Below are list of 2009 Speakers please check back often as we update for 2010.
Keynote Speakers

Honourable Diane Ablonczy, appointed Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) on October 30, 2008, was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 and re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008. She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance in February 2006. Ms. Ablonczy has also served as Chief Opposition Critic for Citizenship and Immigration, for Health, and for Human Resources Development.

 

Before she entered public life, Ms. Ablonczy obtained teaching and law degrees from the University of Calgary. She taught elementary grades and, later, junior high school English. Ms. Ablonczy's career as a businesswoman included managing a grain farm operation, as well as building a successful law practice.

Ms. Ablonczy grew up in several communities throughout Alberta. She is married to Ron Sauer and has one daughter, four stepchildren and three grandchildren. 

TONY CHAPMAN - FOUNDER & CEO, CAPITAL C

Tony Chapman is the founder and CEO of Capital C, a creative and technology powerhouse servicing blue chip clients throughout the world.  The first non-mass agency to win Marketing Magazine’s coveted Agency of the Year, their creativity has garnered over 60 Gold and Best of Show Awards in the past 48 months.  Capital C was the agency behind Bridizella, one of the most successful social media campaigns every unleashed.  Their $3,000 viral video hijacked pop culture globally, for over three weeks, and was subsequently featured in documentaries in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

 

A leader in the industry, Chapman is one of the youngest individuals to be inducted in the Marketing Hall of Legends, and his opinions on consumerism, brand building, social media and business strategy, make him a sought after guest and frequent contributor to national television, radio and newspaper.

CHEF DAVID ADJEY - FOOD NETWORK CELEBRITY CHEF

David Adjey may be best known for his star turn on Restaurant Makeover, the hit show where he reinvents struggling restaurants, helping owners revive their menus and, often, their sense of hope. The transformative insight -- and the sheer joy and fun he brings to each business--could not come from a more qualified person.

A global soul, Adjey is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has apprenticed with master chefs in Italy, was named Best New Chef in California by Frommers, ran a top kitchen in New York, owned his won acclaimed restaurant, competed on Iron Chef America, and was the personal chef to Dan Aykroyd, who calls him "a genius culinary talent." Adjey has also starred in his own Absolut Ad, appeared on The Tonight Show, and written a bestselling book, Deconstructing the Dish. His new series, Restaurant 101 with David Adjey, to debut in 2009, will air throughout North America, making him the only Canadian Food Network star with his own hour show. 
 

THE HONOURABLE PERCY A. PARIS
The Hounourable Percy Paris started out in Windsor, Nova Scotia. His education took him to Saint Mary’s University and DalhousieUniversity where he received his Bachelor of Arts. Minister Paris also attended KingsCollege for post-secondary education. Prior to Minister Paris’s political career, he was employed as Professor and Director of Dalhousie University’s Diversity Initiative. He is the president and majority owner of an investment and holding company and a former hockey scout with the International Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Being first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2006 and re-elected in 2009 has kept him busy. His list of political responsibilities include: the Minister of Economic and Rural Development, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, the Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs, the Minister responsible for Nova Scotia Business Incorporated, the Minister responsible for the Heritage Property Act, the Minister responsible for the Innovation Corporation Act, not to mention MLA for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, his home constituency.  Minister Paris likes to spend his spare time with his wife, two sons, and daughter. 

DANNY MORTON - CHAIR, TIANS
Mr. Danny Morton is the General Manager of White Point Beach Resort and has been with the company for over 20 years. He has been involved in the tourism Industry throughout his life starting with a family business early on and completing his Hotel Management Degree Program at GeorgeBrownCollege in Toronto as well as a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in French from Université Ste Anne. Mr. Morton’s many volunteer involvements have included community development, cultural and tourism related organizations. He is a past president of the South Shore Tourism Association and currently a member of the Marketing Committee for the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership representing Nova Scotia’s interest in marketing decisions.  He is a strong supporter of human resource development achieving the Property Recognition for maintaining 70% certified staff at his property.  Danny Morton currently serves as Chair of TIANS.

John is the Executive Director of the Tourism Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. John has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary's University and a MBA from Dalhousie University both in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After a period in pharmaceutical sales and with the Canadian Forces, John returned to University for his graduate degree and then began a new career in market research, joining the Department in that capacity in 1990. He was the Department's first direct marketing officer and launched the first Provincial Tourism Marketing web site. In the late nineties, John joined the Department's management team, overseeing research and strategic planning. In 2001 he became the Director of Marketing and Planning with the Tourism Division and was responsible for advertising, literature, on-line marketing, the Customer Contact Center (Check-In), literature distribution and the Provincial Visitor Information Centers (VICs). John was appointed to his current position in July, 2008.

A recognized leader in Canada's tourism industry, Randy Williams has served as the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) since 2002. A veteran of more than four decades in Canada’s travel and tourism industry, Randy has an extensive and varied background, including 25 years experience in hotel management, human resource development and education, tourism planning and destination marketing.  Previous to his work at TIAC, Randy served as the President of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), which he helped transform into an integrated national trade organization. He also served as the first President and CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan, where he was the leading force behind restructuring the organization into an innovative private-public partnership model for tourism marketing at the provincial level, the first such initiative in Canada.

Wendy Swedlove - President, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council
Wendy Swedlove is the President of the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council. The Council brings together business, labour, national industry associations, provincial tourism human resource organizations, education and government. The Council’s mandate is to co-ordinate human resource development activities that will support a globally competitive and sustainable Canadian tourism industry, and is currently focussed on understanding and addressing critical labour shortages. 

 

Prior to taking up her position with the Council, Mrs. Swedlove spent eight years with Tourism Canada, now known as the Canadian Tourism Commission. She is also the proud recipient of the “Champion of Education & Training” Award, the 2000 “Gold Award” from the Ontario Hostelry Institute, and the 2000 Industry Recognition Award from the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education.

CHRIS MORRISSEY - CEO, HALIFAX 2011 CANADA GAMES 
2,700 athletes. 5,000 volunteers. 20 sports. 10,000 visitors. Our country’s best and brightest will set their sights on Halifax as we host the 2011 Canada Winter Games from February 11-27 2011.  Chris Morrissey is the driving force behind the Games management team and is responsible for the overall planning, organization, and staging of the 2011 Games, in accordance with the objectives, policies, and plans approved by the Board of Directors.  Chris has been involved with many multi-sport events in Canada and abroad, ranging from the Pan American Games to Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Chris has also been involved with five Canada Games, serving as General Manager for the first Canada Games held north of 60, in Whitehorse, Yukon (2007).  Chris made the move from Whitehorse to make Halifax his permanent home, with his wife and two young boys (future Olympians!). 

What will Chris bring to the 2011 Games? An inspired vision to make these Games memorable for all Nova Scotians. And a two-year supply of chocolate. 

GRANT MACDONALD - GENERAL MANAGER, MAJOR EVENTS, TRADE CENTRE LTD.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - CANADIAN SPORT TOURISM ALLIANCE
Since 2006, Grant MacDonald has served as the General Manager of Major Events for Trade Centre Limited.  Prior to joining Trade Centre Limited, MacDonald was the owner and operator of a consulting business (TEAMS Consulting) which provided strategic and tactical level services to provincial and national sport organizations plus provincial government agencies.  Some highlight projects included senior contract positions on both the 2003 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and the 2004 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship, both of which set new standards for success in Canada and worldwide.  MacDonald has had a long affiliation in sport, at the amateur, university and professional levels having worked with several provincial sport organizations plus in professional baseball.  He was a scout with the Toronto Blue Jays from 1993 through 2001, including being a member of the organization’s 1993 World Series Championship team.  Grant currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.  


JANICE RUDDOCK - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TASTE OF NOVA SCOTIA AND MANAGING DIRECTOR WINERY ASSOCIATION
Janice Ruddock is currently the Executive Director of Taste of Nova Scotia and the Managing Director of the Winery Association. The opportunity to market the fresh, well prepared foods of Nova Scotia along with the quality wines of Nova Scotia laid on the backdrop of the beautiful scenery of Nova Scotia has Janice in what she describes “as the best job in the world”. Janice graduated from University of Guelph and came from Southern Ontario 22 years ago, saw all that Nova Scotia had to offer and knew she could never go back!

MARY KILFOIL - GARDNER PINFOLD CONSULTING ECONOMISTS LTD.
Mary Kilfoil, Ph.D., Senior Economist at Gardner Pinfold Consulting Economists Limited, leads the project team for the design and construction of the updated Nova Scotia Tourism Economic Impact Model (TEIM) to produce key tourism expenditure statistics and generate economic impact estimates related to the Nova Scotia tourism industry. She has over 20 years' consultancy experience and a strong academic and economic research background. Her academic specialization in economics is in the field of econometrics and economic modeling.  Dr. Kilfoil has designed and built impact and simulation models and is well-versed in the conceptual and methodological issues involved and complexities of data collection and manipulation. Her understanding of economic impact models is reflected in her role as principal analyst in developing the highly-regarded previous Nova Scotia Tourism Economic Impact Model (TEIM) and use of economic models for socio-economic impact assessment. Dr. Kilfoil has also been the Project Manager or principal analyst on several related suited including the Economic Impacts of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sectors, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), the Canadian Cruise Ship Economic Impact Study, the Port of Halifax Impact Study. and the Economic Impact Of Military Flight Training In Labrador And Northeastern Quebec. She also teaches courses at the Department of Economics and the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. 

RYAN BRAIN - PARTNER, DELOITTE
Ryan Brain is a Partner at Deloitte and leads the firm’s Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure (THL) practice in Canada.  Ryan has led a number of complex and high-profile projects with leading Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure organizations across Canada and globally.  He has worked with casinos, restaurants, hotels / inns, provincial and federal governments, and many other public and private organizations in the industry.  His clients include Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Ministry of Tourism in Ontario, Transport and Industry Canada, Ontario Lottery and Gaming, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, ALM Airlines, and many others.  Ryan is a frequent author and speaker on many leading industry topics.  He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and has his Masters of Management Science (MMSc) from the University of Waterloo.


PHIL OTTO - PRESIDENT & CEO, REVOLVE
Phil Otto is President and CEO of Revolve, a Halifax-based 360º branding firm with clients across Canada, in the US and Bermuda. A student of branding, Phil's passion is brand articulation and helping organizations understand the connection between a strong brand and corporate culture, employee behaviour and core values.

Named one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEO's, Phil is frequently quoted in national and local publications, guest lectures on branding at business schools, and speaks across Canada on the power of branding in business. Phil believes in getting to the brand essence of every client before pencil hits paper and his commitment to background research ensures the heart and soul of every client shines through.


JANE SHKOLNIK - DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY, REVOLVE
As Revolve’s newest recruit, Jane brings with her senior digital marketing experience in strategy, user experience, branded content, social media, web development, eCRM, eCommerce, online media, SEO/SEM, and mobile. Armed with a MBA in Strategic Marketing, as well as a strong background in advertising and brand research, Jane ensures that digital initiatives are on-brand, on-strategy, and inline with the rapid growth of the online channel. Jane has worked on brands such as Ford of Canada, Nissan North America, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Eli Lilly, Rogers, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, MasterCard, Citibank, Scotiabank, Sirius Satellite Radio,Lavalife, Marc Anthony, and Adidas.

atlantic cruise ship services
Atlantic Cruise Ship Services has been providing superior shore excursions for some of the world's top cruise lines since 1962.  Atlantic Cruise Ship Service is one of the largest shore excursion operators in Atlantic Canada, handling more than 220 ships per year representing over 120,000 passengers in 8 different ports.  Atlantic Cruise Ship Services is owned by Maritime Travel Inc, which has been named one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies each year for the past 10 years and is now recognized with Platinum Club status.

JONATHAN FOSTER - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GROS MORNE INSTITUTE
Jonathan Foster is the Executive Director of the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism (GMIST) located in Rocky Harbour, NL.   GMIST is dedicated to advancing the quality and success of Atlantic Canadian tourism operators through an array of training programs. Jonathan has been working in the field of experiential based product development for the past twelve years in Atlantic Canada. Most recently he has worked with communities around Nova Scotia to identify and develop marketable experiential tourism products.

Thomas Mcguire - President, T.M. SOLUTIONS Inc
Thomas Mcguire is the President of T.M. SOLUTIONS Inc. where he specializes in economic analysis, program evaluation, and qualitative and quantitative research. Over the past 14 years Thomas has worked on more than 40 tourism related projects, from business and feasibility analyses to public sector program evaluations. Most recently, Thomas managed team of consultants through a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of golf in Canada. The nation-wide study was a first of its kind for the Canadian Golf Industry. The study was sponsored by the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA), a national golf organization that includes the Canadian Professional Golfers Association and the Royal Canadian Golf Association among its members. Thomas also conducted an economic impact analysis of the 2007 Tall Ships Festivals, evaluating the impact from non-Nova Scotian Visitor Spending, and he evaluated a web-based customer satisfaction survey tool used by campground operators and fixed roof accommodations providers to monitor client satisfaction. Thomas is currently working on an evaluation of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation's Festival and Events program, as well as finalizing the economic impact of Tall Ships 2009 for the Waterfront Development Corporation Limited. Thomas has a Master of Arts (Economics) and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Dalhousie University.

TANYA JOHNSON - INTERNET MARKETING OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND HERITAGE
Tanya Johnson is the Internet Marketing Officer with the Department of Tourism, Culture & Heritage. Tanya has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with a Major in Marketing and Human Resource Management from Saint Mary's University. Tanya has worked in traditional and online marketing roles for giftware, marketing, and technology companies. She joined the Department in 2004 and is responsible for managing the provincial tourism website, novascotia.com and the Department's online marketing programs.