Your sector’s next world conference in Toronto, because of you
Leaders Circle works with experts to bring their international conferences to Toronto: the strategy and the case for the city, help with letters of support, and, once a conference is won, the chance to fund a research legacy. You lead it, and a team builds it with you.
A conference may last a week, but what it creates lasts much longer
Hosting your international conference in Toronto puts your institution on the world stage and your research in front of the peers who move your field. It draws talent, seeds partnerships, and strengthens the sectors in the city for years after the closing session.
More than a single bid: a circle of leaders
Dr. Upton Allen
Dr. Maurice Bitran & Ms. Catherine Paisley
Prof. Kostas Plataniotis
Dr. Sheldon Williamson
Is this for you?
If you hold standing in your discipline as a researcher, academic, or professional whose international association moves its meeting between cities, this is likely for you.
A Leaders Circle ambassador is a recognized expert who helps bring international conferences to Toronto by championing a conference bid within their professional community. Leaders Circle provides the strategy, guidance, and support throughout the process.
- You do not need to arrive with a conference in mind. We track the international meetings circuit and can tell you which ones fit your sector.
- You do not need to have led a bid before, and most ambassadors have not.
- What the role asks depends on the association’s guidelines: judge whether an opportunity is worth pursuing, bring your institution and your peers to the table, shape the academic theme, contribute to the bid proposal, and take part in the bid presentation.
- We assist with the bid strategy and content, help with the letters of support, and coordinate the details with you.
What the journey looks like
From first conversation to closing session, the ambassador journey can span months or years, paced by your association’s cycle. Here is how the work is shared at each stage.
Consider
Plan
Bid
Bid
Making the case to the world.
Leaders Circle brings the strategy and connects you with Destination Toronto, who help prepare the bid content, coordinate letters of support from government, and provide marketing and destination expertise. You bring your knowledge of the field and often your voice at the bid presentation. A conference bid can take time, and sometimes a second attempt, and you are supported through every part of it.
Decision
Host
Host
Turning a decision into a legacy.
Once Toronto is chosen, ambassadors may apply for the Leaders Circle Research Grant, reviewed by a committee and awarded in the months that follow, to fund a project tied to the conference. Then the conference comes to life, with experienced professionals handling the logistics and budgets, so your part stays in the leadership, not the administration.
You lead it, and a team builds it with you
From the first conversation to the closing session, you have a team around you.
Leaders Circle assists with the bid strategy and researches the case for the city. Destination Toronto compiles and finalizes the bid, coordinates letters of support from government, and brings the budgets, venues, marketing support and destination expertise. Where a conference calls for one, a professional conference organizer manages registration and the run of the event, so the logistics are handled and you can stay focused on the substance.
Your part stays focused on the academic theme and the leadership only you can bring. And the support can outlast the bid itself: ambassadors who lead a winning bid may be eligible for the Leaders Circle Research Grant, up to $50,000 for a project in their field.
The conferences ambassadors have brought to Toronto
Leaders in specialties from immunology to remote sensing have brought their international conferences here.
Meet our ambassadors
Dr. Upton Allen, Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children
Ms. Jacqueline Bart, Principal, BartLAW Canadian Immigration
Dr. Gail Darling, Kress Family Chair in Esophageal Cancer Director, Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research, UHN
Mr. Robert Haller, Executive Director, Canadian Water and Wastewater Association
Ms. Corinne Eisenbraun, Director, Education Policy & Programs, Dietitians of Canada
Dr. Ann Burchell, Scientist, Department of Family & Community Medicine, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute; Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Mr. Chander Khanna & Mr. David Cherniack
Jim McArthur, Ontario Chapter Chair, Canadian Hospital Engineering Society Director of Properties, Albright Centre
Dr. Cameron Mustard, President and Senior Scientist, Institute for Work and Health; Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Prof. Kostas Plataniotis, Professor, ECE Department & Bell Canada Chair in Multimedia, University of Toronto, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
In their words
“I feel it is my responsibility and also my obligation to promote our researchers, our universities and our students.”
In their words
“I am so proud and so excited to have this event in Canada.”
In their words
“Canada has quite a presence on the world stage in this area, so it’s great to bring the conference home.”
Frequently asked questions
Becoming a Leaders Circle ambassador starts with a conversation, not a commitment. If you are a researcher, academic, physician, or professional leader connected to an international association that rotates its conference between host cities, you may already be well positioned to lead a future bid. After an introductory conversation, Leaders Circle will help assess whether there is an opportunity to bring a conference to Toronto and explain how the bidding process works. If there is a good fit, you’ll receive guidance, strategic support, and access to the expertise needed to move the opportunity forward. No previous bidding experience is required, and there is no fee to take part.
Leaders Circle supports bids for international conferences across a wide range of disciplines, including life sciences, engineering, technology, business, finance, public policy, education, the sciences, and the arts. If your professional association rotates its conference between international destinations and relies on local leaders to put bids forward, there may be an opportunity to bring that event to Toronto.
Your first conversation is simply an opportunity to explore whether there is a conference that could be a good fit for Toronto. You do not need a formal proposal, institutional approval, or a fully developed plan before reaching out. We’ll discuss your field, your professional association, potential opportunities, and how the bidding process works. If there is a suitable opportunity, we’ll work with you to determine the next steps together.
As an ambassador, you lead the effort to bring an international conference to Toronto. Depending on the conference, you may identify a bidding opportunity, help establish a Local Organizing Committee, contribute to the academic or scientific program, take part in bid presentations, connect the team with your professional association, and support conference marketing and legacy initiatives. The role adapts because every conference and every association operates differently, but your expertise and leadership remain at the centre of the process.
Bringing an international conference to Toronto is a collaborative effort. Leaders Circle works alongside Destination Toronto to develop bid strategies, prepare bid materials, coordinate letters of support from government, recommend venues, coordinate site visits, and provide destination expertise. For larger conferences, a Professional Conference Organizer may also be involved to manage registration and conference logistics, allowing you to focus on the academic leadership and relationships that only you can provide.
Keep exploring
Start a conversation
Tell us what you have in mind, or ask which international conferences could fit your sector.
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