Keynotes
Opening Keynote: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
8:45AM - 10:00AM
"Breaking the Communication Barrier"
Abe Wagner Building rapport and communicating in an honest yet sensitive and clear manner are cornerstones of the effective communication process. The information contained in this presentation is applicable to your business life: management, communication, sales, customer service, team building; as well as your personal life: marriage, raising children, and other friendships. In his down-to-earth manner, Abe Wagner explains key concepts of Breaking The Communication Barrier in a thought-provoking and entertaining way.
Learning Objectives:
- How to establish rapid rapport and resolve conflict
- How to create long-term rapport at work and home
- Learn the art of diplomatic “carefrontation”
Abe Wagner has over 35 years of experience as a convention speaker, corporate trainer and author. He has worked with organizations around the world, ranging from start-ups and Fortune 500 companies to governments and non-profits. He is the author of Say It Straight Or You’ll Show It Crooked and The Transactional Manager.
Closing Keynote: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
3:45PM - 5:00PM
"Learning to Walk the Talk; A Story of re-invention, perseverance and success through setting and achieving goals"
Tyler Mosher Tyler Mosher broke his back in nine places while Snowboarding on December 30th 2000. His L-1 vertebrae exploded on impact after falling 10 metres on to the top of his head leaving him permanently disabled and paralyzed below the waist. The prognosis at the time of injury was a complete spinal cord injury and Tyler would live in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.
It isn’t easy for anyone to hear what they don’t want to believe. We all have road blocks and speed bumps thrown in front of us as we travel down our chosen paths, yet we all have choices. Tyler Mosher was lucky that spinal cord injury surgeries and rehabilitation treatments have progressed a great deal since the 1980's and 90's. Staying positive helps him have the choice to push through the road blocks put in front of him while slowly rolling over the speed bumps and carefully navigating hurdles.
Weeks after his injury and post reconstructive surgery, it was apparent his spinal cord injury was incomplete as Tyler began to regain some mobility. Although he was still told he would have to learn to live in his wheel chair for the rest of his life, with new hope of walking, Tyler chose to leave his chair in the corner of the room and get up and fall down until he didn’t fall down anymore. Today, he is 40% paralyzed and you probably wouldn’t know it if you watched him walking down the street. Through perseverance, hard work, luck and help from loved ones and many others; Tyler is the 2009 World Champion in Adaptive Snowboarding and competed for Canada at the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Cross Country Skiing. More recently, Tyler participated in the 2011 Winter X Games for the First Ever Adaptive Boardercross and also completed all three World Birkebeiner 55km Ski Marathons in one year over a five week period which less then 10 people have accomplished and by doing so will receive the Haakon Haakonson Award; all bookended by Para-Snowboard World Cup podiums.