Event Details
On Monday, November 24, 2025, the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) will convene executives, policymakers, and community leaders for the Alberta Economic Budget Forum & Premier’s Dinner at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
This is Alberta’s signature tourism policy event, a forum where the tourism industry’s potential aligns in a conversation with government about the type of economic future we want for Alberta. With visitor spending surpassing $14.4B in 2024, Alberta’s visitor economy now leads the nation in growth. As Budget 2026–27 approaches, the question is no longer whether tourism matters and whether public investment in the sector has yielded the desired results, but rather which policy and funding levers need to be activated to further propel Alberta’s tourism growth in an increasingly unstable global trading environment.
This event will help sharpen the narrative and the choices in front of us, connecting government and industry in a collaborative effort that positions tourism as one of the province’s strongest sectors for export growth.
Take advantage of our exclusive event rate at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Reserve your stay here.
AGENDA
LAUNCH EVENT (12:00 PM – 1:30PM )
ALIGNING COMPENSATION CULTURE IN TOURISM: TOOLS TO DRIVE PERFORMANCE AND BUILD TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE
- Greg Klassen, Managing Director, Skift Advisory
- Chase Gray, Director, Strategy, Skift Advisory
How We Got Here
An in-depth look at Alberta’s labour shortages, turnover, and the urgent need for a new compensation culture that leverages people as an investment in the business enterprise, not a cost. This session, which flows from the first phase of a TIAA-SKIFT Advisory lead research project, will deliver insights into current HR systems and practices, offering a host of tactical responses that better position tourism leaders to build high-performing and profitable businesses.
What Comes Next
A preview of TIAA’s AI-powered HR Advisor Chatbot, built with Skift Advisory, now out for pilot testing. The tool is designed to provide operators with real-time, reliable HR guidance, demonstrating how technology can support workforce stability and long-term competitiveness across the sector.
Following this session, a media scrum will be held to provide further commentary, answer questions, and connect the discussion to broader workforce and policy issues that must be overcome for Alberta to achieve its $25B tourism spending goal.
Please note that lunch will not be provided as part of the event.
ALBERTA ECONOMIC BUDGET FORUM (1:30 PM– 5:00 PM)
The day’s sessions are designed to deliver policy insights for executives and government officials, linking new research and tactical communication evidence, advocacy, and clear next steps.
GROWTH IN THE MIDST OF TRADE AND TARIFF UNCERTAINTY: LEVERAGING THE POWER OF TOURISM
- Ryan Jespersen, Real Talk, Moderator
- Janet Brown, Pollster and Political Commentator, Janet Brown Opinion Research
- Duane Bratt, Professor and Political Commentator, Mount Royal University
- Charles St-Arnaud, Chief Economist, Alberta Central
- Mike Solberg, Partner, New West Public Affairs
Against a backdrop of increasing global uncertainty, leading political analysts will deliver timely insights on the fiscal and political outlook for the province. The session will explore the factors influencing the government’s policy and spending options leading up to the delivery of Budget 2026—from economic and trade headwinds, to the evolving dimensions of our federal–provincial relationship. The session will highlight both the risks and the opportunities presenting for the industry and the best ways government can de-risk conditions for the sector.
REGIONAL GROWTH & PROSPERITY: AN NDP PERSPECTIVE TO 2035
- Moderated Conversation with NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi & MLA Nicole Goehring (Edmonton-Castle Downs)
- Q&A
A candid dialogue with Alberta’s Official Opposition on the tourism economy and its role in Alberta’s long-term prosperity and in enhancing residents’ quality of life. The session will explore how tourism fits within the NDP’s social and economic policy platform and how the party sees tourism as contributing to a more balanced and diversified provincial economy.
TOURISM AS A VEHICLE TO SUPPORT EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Ben Brunnen, Principal and Founder, Verum Consulting,
- Bin Lau, Director, U.S. Midwest, Consulate General of Canada to the United States in Chicago
- Jon Mamela, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Alberta
Tourism is no longer a peripheral sector: it is one of Alberta’s most strategic exports and 4th largest by international receipts. This session will explore how the visitor economy can be leveraged as a hedge against global uncertainty, a source of international capital, a tool of soft political diplomacy, and, a catalyst for rural and urban prosperity. The question is not whether Alberta needs tourism but how it can be rapidly leveraged as a driver of diversification, resilience, and long-term economic security.
A full list of high-impact speakers and panelists invited to participate in these sessions will be published soon.
EVENING PROGRAM (5:00 PM – 8:45 PM)
Reception • Dinner • GRIT Awards • Premier’s Q&A
This high impact evening event will celebrate inspiring and thought-provoking Albertans who are making contributions within their community, in their businesses, and in their efforts to encourage a policy dialogue that advances tourism’s potential as a source of sustainable development, and job creation.
ALBERTA-MADE MLA COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Alberta-made beverages and chef-driven canapés paired with direct dialogue between MLAs and industry leaders. Every sip and bite tells Alberta’s story of rural producers, entrepreneurs, and community vitality, the fuel of Alberta’s visitor economy.
GRIT AWARDS AND DINNER
A chef-inspired dinner built from Alberta-sourced ingredients, tying field to table and tourism to trade. During dinner, the GRIT Awards recognize three operators whose Growth, Resilience and Inspiration exemplify how smart policy and determined entrepreneurs come together to deliver jobs and exemplary experiences that help amplify and promote a community’s resources.
PREMIER'S AND MINISTER'S REMARKS & Q&A
- Premier Danielle Smith
- Hon. Andrew Boitchenko, Minister of Tourism and Sport
A focused conversation on the budget levers and policy decisions that will be required to sustain Alberta’s record-setting growth and march toward being a $25B industry.
Take advantage of our exclusive event rate at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Reserve your stay here.
Be part of a pivotal gathering that will shape the conversation,
strengthen partnerships, and advance Alberta’s visitor economy.
Membership ticket pricing is not offered to member applicants; organizations must be paid and approved members. Membership ticket pricing is not otherwise extended to a member organization’s membership, volunteers, or affiliated businesses. Refund policy can be found here. Please read TIAA's Code of Conduct policy here.
