Connect with 4,650 HR & Business Professionals at Canada’s Largest HR Event!
HRPA’s 2020 Annual Conference & Trade Show is Canada’s largest HR event. Join us as we inspire thousands of HR managers & business professionals January 22–24, 2020 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building in Toronto.
Our renowned event features world-class keynotes, 75+ informative sessions on cutting-edge HR issues, and a 2-day trade show with more than 250 trade show exhibitors. It’s the most valuable business development opportunity in Canada to engage with thousands of HR & Business professionals who are interested in learning about the latest HR products and brands.
Ready to stand out as a leader in Canada’s biggest HR marketplace?
Sign up to become a sponsor.
2020 Trade Show Schedule
Move-In
Show Hours Day 1
Show Hours Day 2
Move Out
Sponsorship Opportunities
Raise your profile as an Industry Leader at Canada’s largest HR Conference & Trade Show
Enhance your brand reputation and stand out among your target market as an official HRPA Sponsor. We offer opportunities to help your company connect with HRPA members and conference attendees before, during and after the Annual Conference & Trade Show.
Sponsorships Include*:
Featured as a sponsor on all promotions
Link on HRPA conference website and acknowledgement as a sponsor
Booth space at the trade show (size TBD)
Featured as a sponsor on all relevant conference signage
Company logo displayed prominently on large screens at the event
Provided with the opportunity to place company logo on virtual floor plan
Company logo on mobile applications
Visibility on the HRPA Conference website in association with the
#HRPAAC hashtag
* Does not apply to à la carte sponsorships & advertising
Looking for a unique sponsorship opportunity? Contact us to tell us about your business goals. We’ll create a custom package just for you.
Keynote Sponsorships *
Wednesday Breakfast Keynote Lital Marom
Shaping The Future of Work: 21st Century Skills
The ever-growing gap between the skills people learn and the skills people need is becoming more obvious, as traditional learning falls short of equipping students with the knowledge they need to thrive, according to the World Economic Forum. So, what separates individuals with strong 21st century skills from individuals competing without these skills? How can we prepare young professionals to thrive in this new world that is unfolding?
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the foundation of the new world of work
- Hear about the critical skills required to succeed in the world of tomorrow
- Get inspired by examples of companies that embrace new learning and development systems
Wednesday Lunch Keynote Terry Hickey
How AI Will Keep the “Human” in HR
Many organizations, people, and jobs will be disrupted by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation within the next 5 years. We are all ill-equipped to start turning such disruption into competitive advantage. HR leaders must begin to embrace AI and automation now. Explore ideas on how HR can adopt AI and automation to improve quality and efficiency of HR processes. Terry will showcase examples of how AI can be leveraged to provide deeper people insights to enable HR leaders to keep the “human” in HR.
Learning Objectives
Learn about how AI will:
- Reduce human bias in recruitment and talent management
- Help develop talent and leadership
- Create new skills & roles with organizations
- Provide HR with data-driven decision-making capabilities to retain and grow talent
Wednesday Evening Keynote Mike Bayer
Best Self: The Freedom When You Know the Difference
Are you truly who you want to be? What can you change, today? Coach Mike has seen the amazing ways in which lives can improve with honesty and clarity. At any stage of life, each person has the power to grow and become the best versions of themselves personally and professionally. Hear Mike’s journey to finding his best self and gain insights from his impactful work that can be applied to your day-to-day role. Whether you are entry level or in the C-suite, you’ll gain the tools to overcome any roadblock.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the parts inside of you that keep you from living your best self
- Learn how to own and empower your best self at any age or career stage, as well as help others grow and embrace their best selves
- Discover how your best self vs. your anti-self can work through a task to handle a difficult workplace situation
Thursday Breakfast Keynote Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Beating your Bias
What assumptions do you have when you see a woman wearing a headscarf? Well, think again. In this funny, honest, and empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions and to open doors to new ways of supporting others. Yassmin will explore the concepts of unconscious bias and structural marginalization within societies and workplaces. In a lighthearted but incisive manner, she will illustrate how discrimination operates, what ways it ostracizes members of the group and what we as individuals and organizations can do about it.
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the unconscious biases that we all have
- Hear how our biases can be challenged as we learn new information
- Understand more about how societal biases can discriminate against an individual and the impact to HR
Thursday Lunch Keynote Todd Hirsch
What’s Ahead for the Canadian and Global Economies
How is the nature of employment changing, and what are the implications for workers and employers? This presentation will review projections for the next two years in the Canadian and global economies, and explain the key drivers to watch as developments unfold.
Learning Objectives
Enhanced understanding of the most important forces shaping the outlook and HR environment for firms in Canada.
Thursday Evening Keynote Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
Why Is It So Easy for Incompetent Men to Become Leaders?
Look around your office. Turn on the TV. Incompetent leadership is everywhere, and there’s no denying that most of these leaders are men. Why is it so easy for incompetent men to become leaders? And why is it so hard for competent people—especially competent women—to advance? Although men make up a majority of leaders, they underperform when compared with female leaders. In fact, most organizations equate leadership potential with a handful of destructive personality traits, like overconfidence and narcissism. When competent women—and men who don’t fit the stereotype—are unfairly overlooked, we all suffer the consequences. The result is a deeply flawed system that rewards arrogance rather than humility, and loudness rather than wisdom.
Learning Objectives
Discover what it really takes to lead and get actionable takeaways on how new systems and processes can help us put the right people in charge.
Friday Breakfast Keynote Christine Porath
Mastering Civility: Why Being Respectful to Your Coworkers is Good for Business
Christine Porath shows how you can enhance your influence and effectiveness with simple acts of civility. Based on research in nearly every industry and type of organization, this talk reveals the wealth of problems uncivil behaviours can produce. Get an eye-opening civility checkup as well as essential tools and actionable resources to turn civil behaviours into a daily practice for you and your organization. You’ll also get some much-needed advice on what to do if you are the target of incivility.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the costs of disrespect and the benefits of respect for you, your team, and organization
- Reflect on how respectful you are
- Learn about what you can do to enhance respect, trust, collaboration, communication, performance, safety, and influence
- Design more civil cultures where people thrive
Friday Lunch Keynote Adam Alter
Irresistible vs. Forgettable: Why Are Some Products, Services, Websites, Apps, and Ideas Irresistible, While Many Others Are Forgettable?
Why do people return to some ideas, products, experiences, and brands over and over again, while others fade from memory and interest almost immediately? Adam Alter investigates what separates the irresistible from the forgettable. The answers draw from a broad range of case studies and research—from as far afield as the world of video game design and television script writing to app design and digital advertising. The answers apply broadly to all forms of business, from online and digital product development to consumer sales, packaged goods, services, politics, medicine, and law. Why, for example, did Instagram succeed while Hipstamatic, a very similar earlier app, failed? Why do people play the lottery despite losing time and again and facing impossibly long odds? Should you release upbeat products when the economy is thriving or when times are tough? Alter answers these questions and more.
Learning Objectives
Understand the sharp divide between the instant sensation and the forgotten disaster.
* Please note that for all of the above Keynote Sponsorships, additional entitlements are included. Please enquire for more information.
Additional Sponsorships
Headshot Lounge
Offer event attendees the opportunity to get a professional-quality headshot taken in our Headshot Lounge.
Oxygen Bar Experience
A fun, short, recreational oxygen therapy session, this unique form of interactive entertainment leaves guests feeling revived and refreshed. The Oxygen Bar combines 95% pure oxygen with numerous aroma-therapy scents, guests breathe the enriched oxygen for 5–10 minutes while navigating through the various “flavours.” Headaches and fatigue will disappear after a session making this experience extremely popular!
Keys to the City Experience
The ultimate welcome gift, the Toronto Key to the City offers guests year-round savings and benefits among the best of Toronto restaurants, nightlife, spas, entertainment, sports, shops, hotels, services and more. With 3-city access for Toronto Keyholders, guests will enjoy benefits in Montreal and Vancouver too! Create a positive brand echo effect for the 2500 recipients of this Key to the City experience package as they recall your business every time they get VIP loyalty reward perks all year round. View the 300+ VIP perk partners associated with the Keys to the City Experience at https://torontocitykey.com/keyholder-perks/
Stainless Steel Straws
Refreshment Breaks
Held throughout the conference, the refreshment break offers attendees a chance to get something to drink and network with exhibitors between sessions.
Includes signage and your company logo on napkins.
Wednesday Official Lunch Sponsor
Additional entitlements included, please enquire for more information.
Wednesday Night Social Event
HRPA is proud to once again present the highly successful and anticipated social event. This event features complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Includes signage at bars, logo imprinted napkins and a signature mocktail.
Social Media Lounge
The Social Media Lounge will be the centre of social networking during the conference. Located in the pre-function area on the 700 level outside the sessions rooms. Additional entitlements included, please enquire.
Lanyards Sponsorship
This high-visibility sponsorship puts your company logo on the lanyards used for the official show badges. Additional entitlements, included please enquire.
Pens & Notepads
Attendees appreciate having a handy notepad & pen during the Annual Conference. Your logo will be imprinted on the notepads & pens given to all attendees in their conference bags and will be used even after the conference maximizing your visibility. Additional entitlements included please enquire.
Conference Bags
What better spotlight could your organization receive than imprinting your name and logo on the conference bag provided to every attendee at registration? Your exposure will endure when attendees bring their conference bag home.
Additional entitlements included please enquire.
Mobile App
Get your brand into the hands of nearly every attendee. Attendees are looking at the mobile app in advance of the conference to plan their schedules and read about speakers, and use it at the conference to network, explore the trade show, read announcements and receive updates on sessions and events. Includes 1 push notification to all attendees.
Wellness Area
The Wellness Area Title sponsorship aligns your brand with a variety of services like massages and manicures that help attendees relax, recharge and feel pampered.
Additional entitlements included, please enquire for more information.
Cellphone Charging Lounge
Nothing is worse than a drained cell phone battery! The cell phone charging station will allow attendees to give their phone a quick power boost. Charging stations will be branded with your company logo and placed in various areas around the Trade Show hall.
Water Bottles
Mark your brand on reusable water bottles distributed to attendees for filling at water stations throughout the conference & trade show area. Includes 2,500 bottles with one-colour logo & set-up. Additional entitlements included, please enquire.
Hotel Room Key Cards
Put your company logo on the hotel room keys of the attendees staying at all host hotels. Additional entitlements included, please enquire.
Session Sponsor
Additional entitlements included – please enquire for more information.
Customized Sponsor Package
All of the sponsorship packages can be tailored to suit your corporate needs. In addition to the packages offered, we would be happy to create a customized package that can address the specific needs of your organization. If you would like to showcase your organization in a unique fashion, please contact us.
Full Interior Page Ad in PDF Digital Program
Make an impact by purchasing advertising space in our PDF Digital Program. Downloaded as a PDF from our website from September until the conference, it’s a unique marketing opportunity to make a great impression on thousands of HR & business professionals for up to 5 months. Space is limited so reserve your advertising space today. Advertisements will be placed in order of receipt.
Ads are full colour and must be provided as actual size. Electronic format is preferred: print-ready PDF at 300 dpi resolution.
No refunds will be issued for ads not meeting the above conditions
À La Carte Sponsorship Opportunities
Attendee Bag Promotional Material
Postcard (5” x 7”)
Place your company’s postcard in the official conference bag and you’ll immediately get your message into the hands of every full conference attendee to maximize your on-site exposure. HRPA will include your supplied item(s) in each bag (material must be pre-approved by HRPA). Each sponsoring company is responsible for duplicating and shipping materials in time to be inserted.
All materials must be supplied to HRPA no later than January 8th, 2020.
8.5” x 11” Sheet
Place your company’s postcard in the official conference bag and you’ll immediately get your message into the hands of every full conference attendee to maximize your on-site exposure. HRPA will include your supplied item(s) in each bag (material must be pre-approved by HRPA). Each sponsoring company is responsible for duplicating and shipping materials in time to be inserted.
All materials must be supplied to HRPA no later than January 8th, 2020.
Booklet/Magazine
Place your company’s postcard in the official conference bag and you’ll immediately get your message into the hands of every full conference attendee to maximize your on-site exposure. HRPA will include your supplied item(s) in each bag (material must be pre-approved by HRPA). Each sponsoring company is responsible for duplicating and shipping materials in time to be inserted.
All materials must be supplied to HRPA no later than January 8th, 2020.
Promotional Item
Place your company’s postcard in the official conference bag and you’ll immediately get your message into the hands of every full conference attendee to maximize your on-site exposure. HRPA will include your supplied item(s) in each bag (material must be pre-approved by HRPA). Each sponsoring company is responsible for duplicating and shipping materials in time to be inserted.
All materials must be supplied to HRPA no later than January 8th, 2020.