The Fono Festival presented by Beneva, in collaboration with RBC, has unveiled the complete program for Fono Conferences, which will be held on September 10 and 11 at the Alphonse Desjardins pavilion at Laval University. This unique event at the heart of a music festival will bring together strong voices from business, sport, politics, culture, technology and academia. Among the guests are Geoff Molson (hosted by Alain Crête), Bruno Marchand (hosted by Pénélope McQuade), Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (hosted by Alexane Drolet), Laurent Dubreuil and Frank Pons (hosted by Geneviève Tardif), Tasha Kheiriddin and Thierry Rodon (hosted by Émilie Dubreuil), Chris Bergeron, Carl Honoré and Fred Colantonio.
New perspectivesThrough a series of conferences, panels and interviews presented over two days, Fono Conferences offers to meet those who, through their journeys and faced with current realities, choose to see differently and bring new ideas. Researchers, entrepreneurs, visionaries and public figures will share perspectives that challenge the obvious, open dialogues and propose other ways of approaching today’s world.
“Fono is a growing festival, and Fono Conferences supports this ambition. By broadening the experience beyond music, we wish to build a distinctive meeting, capable of bringing people together around ideas, encounters and discovery. This is an important step in the development vision that we have for Fono,” underlines Nicolas Racine, Chairman and CEO of BLEUFEU.
The rector of Laval University, Sophie D’Amours, emphasizes: “A University of impact, like Laval University, is a place where ideas collide. Fono Conferences offers a unique opportunity to leverage research in a general public event to bring out new ideas. Frank Pons and Thierry Rodon, two professors from Laval University recognized by their peers, will exchange with leaders from various disciplines to reflect on major societal issues. It’s a meeting for everyone on campus! « .
“With Fono Conferences, we want to create a different meeting place: a place where ideas circulate in several directions, where paths inspire and where people can meet in a less conventional context than a traditional business conference. It’s also a superb opportunity to bring together worlds that we don’t always spontaneously associate, to provoke encounters and to nourish our thinking and creativity in a different way,” underlines Louis Bellavance, vice-president of content and artistic direction at BLEUFEU.
Programming for September 10Opening conference — Bell presents: The weight of the name, the strength of choicesWith Geoff Molson, president and CEO, CHAnimation Group: Alain Crête, journalist and sports presenter
Bearing a name associated with a major Quebec institution, Geoff Molson has chosen to chart his own path. An inspiring conference on choices, responsibility and the courage to define oneself beyond family heritage.
Panel — RBC presents: Building a sustainable sports system: a winning choice for society With Laurent Dubreuil, Olympic medal-winning speed skater, and Frank Pons, dean of FSA ULaval and professor of marketing Host: Geneviève Tardif, journalist and sports presenter
What if sport was not an expense, but one of the most profitable investments for our society? This conference offers an enlightening look at the human, social and economic impacts of the sports system, and demonstrates how an investment, from the next generation to the elite, can become a real winning choice for everyone.
Conference — Turning glitches into power: lessons from rock legendsWith Fred Colantonio, rock’n’roll criminologist and international speaker
Inspired by rock legends, Fred Colantonio, an internationally recognized speaker, offers a different look at leadership, team cohesion and the resilience necessary to embrace who we are and succeed collectively. An energizing conference to embrace change, transform resistance into opportunities and sustainably mobilize individuals around ambitious challenges.
Closing conference — Reinventing to act: from the community heart to municipal action With Bruno Marchand, mayor of Quebec Animation: Pénélope McQuade, host
Reinventing to act means transforming a commitment rooted in the community into a new impact journey. An inspiring conference where Bruno Marchand looks back on his personal journey, from the community heart to municipal action, and on the courage to reinvent oneself to continue to serve the common good.
Programming for September 11Opening conference — Beneva presents: From the field to the human With Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, doctor, entrepreneur and former NFL playerAnimation: Alexane Drolet, journalist and creator of the AlExplain platform
From the field to the human, Laurent Duvernay Tardif shares a journey where sporting performance meets personal and social commitment. An inspiring conference on leadership, resilience and the choice to redefine success by putting people at the heart of the action.
Panel — Northern sovereignty: issues, responsibilities and perspectives With Tasha Kheiriddin, political analyst and communications strategist and Thierry Rodon, professor of political science and expert on northern issues Moderator: Émilie Dubreuil, journalist at Radio-Canada.
A direct and human conversation, where each speaker shares their view of the Far North in order to shed light on current geopolitical issues. The exchanges open dialogue on an increasingly coveted territory, marked by tensions, divergent interests and sometimes opposing visions. Together, they provide a better understanding of what it means today to protect, inhabit and represent the North, at a time when the conquest of this territory is intensifying.
Conference — Writing tomorrow via AI and fictionWith Chris Bergeron, creative strategist, digital leader and speaker
At the crossroads of fiction and artificial intelligence, Chris Bergeron offers a stimulating reflection on how AI can transform stories while respecting human creativity and inclusion. An inspiring conference to rethink the writing of tomorrow, explore the ethical issues of human-machine co-creation and preserve the soul of the stories that bring us together.
Closing Conference — FSA Business Class ULaval presents: The hidden power of slowing downWith Carl Honoré, writer, speaker and spokesperson for the Slow Movement
TED speaker and essential voice of the Slow Movement, Carl Honoré invites us to rethink our relationship with time in a world addicted to speed. An engaging and impactful conference to discover how slowness can become a powerful lever for performance, clarity and longevity, by knowing when to slow down… and when to speed up.