Spark 2.0 Lab – Ottawa

AI WORKSHOP SERIES

September

24

,

2026

2:00pm

-

5:00pm

Brookstreet Hotel

Deciders Room

525 Legget Drive

Ottawa, ON K2K 2W2

Spark 2.0 Lab

Participants must bring their laptops as this is a hands on workshop.

The Spark 2.0 Lab is a hands-on AI workshop designed for event planners who are using AI and want to go further.

This Lab focuses on how Spark supports real event workflows that are difficult to achieve with standalone AI tools. Instead of isolated prompts or one-off tasks, participants will learn how to use Spark to plan events, transform complex content, and turn data into actionable insights across the event lifecycle.

Participants will work directly inside Spark on practical use cases such as structuring event plans, converting long-form video and session content into usable outputs, and analyzing registration and survey data to inform smarter decisions. Small-group Labs allow participants to apply these workflows to their own upcoming events, test ideas in real time, and learn from peers.

Foundational concepts are covered quickly. The majority of the session is dedicated to medium and advanced workflows that reflect how event teams actually work today. Participants will leave with ready-to-use workflows, a clearer understanding of where Spark goes beyond generic AI tools, and practical ideas for engaging their teams with Spark in 2026 and beyond.

Advanced registration is required. This event is exclusive to event planners. Event and parking is complimentary.

Please register for the Pro with promo code: SP@RKL@B in advance.

Join Spark »

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Spark 2.0 Lab – Ottawa

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What was covered

Courtyard Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile

165 East Ontario St., Chicago IL

Key Topics:

What agile event programs are and why they're essential

Strategies and tools for building agile event marketing

How to scale agile event programs without losing brand integrity or valuable data

Steps you can take right now to introduce agile event marketing into your business

Grab your favorite snack and tune in.

Pro Tip:

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If you would rather embed a video or stream from a different service, use the "Livestream - iFrame Block", which can be found hidden in the Layout Tab.

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How do I resize an iFrame?

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Schedule

11:00am

Guest Arrival & Registration

11:15am- 12:15pm

Welcome, netowrking, and buffet lunch

12:15pm - 2:30pm

Spark 2.0 Lab

Princess Castleberry

Your Hosts

Facilitated By:

Chantal Struk-Nadeau

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau is a visionary strategic leader in the global business events and tourism industry with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles at Destination Canada and Tourism Winnipeg. Throughout her career, she has consistently developed innovative strategies and driven exponential growth for organizations worldwide, pioneering data-driven approaches that revolutionized destination marketing.

At PCMA, Chantal leads a powerful dual mandate spanning Innovation and Insights. She spearheads Spark and Destinaitor, the only AI-generative tools built for and by event professionals, leading the charge on the Future of Work with AI in business events.

She also leads PCMA Insights & Consulting, directing a comprehensive series of insight reports and whitepapers that equip industry leaders with the intelligence they need to make confident, data-driven decisions in a rapidly evolving landscape. Her consulting team leverages PCMA's network of 50,000+ professionals to deliver tailored strategic solutions from destination strategies to economic impact measurement for clients worldwide.
Chantal's unique ability to bridge innovation and intelligence makes her perspectives invaluable for audiences navigating the complexities of today's business events industry

Trainer:

Princess Castleberry

Princess Castleberry is disrupting the leadership capacity crisis across the global business events and associations industry.

She is a leadership capacity strategist and global keynote speaker who partners with organizations operating in high-pressure, fast-changing environments using her Live, Lead, and Build Leverage™ Framework to strengthen judgment, resilience, and execution—especially as leaders navigate the realities of AI-enabled work.

She brings a unique blend of more than two decades of experience in enterprise risk management, crisis response, and wellness counseling, helping leaders integrate technology with discipline by connecting human behavior, decision quality, and AI-driven systems to real business outcomes.

She is the author of The Truth Is in the Trigger™, a leadership playbook for decoding the stress and burnout that drive leadership breakdowns.

The Final Countdown!

Time left for the event days hours minutes seconds

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More PCMA Signature Events at BEIW:

Fashion Show

May 6, 2026 | 4:00pm-6:00pm

Step into Living in Color, an unforgettable runway experience celebrating the creativity of Amanda Perna with the runway models of the industry, all in support of the PCMA Foundation.

Register »

2026 Visionary Awards

May 7, 2026 | 5:00pm-10:00pm

Experience the industry's most anticipated night of the year, where the the voices advancing business events are recognized in a black-tie celebration of influence and achievement.

Register »

Our Sponsors

Schedule

8:30 am

Registration Opens

Check in and network with your fellow business events strategists.

3 pm

Plenary Session

Speaker presentation by our Co-Founders Timothy Staples and Jeffrey Hunt.

Schedule

1:00 pm

Check-in & Network

Registration

Location: Beane Hall

1:15 pm

The Future of AI & Its Role in the Events Industry

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau and Nick Borelli

Location: Beane Hall

1:30 pm

AI Unleashed: Supercharging Your Event Strategy

Are you looking to supercharge your event strategy? Get ready for a session jam-packed with practical insights and hands-on play as you learn how to write effective prompts and work with your teammates to create a killer AI-enhanced event. We'll explore various AI use cases involved in the pre-planning strategy and design phase, including data analysis, site selection, content development and marketing strategy. You'll be able to analyze reams of historic data and zero in on your target market, potential themes, and even the perfect destination for your event. But that's not all! We'll also explore how AI can help you create content pillars and marketing segments that speak directly to your target audience.

Location: Beane Hall

2:15 pm

Accelerating the Event Planning Process with AI: Boosting Efficiency and Innovation

Unlock the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize your event planning endeavors. This segment of the workshop is dedicated to exploring ways AI can help you streamline event management tasks as you continue your group event planning journey. AI will not only enhance your event planning efficiency but also help you develop audience engagement strategies that are bound to captivate your attendees. Say goodbye to endless hours spent on the contract review process. Discover how AI-powered agenda building and content creation can expedite your event planning process. Save time and energy by letting AI create compelling first drafts of your speaker bios and session descriptions, generate ideas for activities, and more.

Location: Beane Hall

3:00 pm

BREAK

Coffee and Networking

Location: Blue Room

3:15 pm

Revolutionizing Post-Event Analysis, Reporting, and Content with AI Advancement

Level up your post-event analysis and reporting game as we dive into the ways in which AI can help you after your event is done. With your event team, you'll use AI to generate session takeaways, blogs and even automate the video editing process! Explore how AI can save you time and effort with data analysis, presentation creation and customized reporting for your event stakeholders.

Location: Beane Hall

4:00 pm

SPARK Team Challenge

Now's the time to show off the AI-enhanced event experience tools and strategies you've learned. Compete for prizes awarded for innovation/creativity, strategy, compelling messaging and audience engagement.

Location: Beane Hall

4:45 pm

Networking & Reception

Group networking

Location: Beane Hall

Your Hosts

Jake Hernandez

Chief Creative Officer

Openform

Jake Hernandez is senior director of product marketing at Openform, where his goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events.

Leo Di Salvo

Sr. Technology Consultant

Openform

Leo Di Salvo is the Senior Technology Consultant at Openform, where his goal is to help people unlock the power of in-person events.

Run of show

12:00PM

Webinar Begins

Opening remarks from your hosts

12:15PM

5-Tips

5 Tips for Creating Virtual Events

12:45PM

Closing

Final remarks from your hosts

Grab your favorite snack and tune in.

Pro Tip:

First, watch the video to learn how to use this type of theme. Then, replace the iFrame embed code of the video below by clicking into it and clicking on the "Embed Options" tab on the right. Hide this element when you're finished.

Need more help? Here are some great Help Center articles regarding embed best-practices:

How do I resize an iFrame?

What's the difference between iFrame elements and Video elements?

How do I embed webinars or livestreams using an iFrame element?

What can I embed using an iframe into Splash?

Resource List

01

A Guide to Agile Event Programs that Can Survive Anything

Explore why the most dynamic leaders are building strategies for agile event marketing with a focus on scaling in-person and virtual events that are fast, flexible, and hyper-effective at driving meaningful connections.

Download

02

Crisis Mode: Ideas for Managing Events in Challenging Situations

Learn strategies, experiences and lessons learned from top event marketing leaders who have walked through the fire more than once and lived to talk about it.

Register

03

How to Build a Rock Solid Agile Events Program

The old way of doing event marketing—a large, inflexible investment in a small number of tentpole events—doesn't fit into a business world that demands adaptability and speed.

Watch now

Frequently Asked Questions

On what date does the event take place?

The event is scheduled for November 19, 2024.

Where is the event being hosted?

The event will take place in Chicago at Beane Hall located at Loyola University Water Tower Campus.

Who is invited to the event?

Event professionals, event tech professionals and heads of events who are interested in efficiencies throughout an event planning cycle.

What is Spark and do I need to register for it in advance?

Spark is the only AI tool created by event professionals for event professionals. You do not need to register in advance but are welcome to here.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Please reach out to the PCMA events team meetings@pcma.org.

Should I bring my laptop?

YES, please bring your laptop. Don't depend on your phones for this workshop.

What is the cancelation policy?

We are keeping the ticket price small for a full day workshop, so in order to maintain financial accessibility of these events, no refunds for cancelations or no shows will be granted. Cancelations should be submitted in writing to events@pcma.org so we can plan accordingly for the small group activities.

Cancellation Policy:
No refunds will be granted for this event. No refunds will be granted for no-shows.

Substitution Policy:
Substitutions of individual tickets will be accepted until Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 5pm CT. Substitutions must be submitted in writing to events@pcma.org.

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