#DEF2018 Full Program Overview

This outstanding program evokes innovative thinking, partnership conversations, and technology leadership. You will meet a broad array of strategic partners over the course of the Forum, including innovators, strategic players, and potential customers. #DEF2018 gives you the opportunity to meet all the right people you need to integrate innovations into real projects.

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Master of Ceremonies

Meet Our MC

MC, Kristina Groves

Four-Time Olympic Medalist

Consultant, Energy & Environment

A native of Ottawa, Kristina started speed skating when she was 11 because she wanted to distinguish herself from her ski-crazed family. Good news for Canada! Twenty-years later, in 07-08, she had a season to remember collecting World Cup medals, which culminated in her first overall title (1500m), a World All-Round Championship bronze medal, and a historic five-medal performance at the World Single Distance Championships, including gold in the 3000m.

At the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Kristina competed in five events, winning a silver and a bronze medal to add to the Olympic silver medal in the women's 1500m and Team Pursuit event at the 2006 Games in Torino.

Since retiring from sport in 2011, Kristina earned her master's degree in Sustainable Energy Development and now works part-time for a Calgary-based energy consulting company. She is also a freelance writer for the CSI Calgary (Canadian Sport Institute), the speed skating analyst for CBC Sports, a member of Speed Skating Canada's High Performance Committee and the Project Ambassador for the Alberta Solar Co-op. Kristina's current full-time job however, is raising her two young daughters, Maisie, 4, and Astrid, 1.

Keynote Speakers

Panel Session

Capitalising on Disruption: Acknowledging the New Energy Economy

Major changes in the energy industry have uprooted traditional business models of companies across the globe. Driven by shifting technologies, environmental regulation and evolving customer expectations, the competition for customers is shifting and the appetite for change has never been more present. As energy companies explore diversifying their revenue streams by charging for services that extend beyond traditional power supply and delivery, the question remains: who will survive or perish amidst disruption?

Technology Innovations: Game Changer Showcase

Hosted by the British Consulate General

The next cutting-edge tech companies take the stage to showcase how their business fits within our modern energy economy! The Game Changer Showcase is designed to be the premier platform for early-stage and high-growth companies to present their ideas to strategic players across the value chain.

Business Brokering Event

Find the right partners your organisation needs to get your project off the ground! This interactive session will bring together industry experts from similar fields to provoke a conversation on how your skills, products, and services can be the perfect match for their organisation. Whether you are seeking capital or filling a technology gap, this session will cater to your needs!

Meet Our Facilitator

Facilitator, Craig Elias

Entrepreneur in Residence

Craig is the entrepreneur-in-residence at Bow Valley College and works with students that want to start a new business, or grow an existing business. He co-developed and runs the college's business idea competition, VentureQuest; created an experiential learning program for aspiring entrepreneurs, WannaB Wednesdays; and created and runs three community-based entrepreneurship capacity-building programs.

Craig has also been a national growth advisor for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program in the US. He has an Executive MBA from the University of Calgary specializing in New Venture Creation and Technology Commercialization and a cross-disciplinary BA from Western University.

His first company won a $1,000,000 prize in the Global Billion Dollar Idea competition and was twice named by Dow Jones as one of the 50 most promising companies in North America. He is the creator of Trigger Event Selling™, the author of the award-winning sales book SHiFT! Harness the Trigger Events that Turn Prospects into Customers, and a contributing author to the number one selling book on both Amazon and The Wall Street Journal, Masters of Sales.

Presentation Series

Paving the Way: Global Showcase

Times have changed and the way we deliver energy has too. New technologies, climate change policies, and market drivers are all triggering the industry's largest shakeup in over a century. Disruption is forcefully reshaping power systems around the world, and EVs are threatening oil's dominance as a transport fuel. Join these experts at #DEF2018 as they showcase how their respective global projects were designed, operated, and managed to achieve reliable economic and environmental benefits within our modern energy economy.

Presentation Series

From Linear to Circular: Closing the Loop on Waste Streams

The linear 'take-make-dispose' economy is no longer sustainable and businesses can't ignore the toll this system is taking on both the environment and their bottom line. As we begin to re-think and re-design products that are 'made to be made again', it's clear the energy industry requires a systemic shift to achieve long-term sustainability. This segment dives into how the energy system is maximizing the circular economy to cycle back materials through the value chain for re-use, resulting in less energy and resource consumption.

Technology Innovations: Game Changer Showcase

Hosted by Calgary Economic Development

Presentation Series

The Digital Revolution in an Electrified Future

Big data, automation, AI and the Blockchain are opening up a new realm of possibilities for the energy industry. In today's digital world, more and more devices are becoming interconnected, delivering transparency and trust to the marketplace. The adoption of these technologies is vital to the survival of companies. Listen in to these experts as they outline how these tech advancements will impact the future of energy.

Panel Session

The Alberta Advantage

Dive into how Alberta's existing strengths in large-scale engineering and primary industries can be integrated with emerging strengths in technology to form the basis for Alberta's future economy. Panelists represent strategically positioned industry players, tech success stories and the educational system. The discussion will focus on opportunities as well as challenges faced by tech companies in Alberta.