As a futurist, Jim Bottomley looks at trends with a unique spin. Whereas some futurists specialize in demographics, social or technical trends, Bottomley is able to combine trend categories, believing real insight into innovation comes from trend convergence. Bottomley will provide insight into global trends affecting the future of our organizations, reflecting likely changes to the workplace, service delivery, client and stakeholder expectations, and impact on future success strategies. The result will be to develop greater awareness of trends, issues and opportunities and to better enable managers to lead change successfully, and to work with their teams more effectively in future.

Often major change initiatives go wrong for organizations. Bottomley examines the conditions that produce the best results, looking at the latest ways to improve workplace culture and initiate positive change. Bottomley combines humour, high-energy and practical solutions to make the future less threatening and ideas for future actions more innovative. He will have you looking at your organizations’s future in a completely fresh way by the end of his address.

One of Canada’s foremost futurists, Jim Bottomley has been a management consultant for over 20 years, and is also a successful entrepreneur. Working within many sectors including manufacturing, insurance, education and government, he presents innovative strategies that cross boundaries and achieve outstanding leaps in productivity and performance. Bottomley is currently a partner in the Breken Group. He previously managed marketing programs for well-known brands such as Life Cereal, and launched new products from Kibbles ‘n Bits to specialized fiberglass.

Since he joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the organization’s first Chief Executive Officer in 2005, fans have seen notable changes on and off the field. Hopson’s focus on creating excellence in all areas of the organization has already reaped results in the winning of the Grey Cup in 2007, and a Grey Cup appearance in 2009.

Hopson has not only created a stable championship football team on the field, he has developed a strong business that continues to earn record profits. His leadership has garnered much praise for the organization. During his tenure, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have received Paragon Awards for both marketing and community involvement, were named one of Saskatchewan’s top 100 companies in 2008, and Hopson himself was named by Saskatchewan Business Magazine as one of the province’s most influential men.

In his keynote address, Hopson will share the strategies he used to transform the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization, making it the powerhouse it is today.

In addition to his current role of CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Jim Hopsonwas also a player during the 1973–1976 seasons, which included a trip to the Grey Cup in 1976. After his football career, Hopson concentrated on his career in education, where he spent 30 years as a teacher, principal and most recently as Director of Education/CEO in Saskatchewan. Hopson is also active in the community and spends numerous hours speaking at charity events and presenting to business groups.

Your ability to influence, that is to create and sustain positive change in others, directly impacts your ability to sell your products and services, pitch ideas, lead teams, manage projects, negotiate agreements, coach employees, and even collaborate with colleagues. Attendees are treated to a unique address by a renowned expert on the science of influence and persuasion, and Canada’s only certified provider of the Principles of Persuasion (PoP) workshop, which is based on the work of Dr. Robert Cialdini – the most cited living social psychologist in the world – and focuses on the ethical use of influence tactics.

Heath Slawner will share different strategies that can help you leverage the science of influence to achieve outstanding results, such as six scientifically-proven persuasion principles that will get your requests approved more often. His unique evidence-based presentation will use real-life examples to help the audience relate his strategies and techniques and adapt them to their own situations.

Heath Slawner is a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the only professional in Canada certified to deliver the Principles of Persuasion workshop. Slawner specializes in the design and delivery of training workshops and has also been a seminar leader at the McGill International Executive Institute. With a focus on education and fundraising, he continually contributes to his community, both nationally and internationally.

Have you ever worked for someone positive that you will never forget? Have you worked for someone who you would like to forget? What was the difference? The difference was their attitude. Darci Lang shares her ideas on how to get “reconnected” with your employees…and the reason you were chosen to lead them. We have all worked for someone who was “less than motivating” and you know the negative impact that can have on a group. Leaders have a huge impact on the lives of their employees.

How can we motivate others? Life can be very stressful in this “do more with less” society and employees can feel the pressure. How can we offer a motivating work environment to our sometimes, overwhelmed employees? How can we motivate others when we are overwhelmed ourselves?

Lang reveals her easy-to-implement ideas on encouraging and building up employees. You will leave with a new perspective on what employees are really looking for.

Darci Lang is an entrepreneur, speaker and best-selling author who has won numerous business excellence awards, including: Saskatchewan Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Finalist, Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Lang has been making presentations about her positive life focusing strategies for over 16 years and currently makes her home in Regina with her husband, Darren, and two children, Jayda and John.