CPBI’s Regina-based conference opens to record attendance with focus on learning, networking and well-being
The Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI) Saskatchewan regional conference hit a milestone on Tuesday as it welcomed plan sponsors, benefits and investment professionals, reaching a record-breaking attendance and topping off the day with a Cinco de Mayo reception.
The achievement paved the way for what organizers and attendees believe will be another successful conference, with education and networking sessions drawing strong early engagement.
“So far, day one has been a huge success, I give it a 10 out of 10,” said Sherri Welk, consultant and account executive at HK Henderson Consulting.
“From chatting with colleagues and with various people that some I haven't seen for a year, since the last conference, everyone is saying it’s just been fantastic.”
Now in its 14th year, the conference is being hosted at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Krista Frayn, lead organizer of the conference sees the event serving three distinct purposes, though the mix varies by attendee.
The keynotes occupy different territory, leaning toward personal development and inspiration rather than technical content. Meanwhile, Alvin Law's opening keynote drew a standing ovation. Then there's the networking, which Frayn believes is just as important.
The conference builds in structured networking windows alongside social events like the Cinco de Mayo reception, with a dinner and entertainment night still to come on Wednesday.
As for the range of expectations in the room, Frayn believes that “it's different for everybody," she says, noting the conference offered three pre-recorded virtual sessions before the live event, plus 10 breakouts over the course of the program.
"I think a lot of people need that education, want that education and they want to stay on top of those hot topics in the industry," she says.
Welk noted how the first benefits session on men's health drew plenty of questions among attendees - a shift she found notable given the industry's recent focus on women's health. Now sitting on the national board after chairing the Saskatchewan council, Welk has a wider lens, but the regional pride still comes through.
"We're small but mighty here in Saskatchewan and we, we always seem to be able to pull off a fantastic event," she said, crediting much of that to the volunteer base, which she describes as “a well-oiled machine.”
"Sometimes we even have more volunteers than we need," she added.
Frayn noted the western region's attendees are driven less by formal credentials than by a desire to compare notes. Most come from Saskatchewan, with smaller contingents from Manitoba and Alberta, and they want to understand what their peers are facing – the challenges, the trends as well as the practical workarounds.
"Saskatchewan always comes out so strong with this loyalty, collaboration, working together as a team kind of atmosphere," she says, adding the province carries a distinct energy.
Hannah Karman, who’s attending the conference for the first time, also agrees.
"It's great to see everyone coming together from across Saskatchewan," said Karman, executive advisor at Plannera Pensions & Benefits. "I run into so many people I know because Saskatchewan is so small but the pension world is big. We have so many pension plans here."
For Manish Jain, a returning attendee, he believes office routines make it hard to connect with peers face to face so the conference breaks that cycle.
"We don’t always get the chance to meet in-person specifically and to listen to some good speakers," said Jain, branch manager at Westland Insurance Group. He also credits Frayn and the organizers with the speaker selection and values the chance to ask questions in a live setting rather than through a screen.
"I think it's the best thing which we get from these kind of conferences," he says of the networking.
Laura Richelhoff, also a first timer, was drawn to the conference by Larissa Bayet, her colleague at Saskatchewan Blue Cross and chair of the conference committee.
"It just sounded like a great experience to get to come and network and meet people and learn more about the industry," said Richelhoff, product analyst at Saskatchewan Blue Cross, noting she also sat in on the men's health session and came away with a sharp, stripped-down takeaway.
"Men need to go to the doctor and talk about mental health," she noted.
Bayet, for her part, zeroes in on that session's broader implications.
"My big takeaway is we all gotta come together and we need some sort of health and wellbeing reform," she said. “We can't rely on others or a government to make all the changes. We have the power within ourselves, our connections and networks and relationships to create better communities.”
When asked what attendees can expect to look forward to, she highlighted a workshop planned for the middle of the second day – what she calls "the dead period" – designed to push attendees beyond passive learning.
"This is a piece of the conference that kind of steps outside that professional development and really focuses on the individual and their personal power and what they can lean into. They're actually going to walk away with real takeaways to apply to their work, their careers, their lives," she said. "They're actually gonna have an action plan and not just a full brain of information with nowhere to go."
Karman underscored the enthusiasm on day one comes down to a willingness among Saskatchewan's pension and benefits professionals to share what they know. She pointed to the conference's blend of technical sessions and personal development – including Bayet's mindfulness programming – as something that gives attendees more than just work material to bring home.
"It's not just about the work that we do. It's about who we are as people and being able to take that away," she said.
Whether returning attendees feel it matched or exceeded the previous year, and whether newcomers leave compelled to spread the word, Welk wants people to take away something practical for their work, but also something personal. She emphasized how the mindfulness content and keynote speakers aren't strictly business, particularly as she sees that as a feature of the conference, not just a filler.
“Trying to top [the Saskatchewan conference] every year is always a challenge and I don't think we necessarily have to top it. I think we just want to try to make sure that it's as good as the year before,” said Welk. “If you learn something new and meet someone new, you've satisfied what you came here for and what we're hoping to accomplish.”
