Schedule-at-a-Glance

Click the session title to view description and speaker details.

More detailed information coming soon.

6:00 pm

VMA Board of Directors Dinner (Invitation only.)

8:00 am – 12:00 pm

VMA Board of Directors Meeting (Invitation only.)

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

VRC Board of Directors Meeting (Invitation only.)

11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Registration Open

1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Welcome to the 88th Annual Meeting Opening Remarks & Anti-Trust Briefing

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm

Program Session

The Tech Energy Transition

This session will explore how new technologies and a new administration are impacting the energy landscape. Specifically, it will focus on how artificial intelligence, Big Tech, and the explosion in data center development are shaping investments and the regulatory regimes for various energy technologies.  The types of energy best suited to meet this increased demand, as well as some of the opportunities and challenges of available energy options will also be discussed.

Speaker Info

Amy L. Stein, JD, Cone Wagner Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Program Session

The Political, Trade and Regulatory Landscape Shaping North American Manufacturing

Government policy continues to influence nearly every aspect of doing business—from trade and tariffs to regulation, taxation, permitting, workforce development, and global competitiveness. For manufacturers serving North American and global markets, understanding the policy environment has become an essential part of strategic planning.  This executive briefing brings together experts from the United States and Canada to provide a timely overview of the political and regulatory developments shaping the business climate for the valve sector.

The session will begin with three focused presentations:

  • Canadian Government Affairs Perspective – A representative from the Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Québec will provide an overview of Canada’s current political and regulatory environment, highlighting key policy priorities, manufacturing initiatives, and issues affecting Canadian industry.
  • Washington Outlook – Omar Nashashibi, Inside Beltway, will provide an update on the political landscape in Washington, D.C., including the implications of the 2026 U.S. elections, Congressional priorities, federal regulatory developments, and the policy issues most likely to affect manufacturers over the coming year.
  • Trade & Regulatory Briefing – Eric McCafferty, Kelley Drye, will examine the latest developments in U.S. trade policy, tariffs, customs, and related regulatory issues, helping attendees understand the implications for global supply chains, sourcing decisions, and international competitiveness.

Following the presentations, the speakers will participate in a moderated executive discussion exploring how these issues intersect across North America, the implications for manufacturers operating in both countries, and what business leaders should be watching over the next 12 to 24 months.

Speaker Info

Eric McClafferty, Partner, International Trade, Kelley Drye LLC
Omar Nashashibi, Owner, Inside Beltway

Francis Prévost, Director, Public and Government Affairs, Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Networking Break

Sponsored by:   

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Special Event

Spouse/Guest Program

Join other spouses and guest for a meet and greet while enjoying High Tea at the Frontenac. Enjoy light refreshments and catch up with friends, and meet new attendees, as you look forward to your time at the VMA/VRC Annual Meeting.

Click here for more information.

3:30 pm – 4:45 pm

Program Session

Navigating the Chaos: Strategies for an Uncertain and Volatile Economy

In an economy defined by uncertainty and rapid change, understanding what’s ahead is only part of the challenge—leaders also need to know how to respond.  We are excited to have economist Todd Hirsch back to address us with his forward-looking perspective on the economic trends, risks, and opportunities shaping the business environment and what they mean for manufacturers.  Going beyond the traditional economic forecast, Todd will explore practical tools for navigating volatility and uncertainty, along with the characteristics and strategies that enable successful companies to adapt, remain resilient, and find opportunity amid change.  Attendees will leave with greater context for the road ahead—and practical insights to help lead their organizations through it.

Speaker Info

Todd Hirsch

4:15 pm – 4:55 pm

Program Session

Unlocking Profit & Knowledge with Real-Time Data and AI

As manufacturers strive for greater profitability and efficiency, real-time data and AI are becoming essential tools. Yet, 70% of manufacturers still rely on manual data entry, according to NAM’s Manufacturing Leadership Council. This session explores how leading companies are leveraging smart manufacturing technologies and automated data collection to gain clearer insights into operations and margins. Learn how AI and real-time data can help identify costly downtime, optimize pricing, forecast production, and evaluate machine utilization. Discover how deeper analytics—by customer, part, or process—can improve contribution margins and support more strategic decisions. This session offers practical, proven approaches to turn data into actionable intelligence that drives growth and operational performance.

Speaker Info 

Michael J. Devereux II, Partner, National Manufacturing Industry Leader, Wipfli LLP

4:55 pm – 5:00 pm

Closing Remarks

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Special Event

New to VMA or attending your first Annual Meeting? Join VMA leadership and fellow first-timers for a dedicated welcome reception. Make new connections and learn how to get the most from your membership.

Dress Code: Resort casual

Sponsored by:    Bray

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Special Event

Enjoy a casual beachside evening with colleagues in beautiful downtown Quebec City. This relaxed dinner features local flavors and food stations in a beautiful outdoor setting.  

Dress Code: Resort casual

Sponsored by:  ASCO

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast

Sponsored by:   

7:30 am – 8:30 am

VRC members are encouraged to attend this session for updates on key initiatives and council direction for the year ahead.

8:30 am -9:00 am

Start the day with conversation and connection. Choose a table topic that interests you and join fellow attendees for an informal, 30-minute discussion over breakfast. Each table will focus on a timely industry or business issue, providing an opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, ask questions, and learn how peers are approaching similar challenges.  There are no presentations and no right answers, only peer-to-peer conversation and an opportunity to gain new perspectives while making valuable industry connections.  Topics include: 

  • The Workforce You Have vs. the Workforce You’ll Need
  • AI in Action: What Are You Actually Using?
  • Cybersecurity: How Prepared Is Your Company?
  • The Changing Customer:  What buyers are expecting now
  • Valve Repair & MRO:   Repair or Replace?

9:00 am – 9:50 am

Program Session

The Future of Water: Investment, Demand & the Power Connection

Water and wastewater infrastructure continue as a strong growth markets for the valve industry. Reese Tisdale, President of Bluefield Research, will provide an executive-level perspective on the forces shaping the water market and where investment and opportunity are headed over the next decade.

 

The session will explore the outlook for infrastructure investment, evolving utility priorities, and the impact of trends including water scarcity, reuse, PFAS and resilience. Reese will also examine how rapidly growing power needs—driven in part by AI, data centers and industrial expansion—are affecting water demand and infrastructure investment.  This session will provide insight into changing customer priorities and what those shifts mean for companies these markets.

Speaker Info

Reese Tisdale, President, Bluefield Research

10:00 am – 10:15 am

Networking Break

9:50 am – 10:40 am

Program Session

The Project Supply Chain: An EPC Perspective

Supply chains for major capital projects continue to evolve as EPC firms and project owners navigate changing sourcing strategies, material availability, capacity constraints, geopolitical risk, localization requirements, and increasing expectations for supplier performance.  This session provides an inside look at the project supply chain from the EPC perspective—and what these changes mean for manufacturers and distributors. 

Topics addressed will include how supply chain changes are affecting the way in which EPCs evaluate and select critical suppliers; how changing market conditions are influencing specifications and procurement strategies.  The discussion will also look beyond the product itself to explore what EPCs increasingly need from their manufacturing partners. How can suppliers engage earlier in the project lifecycle? Where can communication between engineering, procurement, and manufacturers improve? And what distinguishes a trusted supplier from one that simply meets the specification?  Attendees will gain practical insight into how the project supply chain is changing and what EPCs value most in their partners.

Speaker Info

Claire Dwyer, Fellow Piping Engineer, Fluor Enterprises

10:40 am – 11:00 am

Networking Break

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Program Session

Geopolitics, Energy, and Industrial Resilience: Strategic Implications for Global Operations

This presentation examines how an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape is reshaping energy security, global supply chains, and industrial investment, with a particular focus on the strategic importance of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Drawing on recent developments—including heightened tensions affecting maritime security, regional conflict, and disruptions to critical shipping routes—it explores how geopolitical risk is influencing energy markets, procurement strategies, capital investment, and operational resilience across industrial sectors. Participants will gain a practical framework for assessing emerging risks and identifying strategies to strengthen global operations, secure supply chains, and make informed investment decisions in an era of persistent geopolitical uncertainty.

Speaker Info

Dr. Bessma Momani, Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo

12:00 pm

Lunch on Your Own

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Spend your free afternoon networking in a more casual setting. Explore the local area, try something new, or join a friendly competition while connecting with fellow leaders. Spouse/guest participation welcome. Separate registration required for all. Click here for more networking activity information and associated costs.

  • Old Quebec Historic Walking Tour
  • Golf Tournament

Sponsored by:    Vytl

5:00 pm

Evening on Your Own

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast

Sponsored by:    riggio

8:30 am – 9:30 am

An important update on VMA’s strategic plans, member programs, and future goals. Open to all VMA members.

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Walking Tour of the Naples Historic District. Click here for a full description and cost.

  • Walking Tour of Naples Historic District

9:30 am – 9:45 am

Networking Break

Sponsored by:   triflow

9:45 am – 11:00 pm

Program Session

The One Variable You Can Control: Leadership Self-Awareness in Uncertain Times

Heather Beck (CPHR, PCC) is a certified executive coach and the owner of HM Beck Leadership Coaching. Her prior experience includes 15 years in Calgary’s energy services sector, leading talent and retention strategy through boom-and-bust cycles. Now she partners with organizations to build leadership development programs, grounded in self-awareness as the core leadership competency for leading through uncertainty.

In this session, expect to face your own leadership patterns as you roll up your sleeves with your colleagues to tackle the valve industry’s biggest workforce challenge: talent retention.

Speaker Info

Heather Beck, Owner, HM Beck Leadership Coaching

11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Program Session

Behind the Deal: What M&A Tells Us About the Future of the Industry

Mergers and acquisitions can reshape far more than the companies involved in a transaction. They can change competitive dynamics, customer and supplier relationships, access to technology and talent, and ultimately the direction of an entire industry.  In this executive-level interview, we’ll go behind the scenes of M&A from a banker’s perspective.  We’ll explore what makes a company or market attractive to buyers, how banks evaluate strategic fit and long-term value, and what patterns in M&A activity can tell us about where an industry is headed.

Just as importantly, we’ll also look beyond the buyer and seller. What should industry leaders be thinking about when a competitor, customer or key supplier is acquired? How can consolidation alter the competitive landscape? And what signals should executives be watching—even if your company isn’t considering a transaction?

This conversation will give attendees a broader perspective on M&A as both a business strategy and an important indicator of change across the industrial marketplace.

Speaker Info

Joe Petti, Water & Flow Control Investment Banking, Bank of Montreal

11:00 am – 11:15 am

Networking Break

Sponsored by:    triflow

11:15 am – 12:00 pm

Program Session

Behind the Deal: What M&A Tells Us About the Future of the Industry

Mergers and acquisitions can reshape far more than the companies involved in a transaction. They can change competitive dynamics, customer and supplier relationships, access to technology and talent, and ultimately the direction of an entire industry.  In this executive-level interview, we’ll go behind the scenes of M&A from a banker’s perspective.  We’ll explore what makes a company or market attractive to buyers, how banks evaluate strategic fit and long-term value, and what patterns in M&A activity can tell us about where an industry is headed.

Just as importantly, we’ll also look beyond the buyer and seller. What should industry leaders be thinking about when a competitor, customer or key supplier is acquired? How can consolidation alter the competitive landscape? And what signals should executives be watching—even if your company isn’t considering a transaction?

This conversation will give attendees a broader perspective on M&A as both a business strategy and an important indicator of change across the industrial marketplace.

Speaker Info

Joe Petti, Water & Flow Control Investment Banking, Bank of Montreal

11:55 pm – 12:00 pm

Closing Remarks

12:00 pm

Lunch on Your Own

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Spend your free afternoon networking in a more casual setting. Explore the local area, try something new, or join a friendly competition while connecting with fellow leaders. Spouse/guest participation welcome. Separate registration required for all. Click here for more networking activity information and associated costs.

  • Local Winery Tasting Experience
  • Montmorency Falls Excursion

6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Special Event

Close out the Annual Meeting with a celebratory evening of recognition and connection. Enjoy a festive reception, awards presentation, and a lively evening with a DJ.

Dress Code: Resort elegant

Sponsored by:     

"The presentations at the Annual Meeting were of current and timely information regarding the industry, the economy, and political influences on our industry.” - Past Attendee

Sessions

More information coming soon.

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