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Speaking

How can I speak at mesh?

This is the most common question we get. While we invite you to nominate yourself, mesh content is highly curated with a very specific goal in mind so most speakers are people we reach out to.

That said, audience participation is part of the secret sauce of mesh. Many of our attendees are experts in their field so joining mesh to participate as an audience member is a great way to connect, share, and inspire. 

If we don’t select you as speaker, it doesn’t mean your voice isn’t valuable, and we keep all speaker nominations and review them regularly.

What makes mesh speakers so special?

By the time we approach a speaker to join a mesh conference, we have typically invested 40-60 hours scouring the internet and cyberstalking (in a good way) people before we ever approach them. Some on our team call this “spending hours bleeding from the eyeballs” because we put so much effort into this, and we mean that in the nicest way possible 😉

We look for people with a history of success from diverse backgrounds who can talk about the “what’s next” in digital transformation and innovation in our four mesh threads: Business, Marketing, Society and Media.

Our speakers will be experts in one of these threads, and they are people who are open to sharing success and failure for the benefit of others.

Want some examples? Check out our upcoming speaker list.

What makes mesh content so special?

We blow your mind on Day 1, and on Day 2 we dig deeper with panels and workshops.

We don’t allow slides and PowerPoint presentations, so a mesh session becomes memorable because of the speakers and audience engagement. When a session starts, the speakers will set the table — they share a bit about who they are and what they have learned.

The mesh conference is not a “Super Conference” where speakers talk at attendees. Instead, we quickly move to engage with the audience who share their experience and ask questions.

This is the magic moment because the conversation can go in many directions, and speakers on stage will respond to questions in the moment. Nothing is canned or rehearsed, and the voices in the audience are as integral as those on the stage.  We create conversations unique to mesh.

As a comparison: If a Super Conference is a large stadium band performance, a mesh conference is the equivalent of going to see your favourite band play an acoustic show in an intimate setting where they only plays your requests, and you get to meet them afterwards.

Attendees

Who comes to mesh?

We attract naturally curious people who come from a variety of backgrounds: startups, scaleups, industry and large corporates, investors, not-for-profits and government.

Based on 2023 data on who is attending mesh, attendees come from the following industries (in no particular order):

  • Business Consulting and Services
  • Advertising and Marketing Services
  • Capital Markets
  • Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
  • IT Services and IT Consulting
  • Industry Associations
  • Software Development
  • Public Relations and Communications
  • Oil and Gas
  • Strategic Management Services
  • Law
  • Higher Education
  • Government Administration
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Think Tanks
  • Telecommunications
  • Real Estate
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Internet Marketplace Platforms

How will I meet people?

mesh has a goal to connect, share, and inspire and we believe Canada needs to look East to West in a “Team Canada approach” to sharing learnings around digital transformation and innovation.

We believe in breaking apart the silos in conversation and creating real opportunities for people to connect outside of their bubbles which is why we bring together people from Business, Media, Marketing and Society.

Yes, it does take you leaning into it, but we will set you up to make it as easy as possible. No matter how many people attend mesh, there is always an intimate feel to our events.

We create moments throughout for people to really…well, mesh!

Sponsorship

Who comes to mesh?

We attract naturally curious people who come from a variety of backgrounds: startups, scaleups, industry and large corporates, investors, not-for-profits and government.

Based on 2023 data on who is attending mesh, attendees come from the following industries (in no particular order):

  • Business Consulting and Services
  • Advertising and Marketing Services
  • Capital Markets
  • Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
  • IT Services and IT Consulting
  • Industry Associations
  • Software Development
  • Public Relations and Communications
  • Oil and Gas
  • Strategic Management Services
  • Law
  • Higher Education
  • Government Administration
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Think Tanks
  • Telecommunications
  • Real Estate
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Internet Marketplace Platforms

Why should I sponsor the mesh conference?

The mesh conference has a lot to add to sponsors looking for a unique experience.

  • We host conferences in Calgary and Toronto, offering both local and national reach every year
  • Our media partnerships put us in front of an audience of 1.5 million readers every month (we’re not messing around here!)
  • We are an omnichannel experience, offering sponsors amplification in person, and across digital and social channels.

A few reasons sponsors sign up with mesh:

  • Align yourself with innovation in Canada
  • Support diversity in innovation
  • Deep dive into the “what’s next” in digital transformation
  • Connect with other decision-makers and influencers from across industries (people you would not normally be exposed to)
  • Make meaningful connections
  • Put your brand forward in a fun and meaningful way
“

"I was an attendee at every mesh in the early years. The event changed my perspective on how to think about technology and business. It also opened my eyes to a whole new community of creative peers who were using tech in all sorts of new, innovative and crazy ways. The atmosphere was also so much more down to earth than the larger tech conferences that came afterwards. Real, genuine conversations between practitioners."

Mark GrahamCo-founder & Chief Brand Officer, commonsku
“

"My first mesh was circa 2007 in Toronto and like many people who attend for the first time I wasn't sure what to expect. But the cross-industry insight and "meshing" of ideas is something I've never seen done as well at any other conference. I truly had my mind blown over and over, and the practical takeaways the event offers let me implement ideas when I got back to work. I started my journey with mesh as an attendee and loved it so much I got more and more involved and today i'm a partner in the event."

Chris HoggPresident, DJG
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