2025 COCA National Conference: Full Schedule

9:00am EDT

Bee Quammie & Spencer West Keynote Presentation

Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote Presentation #1

Grand Ballroom West

Bee Quammie

Spencer West

Keynote Speakers

Bee Quammie

Motivational Speaker, Nationals Speakers Bureau

Booking Contact: salexander@nsb.comWhat can we learn when we really listen to each other? Bee Quammie’s presentations centre on the stories that often aren’t told, providing spaces where audiences can learn, be empowered, and find a relatable voice. In addition to speaking... Read More →

Spencer West

Motivational Speaker, Talk About Speakers

Booking Contact: spencer@2thewest.comAfter losing both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five due to a genetic disease, Spencer West tackled challenge after challenge, learning to navigate a world set against those with disabilities.Spencer is a successful global keynote speaker... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Keynote

10:30am EDT

Education Session: Disability 101

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote Speakers

Spencer West

Motivational Speaker, Talk About Speakers

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

1:15pm EDT

Education Session: Events 101

Tuesday June 10, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

This introductory-level session strives to have information that can be applied to various streams. It will cover basic planning steps: from conceptualization to execution of events. Topics include booking venues, managing budget, strategic planning, managing a team on site, ticketing, crowd management, and more.

Keynote Speakers

Tim Fraser

Student Event Facilitator, Fanshawe Student Union

Tuesday June 10, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

2:30pm EDT

Education Sessions: Building Promotions/Street Teams

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

This session covers recruitment, management, training, and best practices for team functionality, including blending personalities, assigning work, assessing performance, and establishing responsibilities and workflows. It will address functional day-to-day operations, such as tabling versus being mobile, keeping your team motivated, and making your team stand out. This session will also address ways to get team members to contribute to promotional strategies, based on their needs as a student, and touch on brainstorming sessions, facilitating pop-ups, and differentiating between general promotion vs. specialized (e.g. Days of Significance).

Keynote Speakers

Lovey Reid

Manager, Marketing & Communications, Centennial College Student Association Inc.

Emily Nolan

Manager, Clubs & Events, Centennial College Student Association Inc.

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

4:00pm EDT

Central Region Meeting

Tuesday June 10, 2025 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Tuesday June 10, 2025 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Regional Meeting

8:00am EDT

Central Region Meeting

Wednesday June 11, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Wednesday June 11, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Regional Meeting

9:15am EDT

Dr. Daniel Desjardin, Meghan Gardiner & Raia Carey Keynote Presentation

Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:15am - 11:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote Presentation #2

Grand Ballroom West

Dr. Daniel Desjardins

Meghan Gardiner

Raia Carey

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Daniel Desjardin

Dr. Daniel Desjardins is the CEO and Founder of Distributed Compute Labs, and is an Assistant Professor Physics and Space Science Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston ON.Dan is a physics researcher and a passionate tech entrepreneur. He obtained his PhD in Physics, specializes in computational elec... Read More →

Meghan Gardiner

Motivational Speaker, Talent Bureau

Booking Contact: Jeff Lohnes jl@talentbureau.comMeghan is an actor and playwright who has written ten professionally produced plays and canbe seen on stages and screens across the country. In 2003 she premiered Dissolve, aone-woman show based on her experience of being drugged and... Read More →

Raia "Coach" Carey

Motivational Speaker, Talent Bureau

Booking Contact: Jeff Lohnes jl@talentbureau.comRaia “Coach” Carey is a driving force of motivational energy. After overcoming various personalhardships, Raia transformed her mindset and set forth to help others find confidence andempowerment.She is a corporate wellness and... Read More →

Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:15am - 11:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Keynote

11:15am EDT

Education Session Events 102

Wednesday June 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:45pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

This session aims to cover several topics about working with booking artists and working with agencies. How to engage with artists and agencies, the art of negotiating, the science of group booking with other schools, finding artists that align with your campus, and more will be touched upon in this session. It will also address the basics of production and technical set up for live performances.

Keynote Speakers

Kyle Wappler

Events Coordinator, Conestoga Students Inc.

Kyle Wappler is an events coordinator at Conestoga Students Inc. He starter with the school in 2020 but his events career started long before. Founder of Have Hope Shows since 2008, kyle has produced and ran hundreds of concerts across southern Ontario in almost all genres. With humble... Read More →

Tim Fraser

Student Event Facilitator, Fanshawe Student Union

Wednesday June 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:45pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

2:00pm EDT

Lecture Showcase

Wednesday June 11, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Lecture Showcase

Following lunch in the Delta

Showcasing Artists:
Eva Bloom
Sam Demma
Dave Kelly
After Sex Ed w/ Sabrina
Peter the Finance Guy

Showcase Artists

After Sex Ed with Sabrina

Speaker

Booking Contact: Sabrina Baldini aftersexed@gmail.comSabrina Insta Sabrina TikTok Sabrina YouTubeSabrina Baldini is a sex educator, TEDx speaker, and founder of After Sex Ed—a wildly popular platform that brings humor, heart, and real talk to topics most people still whisper about. With over 120,000 followers online and a knack for going viral by making awkward conversations feel total... Read More →

Dave Kelly

Speaker, Dave Kelly

Booking Contact: Dave Kelly DaveKelly@GonzoSpeaks.comDave Kelly Insta Dave Kelly X Dave Kelly Facebook Dave Kelly YouTubeDave's a professional student leadership expert, experienced campus, state, and international student leader and advisor, speaker, author (published 4 books), trainer, and coach/consultant. He focuses on student leadership development, running better campus organizations, and building a... Read More →

Eva Bloom

Speaker

Booking Contact: Eva Bloom evabloomeducator@gmail.comEva Bloom InstaEva Bloom is an award-winning sex educator and speaker. With a Master of Science and 10+ years as an educator, they help young people bust shame and foster healthy relationships. They have spoken at institutions across North America, including Cornell University, Purdue... Read More →

Peter Bielagus

Speaker, Metropolis Management

Booking Contact: Joyce Jiawan joyce@metropolismanagement.comPeter Bielagus Insta Peter Bielagus Facebook Peter Bielagus YouTube... Read More →

Sam Demma

Speaker, Sam Demma Enterprises Inc.

Booking Contact: Sam Demma sam@samdemma.comSam Demma Insta Sam Demma X Sam Demma Facebook Sam Demma TikTokSam Demma YouTubeSam Demma is a best-selling author and one of the most in-demand keynote speakers in the education and association sectors. He delivered two TEDx talks, co-founded PickWaste—an organization that mobilized volunteers to pick up over 3000 bags of litter—and was awarded the pr... Read More →

Wednesday June 11, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Showcase

4:15pm EDT

Education Panel: Real Talk About Being A Better Bystander

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote Speakers

Meghan Gardiner

Motivational Speaker, Talent Bureau

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

8:00am EDT

Breakfast

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:00am - 8:45am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:00am - 8:45am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Meal

9:00am EDT

Madison Tevlin Keynote Presentation

Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote Presentation #3

Grand Ballroom West

Madison Tevlin

Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Keynote

4:15pm EDT

Associate ONLY Meeting

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Annual Meeting for the COCA Associates, to elect an Associate Board member and provide feedback to the board.

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Regional Meeting

9:00am EDT

COCA Panel

Friday June 13, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Friday June 13, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Keynote

11:00am EDT

Education Session Multipurpose Venue Programming

Friday June 13, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Examine how to use various venues to their fullest potential and determine which type of venue is best for your event. Taking into account low-cost, high engagement in various formats, this session will also compare small group events and activations with larger events, while focusing on acquiring deep engagement at all levels. We will explore different levels of programming, how they appeal to different student crowds, and how to improve engagement based on venue.

Keynote Speakers

Kelsey Richard

Events Manager, Conestoga Students Inc

Kelsey is an outgoing go-getter who loves to have a good time and create memories that last a lifetime. She started her career off in journalism working her dream job in radio, but after an unexpected lay off, she took the opportunity to pivot into the events industry and never looked... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

12:30pm EDT

Education Session Round Tables, Steal this Idea/Share your Beauty

Friday June 13, 2025 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Friday June 13, 2025 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Education Session

2:00pm EDT

Lunch

Friday June 13, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Friday June 13, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga

Meal

3:30pm EDT

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Friday June 13, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Friday June 13, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Delta Hotels Toronto Mississauga