or reflects human prejudices, the AI can inadvertently learn and perpetuate those biases in its decision-making processes. How do we ensure AI algorithms are correctly implemented into design and development to ensure there is no discrimination or unfairness. How do we correct the past to be a more inclusive future.
How do you budget effectively and create a team specifically nimble for AI implementation when you don’t actually know what it is you are budgeting for? With new work portfolios, new positions, new titles and new reporting structures – setting up company infrastructures correctly and knowing who to hire is crucial to embracing this new paradigm without losing ground.
AI is incredibly creative. It can help us with efficiency. It can decipher the most complex data – saving millions of hours. It can enable us to be our better, more efficient productive selves. But what if AI becomes self-aware? What does the future hold for this powerful new world and how can we ensure it for good?
The pace in which AI technologies is moving is almost at warp speed. How do companies keep up the pace and stay current while incorporating this new technology and not become antiqued before they’ve even had a chance to onboard systems and processes?
What does AI regulation look like? How would this be seen in company structures and testing? How do enterprises stay up to date as AI continually learns on itself? How do you manage what you can’t measure?
What does change management look like with AI implementation? From Chat GPT to humanoid robotics – how do you ensure a transformational workplace where humans are still at the centre?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are no longer buzzwords but fundamental pillars of a thriving and innovative workplace. We’ll hear from leaders on the importance of DEI as a fabric of their infrastructure and how this has shaped their organizations for the better.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), has rapidly become a cornerstone of responsible business practices. How do corporations infuse ESG initiatives across their organizations in a lasting and authentic way and not get the reputation of greenwashing?
Barriers to the tech industry for diverse individuals can include systemic biases, unequal access to educational opportunities, limited representation in leadership roles, and the persistence of stereotypes. Understanding and proactively solving diversity divides will only strengthen a company’s ecosystem.
Learn how business leaders are leaning in to clean tech initiatives and elevating their customer base in the process.