Keynote speaker in Columbus, Ohio
Every day, your people get chosen or replaced: by clients, by leaders, and now by machines. I show them how to become the one nobody wants to lose.
Real rooms. Real people. Real change.
Everyone now has the same AI, the same data and the same tools.
The only difference left is your people.
AI does more of the work every day, and your clients can compare everything in seconds.
What still decides who gets kept, followed and chosen is human.
AI anxiety quietly eats confidence, engagement and the courage to lead. People who feel replaceable stop acting irreplaceable.
When every competitor has the same tools and the same data, the people are the only difference a client can still feel.
The talent you most want to keep is the talent everyone else wants too. Being chosen works both ways.
Whatever your industry, your people are quietly asking one of them.
Will a machine do my job?
The better the machines get, the more your people will set you apart.
Why it lands in Columbus: in a city built on insurance, retail, education and logistics, where AI is moving into every back office, it shows your audience the ten moves a machine still can’t make.
Why does someone else get chosen?
What your people know rarely gets them chosen. What others see in them does.
Why it lands in Columbus: for Columbus leaders competing for talent in one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing regions, it shows the five dimensions that decide who gets kept, followed and chosen.
No slides, no pre-recorded hologram beamed in from somewhere else.
I stay live in the room while your leaders, sponsors and theme step into the story.
How clients describe it, in their own words.
How clients make it their own.
I can’t compete with a Buckeyes Saturday, but I can make your Monday morning worth showing up for.
I’m Sylvie di Giusto. Before the stage, there was a long corporate chapter: nearly two decades that ended with me leading the leadership academy of Europe’s largest retail and tourism group, where I also hired the speakers. Today I’m a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and home is Tampa. For Columbus audiences in insurance, retail, education and technology, I bring a message that fits a city on the rise: AI makes capability cheap, but being chosen still depends on people. I fly in from Tampa the day before, rehearse in your room and make sure your general session delivers. Columbus is growing fast, and the people driving that growth deserve to know what makes them impossible to replace.
In their words, not ours.
In 27 years of planning conferences and hearing thousands of speakers, it’s truly rare to be enlightened and moved by one.
She takes the time to learn about you, your audience, your conference. I’d put her right at the very top of the list.
The absolute attention to detail, the going above and beyond, really making sure that we are fully customized, and really engaging with our content and our audience. I just can’t say enough good things.
She worked with me putting personal touches on my presentation to fit into her technology, which is something I haven’t done with any other keynote before.
You’d think it’s really hard, but from the production side it wasn’t.
Sylvie came up with a unique idea on involving us in her actual presentation. It actually blew everybody’s minds and they couldn’t figure out if I was actually on stage or I was an avatar.
Her ‘Forever Human’ keynote received rave reviews from our attendees, and for good reason. From the moment she began, you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Her presentation was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced at a conference.
Instead of using slides, we went with Sylvie’s 3D holographic technology. I’ve already received several awesome compliments.
Sylvie di Giusto is a CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame keynote speaker. 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.
Yes. Sylvie speaks across the United States and in more than 25 countries, and Columbus is a nonstop flight from her home airport. Her team handles travel and logistics, so you work with one contact from the first call to the show.
Yes, wherever there is a stage and a room that can go dark. Sylvie’s team works directly with your Columbus venue and AV partner, checks the floor plan early and sends the full tech requirements. See how the experience works.
Both keynotes work for any industry, so the choice comes down to the question your audience is quietly asking. Forever Human answers “Will a machine do my job?” It shows people 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. The Power of Choice answers “Why does someone else get chosen?” It reveals the five dimensions that decide who gets kept, followed and chosen, and shows people how to shape those judgments on purpose. Not sure which one your audience needs? Sylvie’s team will help you decide on the first call.
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.
As early as your dates are set. Peak convention seasons in Columbus fill venues and hotels fast, and the 3D immersive keynote needs a little lead time to be tailored to your audience. Check availability to hold your date.
Yes. Both keynotes are available in person, hybrid or virtual, and each version is customized to your audience and theme.
In 2025, Columbus hosted 349 conventions, trade shows and sporting events, with the restaurants and galleries of the Short North Arts District right next to its downtown convention center. Here is what helps when you plan yours, and why a keynote speaker in Columbus is easy to book with my team.
| Venue | Area | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Columbus Convention Center (Battelle Grand) | Downtown, next to the Short North | 5,411 (full ballroom); 4,368 (main floor, theater) |
| Nationwide Arena | Arena District | 20,000 |
| Ohio Expo Center & State Fair | Ohio State Fairgrounds, north of downtown | 20,000 |
| The Ohio Union, The Ohio State University | University District | 1,720 |
| Hyatt Regency Columbus (Regency Ballroom) | Downtown, connected to the convention center | 1,600 |
Capacities as published by Greater Columbus Convention Center fact sheet / venue guides.
Dates, formats, the 3D experience and logistics for your Columbus event.
