A marketplace conference is a bit like speed dating for businesses. Everyone has an appointment schedule of what time they will be meeting and with who. Each appointment is timed as the seller highlights their product or service and the buyer asks questions.

Much like the style of meetings we have grown used to during COVID-19, the virtual appointments will be a video meeting between the buyer and the seller. The software that hosts the appointments will know who your next appointment is with, will have a countdown until your next appointment and will automatically load that person's video feed when the appointment begins. See the infograph below for a visual reference:

The appointments are each 7 minutes in length. There is a one-minute breather between each appointment to allow for a mental transition.

During your appointment, you will be able to share your screen to display information (similar to a brochure you might display in person) and you will have the opportunity to upload an information sheet (similar to the single-page document that sellers provide to each buyer in person) prior to your appointments.

Before appointments begin, there will be a short introductory time while everyone consumes their morning caffeine and gets pumped up to reconnect with industry colleagues. Each morning sponsor will have a different and exciting agenda planned to start your morning off right!

This will be your chance to stretch your legs, take a personal break and grab a bite to eat. While munching, there will be a presentation each day to keep you informed and entertained. On Monday, Dr. Peter Tarlow will be speaking on the current North American travel industry and on Tuesday, Ottawa Tourism will live up to their reputation in providing Grade-A entertainment before heading into the final afternoon appointments. 

Yes. There will be a pre-scheduled break in the morning and afternoon for all delegates. These breaks are also sponsored and will host a few short minutes of entertainment value.

Although we are still in the process of planning this portion, the online networking social is a chance to have non-scheduled conversations with potential clients or industry colleagues that you haven't seen in a while. It will still be video conversations, but there will be more freedom in who you can interact with and how many people you can interact with at a time. Stay tuned for details!