Keynote Speaker in Vancouver | Sylvie di Giusto

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Looking for an international keynote speaker in Vancouver?

Sylvie di Giusto calls the United States home, and airport lounges around the world her second office. She is a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker who helps organizations, and the people inside them, become impossible to replace. She has worked with leaders from Germany to the UK and Hong Kong, and brings two keynotes to Vancouver stages: Forever Human and The Power of Choice, live or as the world’s first 3D immersive keynote.

PassengerYour audience

ClassIrreplaceable

GateYour stage

BoardingWhen you are ready

Languages: English
Keynotes: Forever Human
The Power of Choice
Formats: 3D immersive or traditional · in person, hybrid, virtual
Recognition: CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame · Esprit, Davey and EventEx awards
Reach: Audiences in 25+ countries
Books: More than a dozen books on leadership and being chosen

Sylvie di Giusto, keynote speaker, smiling

Hello, I’m Sylvie.

An Austrian mother, a French father, a Spanish grandmother and an Italian grandfather gave me a lifelong appetite for places where many cultures meet. Vancouver is one of the best: mountains on one side, the Pacific on the other, and large Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi-speaking communities woven into an English-speaking city. Among others, I have served audiences for the Canadian Society of Association Executives in Vancouver, CCAE in Montreal, CMDC and EPIC Community in Toronto, and The Co-operators in Edmonton.

For nearly twenty years I sat on your side of the table. I led the leadership academy of Europe’s largest retail and tourism group and worked with leaders from Germany to the UK and Hong Kong, so a Pacific Rim audience feels familiar to me. I know what such a room needs: one message that lands in every culture present.

Today I live in Florida, which makes Vancouver a long flight but an easy yes. I work with Canadian organizations, and I’ve served audiences in more than 25 countries. A city that hosts Web Summit is exactly the right place to talk about what keeps people irreplaceable.

Trusted by organizations around the world

Choose your route

Two keynotes, built for your Vancouver audience

Future of work & AI

Forever Human

The better the machines get, the more your people will set you apart.

AI just made everyone equally capable. Sylvie names the ten moves a machine still can’t make and shows your audience how to lead, sell and connect with the human signals technology can’t fake.

Why it lands in Vancouver: Web Summit and SIGGRAPH have brought the tech world to this waterfront, so your audience has seen what machines can do. This shows them what only people can.

Explore Forever Human

Leadership & sales

The Power of Choice

What your people know rarely gets them chosen. What others see in them does.

Clients, talent and the room decide in seconds. Sylvie reveals the five dimensions that quietly decide who gets kept, followed and chosen, and how to shape them on purpose.

Why it lands in Vancouver: for teams working across the Pacific Rim and many cultures, it shows how people are kept, followed and chosen, wherever the client sits.

Explore The Power of Choice

Step inside it

Bring the world’s first 3D immersive keynote to Vancouver

No slides, no pre-recorded hologram beamed in from somewhere else. Sylvie stays live in the room while holograms appear around her, and your leaders, sponsors and theme can step into the story. In Vancouver, our team works hand in hand with your venue and AV partner, so the wow never costs you a sleepless night.

Explore the 3D experience

Why planners bring Sylvie to Vancouver

Pacific Rim readyDecades of working with leaders from Europe to Hong Kong, and a message built for multicultural Vancouver audiences.

From your side of the tableTwenty years of booking speakers herself. She knows what you risk when you choose one.

Built for your roomEvery keynote is researched and customized, down to your people, your theme and your city.

Zero diva, full partnerOne team for travel and logistics, working hand in hand with yours or your bureau’s, and a speaker who makes your event the star.

Planning a conference in Vancouver: local insights

Vancouver is a magnet for global events: in fiscal 2025/26 its convention centre hosted 335 events, including Web Summit Vancouver and SIGGRAPH 2025. Here is what helps when you plan yours.

Fly inVancouver International Airport (YVR)The Canada Line SkyTrain links YVR with downtown Vancouver in about 25 minutes.

Time zonePST / PDTCheck the live clock under the departures board above.

LanguageEnglish, with large Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi-speaking communitiesSylvie’s keynotes are delivered in English and built for international audiences.

CurrencyCanadian dollar (CAD)British Columbia adds 5% GST and, on many goods and services, 7% PST.

Vancouver’s largest event venues

Venue	Area	Up to
BC Place	Downtown, False Creek	54,000+
Rogers Arena	Downtown	19,000+
Vancouver Convention Centre	Coal Harbour waterfront	16,000+
Freedom Mobile Arch (PNE)	Hastings Park	10,000

Capacities as published by Destination Vancouver.

My planner tips for Vancouver

Open with acknowledgement. Land acknowledgements of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations are customary at the start of events, so build one into the run of show before the keynote.
Mind the three-hour gap. Vancouver is three hours behind Toronto and New York, so time live-streamed or hybrid sessions with East Coast audiences in mind. Sylvie’s keynotes work in person, hybrid or virtual.
Watch Web Summit week. Web Summit Vancouver fills the city in May, so book hotels early, or time a tech-focused event to ride the same wave.
Taking it on the road? Pair Vancouver with Calgary and Edmonton and take one message across Western Canada.
Make the evening unforgettable. Host the reception at Canada Place with the harbor and mountains as a backdrop, or end with the sunset over English Bay.

Landmarks for your evening program

Stanley ParkCanada PlaceGastownGranville IslandCapilano Suspension BridgeGrouse MountainVancouver LookoutEnglish Bay

Questions planners ask about Vancouver

Who is a good international keynote speaker for a conference in Vancouver?

Sylvie di Giusto is a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker and has worked with leaders across Europe and Asia. She delivers two keynotes, Forever Human on the human edge in the age of AI and The Power of Choice on how people get chosen, either on a traditional stage or as the world’s first 3D immersive keynote.

Can the keynote be tailored to an international audience in Vancouver?

Yes. Every keynote is researched and customized for your people, your industry and your theme, and Sylvie’s multicultural background helps her connect with audiences of many nationalities in Vancouver.

Can the 3D immersive keynote be staged in a Vancouver venue?

Yes, wherever there is a stage and a room that can go dark. Sylvie’s team works directly with your Vancouver venue and AV partner, checks the floor plan early and sends the full tech requirements. See how the experience works.

Which keynote fits an AI or technology conference in Vancouver?

Forever Human. It shows audiences the ten moves a machine still can’t make, and turns AI anxiety into a clear plan for the human skills that grow in value as technology gets better.

Which keynote fits a leadership, sales or HR event in Vancouver?

The Power of Choice. It reveals the five dimensions that decide who gets kept, followed and chosen, and shows people how to shape those judgments on purpose. It is built on Sylvie’s book The Image of Leadership.

Sylvie is based in the US. Does she travel to Vancouver?

Yes. Sylvie speaks in more than 25 countries. Her team handles travel and logistics, so you work with one contact from the first call to the show.

Can we book Sylvie through our local speaker bureau?

Yes. Sylvie partners with speaker bureaus around the world. If a bureau already supports your event, Sylvie’s team will work directly with them from the first call to the show, so you keep the partner you trust.

What about visas, permits and other formalities for a keynote in Canada?

Sylvie’s team handles it with you. Sylvie speaks internationally all year, so her team knows the paperwork a cross-border keynote can involve: business visas or work permits, invitation letters, and any tax forms Canada requires for foreign speakers. They check the requirements for Canada early, tell you exactly what they need from you, and take care of the rest, so nothing stands between your date and the stage.

How far in advance should we book a keynote speaker for Vancouver?

As early as your dates are set. Peak conference seasons in Vancouver fill venues and hotels fast, and the 3D immersive keynote needs a few weeks of custom work for your audience. Check availability to hold your date.

Can Sylvie speak virtually or in a hybrid format for a Vancouver event?

Yes. Both keynotes are available in person, hybrid or virtual, and each version is customized to your audience and theme.

Around the clock

Still have questions? Ask Edna.

Last updated: October 2026

International
keynote speaker
in Vancouver