91st Ottawa Conference | March 9th-10th 2023

The Ottawa Conference on Security & Defence is an annual event held at the Chateau Laurier since 1932. Last year, thanks to its new hybrid model, the Ottawa Conference had 2,000 registered guests and achieved a peak audience of 150,000 online viewers from around the world. It is by far the largest security & defence conference in Canada. People in the room include Senators, Members of Parliament, senior public servants from 20 different government departments and agencies, foreign dignitaries, as well as a very large delegation from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence including many General and Flag Officers.

In Person: $575

Virtual: $95

DND/CAF registration is now closed.

WHY ATTEND?

Meet the decision-makers. Engage with a community of thought leaders in defence & security.

Gain geostrategic insight for better informed future business decisions.

Gather the timeliest expert threat analysis and understanding of technological developments.

Showcase your products and solutions by purchasing an exhibitor table.

DISCUSSION TOPICS

OVERVIEW

This year, Canada took many clear first steps on how it is going to engage in the world so that we can help support rules and institutions that are fundamental to the success of middle powers with democratic values, caught up in a storm of great power competition. From the Indo-Pacific Strategy to the upcoming Defence Policy Update, as well as announcements on NORAD modernization and the acquisition of a new generation of fighter jets, Canada is posturing itself to be at the decision-making table. This is a good first step, but the world can shift fast, and readiness is extremely difficult, especially in times of inflation, ineffective military procurement, and how difficult it is to recruit and retain members of the CAF against the backdrop of full employment and internal cultural issues.

The challenges keep coming. We’ve only seen the first waves of destabilization. Climate change is thawing the Arctic and burning the tropics, creating new oceanic choke points, energy crises, and massive waves of migration. The Freedom Convoy, the Capitol Hill riot, and the recent storming in Brasilia are important reminders of how misinformation, social media, cryptocurrencies, the Dark Net and crowdfunding are an explosive cocktail that can be easily manipulated and be leveraged towards anti-democracy sentiments. New surveillance and communications technologies seem to give tyrants a new lease on their tight hold of power. Meanwhile, the ramping up of naval power and nuclear stockpiles by the Chinese Communist Party alongside a growing network of economically dependent, vassalized states from the Pacific Isles to the heart of Africa, is shifting the geostrategic context dramatically.

Canada needs to be ready. Conversations about our national security and strategic interests require input from a whole of society perspective if we are going to uncover a workable consensus on the way forward. This is why our conference brings together government, industry and academia for a deep dive into many areas in which we must put our collective minds and energy together.