The 2026 Annual BIA Conference will take place

April 19-22, 2026

in St. Catharines, ON.

Apr19

Speakers & Workshops

The Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) proudly presents the 2026 BIA Conference, taking place April 19–22, 2026, in the heart of St. Catharines, Ontario, also known as the Garden City.

Hosted by the St. Catharines Downtown Association, this annual gathering brings together BIA leaders, municipal partners, and community builders from across Ontario for three and a half days of learning, networking, and inspiration.

This year’s theme, Main Streets in Bloom: BIAs Rooted in Purpose, will feature inspiring keynote presentations and interactive sessions highlighting the resilience, innovation, and community spirit of Ontario’s main streets.

THE 2026 CALL FOR SPEAKERS IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you to everyone who applied. Our Conference Committee will review the results, and our team will respond to all applicants by early November.

APPLY NOW TO SPEAK AT THE 2026 BIA CONFERENCE

An anticipated attendance of more than 300 delegates and 30+ exhibitors from across Ontario will provide an excellent networking and educational forum for everyone at the Conference!

If you’re interested in being added to the mailing list that receives the Call for Speakers, please email [email protected]

APPLY NOW TO SPEAK AT THE 2026 BIA CONFERENCE

The 2025 Keynote Speakers:

Jessica Holmes | Mental Health Comedian

Jessica presented a keynote at the
Monday morning breakfast.

ABOUT JESSICA:

Beloved comedian Jessica Holmes has brought the house down opening for giants such as Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, and Oprah Winfrey. She has performed at Just For Laughs and The Second City, and starred in the comedy series, The Holmes Show and Royal Canadian Air Farce. Her hilarious take on life’s challenges as well as her unique knack for impersonating celebrities have audiences in stitches.

Holmes, like millions of North Americans, has struggled both with post-partum depression and, as she puts it, “regular, run-of-the-mill, garden-variety depression”. Striving to help end the stigma around mental health issues, she openly shares her personal stories with the humour she’s known for, bringing light to what can often be a dark topic. Holmes’ funny and inspiring book, Depression The Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance, takes readers deeper into her mental health journey with validation and warmth. She is also grateful to help further reduce the stigma around mental illness as a Bell Let’s Talk celebrity ambassador.

Avery Swartz | Camp Tech

Avery presented a closing keynote on Wednesday.

ABOUT AVERY:

Avery Swartz is a leading tech educator, speaker, media contributor, and best-selling author based in Toronto, Canada. As the founder and CEO of Camp Tech, Canada’s most established leader in tech and AI skills training, Avery has made it her mission to demystify technology for non-technical people. Widely recognized for her ability to make complex tech concepts accessible to a broad audience, her best-selling book See You on the Internet: Building Your Small Business with Digital Marketing has become a go-to resource for entrepreneurs navigating the digital landscape. Avery’s expertise has earned her the #5 spot on Search Engine Journal‘s Top 50 Women in Marketing list.

Join Our Speaker & Workshop Mailing List

We continue to honour the four pillars of Downtown Revitalization with four streams to the Conference: