MFOA's 2023 Annual Conference
is Open for Registration


         

Join your colleagues at MFOA's 2023 Annual Conference & Trade Show at Sheraton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario on September 19 – 22. We have built our conference based on the topic priorities you submitted to us. Our theme this year is Cultivating Courageous Communities.

Find out what strategies are most effective and discover how your peers are tackling similar issues you're facing. The MFOA Annual Conference is the must-attend conference for today’s municipal finance professional.

2023 Conference Highlights Include:
  • All in-person and live stream delegates will have access to recordings of most conference sessions on the conference website for 90 days post-conference (pending speaker approval).
  • Leading Edge Case Studies
  • Annual General Meeting
  • Valuable Networking Opportunities
  • Discussion Forums
  • Industry Experts at the Exhibitor Tradeshow
  • Gala Dinner and Live Entertainment
  • .. And much more!

Continued in 2023:
  • LIVE STREAMING – register an individual or a group and attend the conference virtually!
  • TUESDAY WORKSHOPS – maximize your travel budget, extend your conference and benefit from the additional professional development opportunity
  • MOBILE WEBSITE – customize your conference program, access session information and materials, connect with the exhibitor experts and network with your colleagues



A Message From Our President:
Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to extend a heartfelt invitation to you to join us at this year’s MFOA Annual Conference in picturesque Niagara Falls at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel.  This year’s conference theme is “Cultivating Courageous Communities” and will be an event you won’t want to miss!

Each of us face numerous challenges as we strive to execute our finance roles within our municipalities. Some days that work is easy while other days that work requires us to stretch ourselves and our teams beyond the status quo and into the realm of the unknown. Wouldn’t it be great to be COURAGEOUS?

This year’s conference is full of opportunities to enhance your skills, make new connections, catch up with long-time friends and have some fun! I’ve been attending this conference for nearly 20 years and every year it gets better and better. It’s definitively the highlight of my annual training calendar.

Whether you’re a municipal finance veteran or a newcomer to this dynamic profession, I encourage you to register for this year’s conference. The MFOA Team has an exciting program planned with learning sessions that offer over 35 CPD hours, memorable keynote speakers, leading edge case studies and a robust group of industry experts participating in our Trade Show. With so much content to choose from, MFOA is also recording all sessions and, as a registered delegate, you will have access to them for playback post-conference.

While we hope you can attend in person to take full advantage of the conference experience, MFOA is once again offering a hybrid conference option that allows delegates to assess their time and budget and attend either in person or virtually. How you choose to attend is up to you – REGISTER TODAY!
 


Sandra Zwiers
President, MFOA



Click the headings below or scroll down for more information.

Conference Schedule


Hotel Accommodations


Keynote Speakers


Current Exhibitors


Live Stream


CPD Hours


Discussion Forums


Entertainment


Professional Headshots


Mobile Website


Code of Conduct


Health & Safety


Questions?









 
Conference Schedule:

Click Here to view the Conference Schedule (Check back often for new additions)


 

Hotel Accommodations:

The MFOA has secured a block of rooms for our delegates. Please note selection/availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis and accommodation availability is not guaranteed.

Click Here to book your hotel stay at Sheraton Fallsview Hotel, or call 1-800-519-9911 and request the group rate for the “Municipal Finance Officers Association”, reference code FOA. 

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Call 1-800-519-9911 and request the group rate for “Municipal Finance Officers Association”, reference code GWQ. 

Please reserve by ThursdayAugust 17 to ensure rate availability. 

Scam Alert
Please note in past years we have had non-accredited organizations contacting individuals regarding the MFOA Conference. These companies may offer to help book your guest rooms for our conference at a discounted rate. MFOA is not affiliated with any of these groups. Please do not provide them your personal information or credit card details. MFOA has arranged room blocks directly with Sheraton Fallsview Hotel. You can book your room using the link provided above or by contacting the reservation line directly.

 
Keynote Speakers:



Nik Badminton
Chief Futurist

 

The Growth of Smart Cities

Over 1000 smart city pilot projects are in progress today with over 500 of them being developed in China. The future city is going to have systems in place to create the ability to monitor and program the city to react to what is needed in real-time. With this vision comes the implementation and rollout of renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro), self-driving vehicles (autonomous truck fleets, municipal transport, on-demand taxis, and personal vehicles), electric vehicles, the internet of things, with Big Data and Data Science at the heart of operations. Nikolas will look at how city planning is changing along with the core technologies being deployed and will profile the global cities that are embracing this approach.



Cate Collins
Coach and CEO of Powerful Journey Consulting 


Is Your Underwear Too Tight? Learning the Letting Go Formula

Constant demands of your time, energy and commitments has skyrocketed. We have become really good at being "human doers". It's time to get reconnected with being "human be-ings." And yes, loosen your underwear to set that inner control freak and perfectionist free. This keynote will provide you with Cate's practical 4 rooms formula to master your storms with resilience, courage and confidence. These powerhouse practices will fast track your success, improve your brain power focus and calmness and improve your interpersonal skills with difficult people. Warning: You may experience clarity, peace and fits of giggles.


 
Current Exhibitors:

Click Here to View Our Current Exhibitors (Check back often for new additions)

 
Live Stream Details:

You can now register an individual or a group and attend the conference virtually. This year, our Live Stream registration will include the broadcast of:

  • Tuesday Workshops
  • Wednesday Updates Session and Asset Management Workshop 
  • All main (plenary) sessions (Thursday - Friday)
  • All concurrent sessions (Thursday - Friday)

Sessions will be recorded (subject to speaker approval) and will be available on the conference website for 90 days post-conference.

Click Here to register for Live Stream.


 
Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The MFOA 2023 Annual Conference qualifies for up to 36.5* verifiable CPD hours. You can use a copy of your order confirmation as documentation. 

*Total CPD hours for 2023 Annual Conference is calculated based on purchasing In-Person Package 1 (Tuesday - Friday) or Live Stream Package, and all sessions are attended through a combination of live and recorded sessions.
*Recordings posted on the conference website are subject to speaker approval.


 
Discussion Forums:

Thursday Discussion Forum (In-person delegates only)
Collaborate, discuss and engage in meaningful discourse with other similar-sized municipalities. Ask questions, share information, and discuss issues affecting your municipality. This is an information discussion designed to benefit you.

 
Entertainment:

 



Graham Chittenden is one of Canada’s most exciting comedic performers. He’s a familiar face at the Just For Laughs festival, a familiar voice on CBC Radio’s The Debaters, and the star of his own comedy special, Reluctant Adult on CraveTV. Graham is also a four-time Canadian Screen Award-winning writer for his work on CBC’s critically acclaimed show, Still Standing. In the past two years, you may have seen him telling jokes virtually, in-person, or impressing the celebrity judges on Canada’s Got Talent.

 



Professional Headshot Photo Booth:

Need a new LinkedIn photo? Get your professional headshot taken, courtesy of MFOA's NPN (New Professionals Network) Committee.

The photo booth will be available for a limited time only and on a first come, first served basis.


 
Mobile Website:

Note: All delegates (in-person AND live stream) will have access to conference session recordings for 90 days post-conference


Once again in 2023, MFOA is going mobile! Bring your conference experience to a new level. See more, do more and get more value out of the conference - right from your mobile (tablet or computer) device.

Access the conference schedule, download presentations, connect with delegates & exhibitors, and much more...!


 
Conference Code of Conduct:
 
Click Here  to review our conference code of conduct. You will be asked to confirm your acknowledgement of reviewing and agreeing to the terms outlined in this document upon registration.
 

 
Questions?

Please contact training@mfoa.on.ca



Health & Safety


Health & safety related practices at the MFOA Conference will be informed by provincial and local public health guidance at the time and will be subject to change.



Top 5 Reasons to Attend MFOA's Annual Conference:


1. Meet and Learn from the Best - the MFOA conference speakers, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors are at the forefront of the industry. This is a great opportunity to learn about best practices from other professionals that can be applied to your municipality. 

2. Network - Make new connections with peers and find out how they are managing common challenges. Meet potential vendors who could help your municipality.

3. Develop - Get equipped with the tools, strategies and actionable insights that can be brought back to your municipality. Explore new ways to  engage, learn and connect. Need professional development credits? By attending the MFOA conference, you can gain credits towards your continuing professional development (CPD) certification. Simply use a copy of your order confirmation as documentation.

4. Stay Relevant - If we want to stay relevant in our profession we must embrace, understand and integrate changes, new ideas and best  practices to our municipality. There is no better place to learn how to do this successfully than at the MFOA conference.

5. Inspire Your Team - Take what you have learned and share it with your team which in turn will positively affect your municipality’s bottom line.



Land Acknowledgement


We recognize that our work as MFOA and CHUMS and the work of municipalities, take place on traditional Indigenous territories across Ontario.  We recognize and respect the history, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Metis, Inuit and all Indigenous peoples whose presence continues to enrich our communities.
 

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