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

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The info below is from last year.

 

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

War in Ukraine| Indo-Pacific | Readiness | Arms Control | NORAD | Energy Security | NATO | Great Power Competition | Crypto

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.

The detailed agenda will be shared mid-February. Please subscribe to our newsletter (top right hand corner) to stay informed. 

MORE SPEAKERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Hon. Anita Anand

Minister of National Defence

General Wayne Eyre

Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces

State Secretary Siemtje Möller

Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defense, Germany

Admiral Christopher W. Grady

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, USA

Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk

President, Inuit Circumpolar Council

Hon. Peter MacKay

Former Minister of National Defence

Hon. David Pratt

Former Minister of National Defence

Jill Hruby

Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the NNSA

Jody Thomas

National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA) to the Prime Minister of Canada

John F.G. Hannaford

Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada

General Glen D. VanHerck

Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command

Lieutenant-General Frances Allen

Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces

Wendy Gilmour

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment

Representative Harry Ho-jen Tseng

Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada

Sarah Paquet

Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC).

Rafael Mariano Grossi

Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency

Amb. Deborah Lyons

Former UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, CDA Institute Honorary Board Member

Ambassador Jerry Matjila

Former Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations

Ambassador Juan José Gómez Camacho

Former Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations

Vice Admiral (Ret'd) Girish Luthra

Former Commander-in-Chief of Western Naval Command, Indian Navy

VAdm (Ret'd) Mark Norman

Former Commander of the Canadian Navy, CDA Vice-Chair

MGen Lise Bourgon

Acting Commander, Military Personnel Command, Canadian Armed Forces

Cara Salci

Vice President, Strategy & Government Relations, Thales Canada

Jessica Davis

Insight, President and Principal Consultant

Sue Ling Yip

Partner, Consulting and Financial Crimes, KPMG

Dr. Thomas Juneau

Associate Professor, University of Ottawa

Kerry Buck

Former Canadian Ambassador to NATO, CDA Institute Board Member

VAdm (Ret'd) Darren Hawco

Former Chief of Force Development, CDA Institute Board Member

Dr. Stefanie Von Hlatky

Queen's University, CDA Institute Board Member

Gordon Venner

Former Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of National Defence, CDA Institute Board Member

Col. (Ret'd) Charles Davies

Former Director of Strategic Planning for DND’s Materiel Group, CDA Institute Fellow

LGen (Ret'd) Guy Thibault

Former Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Chairman of the Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute

Dr. Youri Cormier

Executive Director of the CDA Institute and Adjunct Professor at the Royal Canadian Military College

Premier Partner

Strategic Partners

Operational Partners

 

Support Provided By

 

 

Media Partner

 

 

 

Exhibitors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Conference Rates

Book your accommodations at the beautiful
Fairmont Chateau Laurier, site of the Ottawa Conference. Special conference rates available for a limited time.

Business Opportunities

For information on in-person attendance and bulk ticket pricing please contact
Jennifer Giguere, Director of Operations at jennifer@cdainstitute.ca

The Ottawa Conference Exhibitions will provide our tabletop exhibitors the opportunity to meet with attendees over the 2 day in-person conference during morning opening networking sessions, health breaks, luncheons, and the Ottawa Conference Reception. Receive complimentary registrations, onsite visibility, access to consent to share lists*, private exhibitor meeting room, and opportunity for airing of your promotional video to our global online audience. Space is limited.

Contact Jennifer Giguere, at jennifer@cdainstitute.ca for further details and to confirm your exhibit space.

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