It Starts Here: IBAOcon 2026 Registration Opens

Registration is now open for IBAOcon 2026, taking place October 21-22 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. Over two days, more than 3,000 brokers, insurers, partners and professionals are invited to come together for the conversations, connections and commitments that shape the year ahead for Canada's insurance community. 

The theme of this year’s conference, It Starts Here., isn’t a description, it’s a declaration. The future of the industry starts with the people in the room and every keynote, panel and conversation at IBAOcon 2026 is designed to support that. 

A Two-Day Arc, Built for Brokers 

Day 1, The Human Advantage, focuses on the skills technology can't replicate: the clarity, communication and trust at the core of every client relationship. Canadian entrepreneur and Dragons' Den star Manjit Minhas opens the main stage with Connecting with Clarity: How Strong Communication Builds Trust, Resilience, and Results, followed by an industry panel on the policyholder experience, and an afternoon of connection and industry insights. The prestigious Awards of Excellence Gala follows as an evening to celebrate the brokerages, partners and individuals raising the bar across Ontario's broker channel. 

Day 2, The Industry Blueprint, zooms out to the forces reshaping the profession: regulation, climate and AI. It's where brokers see how they shape what comes next. Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation & Creativity at Disney, headlines with High-Tech, High-Touch: Creativity and Innovation in a Regulated World. The day sharpens the Ontario Broker channel with conversations on innovation, advocacy and industry leadership before the community closes out at the YBC-hosted After Party. 

New this year, IBAOcon is introducing an all-new Advocacy Panel, created in response to a world where global politics, economic uncertainty, and international affairs are influencing business decisions more than ever before. Bringing together two of Canada’s most distinguished voices, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, and The Honourable Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, this timely discussion will explore today’s geopolitical landscape and its growing impact on the insurance industry. Hosted by IBAO CEO Colin Simpson–together the panel will share their unique perspectives on global political and economic trends, emerging risks, and the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of insurance. As the first panel of its kind, this exclusive conversation will provide invaluable insights for industry leaders navigating an increasingly complex world. 

Bestselling author and renowned speaker Ron Tite hosts both days, carrying the experience from the first welcome to the final wrap-up. 

Networking Reimagined: More Ways to Connect 

Networking is the number one reason the broker community attends IBAOcon and this year's design reflects it. The new Braindate Café offers one-on-one and small-group conversations hosted by attendees themselves, on the topics that matter to them. The Tradeshow hours expand across both afternoons with more time to explore, more space to move, debut showcase booths for new exhibitors and ExpoLive, a mobile Spotlight Stage featuring partners who are experts in their fields.  

Hospitality Night, generously hosted by our industry partners, offers an evening of connection and conversation across the broker community before the night transitions into the YBC hosted After Party. 

Powered by Partnership 

IBAOcon is where partners show up for Ontario’s Broker Channel. Sponsorship opens to all July 23. Explore the IBAOcon Sponsorship Package for opportunities to make an impact. 

Be in the Room 

• Registration is open now to the full industry — brokers, insurers, vendors and partners alike ibao.org/event/ibaocon 

• IBAO Members: $799 

• Non-members: $1,199 

• The Awards of Excellence Gala: $250 ($100 with an All-Access Pass) 

• Preferred Hotel Rates: Available until September 28 

Where Canada’s insurance community comes together to define what’s next. It Starts Here at IBAOcon 2026.