FBO Annual Conference

SOLD OUT!

Contact Jason Crawford for any questions at jcrawford@foodandbeverageontario.ca.

MAY 28th, 2025

Time: 11:00 am – 6:30 pm

Location: Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3M9

With Trump’s “America-first” turbulent and protectionist trade policy now in play, Ontario’s food and beverage businesses are facing a high degree of risk and uncertainty in cross-border trade. But within this disruption lies opportunity; a chance not just to react but to adapt, evolve, and grow stronger. Through these current challenges, it’s become clear that productivity and innovation are just as critical as trade diversification in securing the sector’s future. Improving efficiency, embracing automation, and rethinking how we operate are no longer optional – they’re essential.

The Food and Beverage Ontario Annual Conference at Steam Whistle Brewery will explore how companies can harness technology and smart process design to not only weather current challenges but also stay competitive and lead into the future. In an evolving global market, innovation isn’t just about what we make — it’s about how we make it, how efficiently we operate, and how strategically we position ourselves to compete. Now more than ever, adapting to change means embracing smarter, faster, and more resilient ways of doing business.

After the speaker sessions, join us for a two-hour networking reception where you can catch up with colleagues from the industry, make new connections, and enjoy great appetizers, Ontario craft wines, and locally brewed Steam Whistle Pilsner.

Let’s turn disruption into opportunity! We hope you can join us.

Members: $495

Non-members: $795

We are thrilled to have four exceptional speakers at this year’s conference:

Speakers

Benjamin Tal

Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC World Markets Inc.

Mr. Tal is responsible for analyzing economic developments and their implications for North American fixed income, equity, foreign exchange and commodities markets. He also acts in an advisory capacity to bank officers on issues related to wealth management, household/corporate credit and risk.

Well-known for his ground-breaking published research on topics such as labour market dynamics, real estate, credit markets, international trade and business economic conditions, Mr. Tal not only contributes to the conversation, but frequently sets the agenda.

He has close to 20 years’ experience in the private sector advising clients, industry leaders, corporate boards, trade associations, and governments on economic and financial issues.

National and global media regularly seek him out for his insight and analysis on economic issues that impact financial markets, consumers, corporations and public policy. He is also a frequent lecturer in the economic programs of various Canadian universities.

Chantal Hébert

National Affairs Columnist, Toronto Star, Panelist, CBC, At Issue

Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer with the Toronto Star and a guest columnist for L’Actualité. She is a weekly participant on the political panel at Issue on the CBC’s The National as well as Radio-Canada’s Les Coulisses du pouvoir on television and Gravel le matin on Montreal radio.

Ms Hébert began her career in Toronto as a reporter for the regional newsroom of Radio-Canada in 1975 before moving on to Parliament Hill for Radio-Canada radio. She has served as parliamentary bureau chief for Le Devoir and La Presse.

Dan Breznitz

Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, University of Toronto

Dan Breznitz is a University Professor and Munk Chair of Innovation Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy with a cross-appointment in the Department of Political Science of the University of Toronto. At the University, he is also the Co-Director of the Innovation Policy Lab and a Senior Fellow of Massey College.

He is a fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advance Research CIFAR, where he co-created and now serves as the Co-Director of the program on Innovation, Equity and the Future of Prosperity (IEP) a radical multidisciplinary program spanning the humanities, law, social science, and engineering, in a common aim to develop a new interdisciplinary sub-field.

Breznitz is known worldwide as an expert on rapid-innovation-based industries and their globalization, as well as for his pioneering research on the distributional impact of innovation policies. He has been a member of several boards, and has served as an advisor on science, technology, and innovation policies to multinational corporations, governments, and international organizations. He served as his country as the Clifford Clarke Economist (the top external adviser) of the federal Canadian Department (Ministry) of Finance during 2021-22, where he was responsible for new economic thinking on the restructuring of the Canadian economy, including the creation of new agencies.

Darrell Bricker

CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs

Political analyst and demographic trends speaker Darrell Bricker is an expert on public opinion, offering audiences an invaluable peek into the future. His presentations are custom-made for your group, combining deep knowledge, powerful insights and a dash of humour.

As the CEO of the public opinion research firm IPSOS Public Affairs, he has his finger on the pulse of Canada. He co-authored Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline, a cautionary tale about looming worldwide demographic shifts and the impact they will have on our economy, social programs and government. In his presentations, he demonstrates how organizations will be dramatically affected by changes with elections and to the consumer and labour markets.

For additional details about the 2025 conference, contact Jason Crawford at jcrawford@foodandbeverageontario.ca.

Thank you to our 2025 sponsors!

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