Friday, October 16, 2026
4:00 PM
Registration Opens
5:00 PM
Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynotes
6:00 PM
Teams Assemble & Innovation Challenge Kickoff
Teams are presented with the challenges and begin ideation
7:00 PM
Dinner & Industry Networking
8:00 PM
Programming Concludes
Saturday, October 17, 2026
9:00 AM
Breakfast & Team Building Begins
Teams continue working on their solution throughout the day, with roaming mentorship available
11:00 AM
Design with AI: Building the Next Generation of Creatives
How students can use AI in product design, UX, research, ideation, prototyping, and creative workflows
1:00 PM
Lunch Served
1:30 PM
Media & Digital Storytelling Sessions
Structured interviews with students, industry leaders, Canadian media, and social media creators
Focused on showcasing innovation, emerging talent, and the future of technology
3:00 PM
Engineering in the Age of AI: Transforming Your Technical Skill Set
Structured interviews with students, industry leaders, Canadian media, and social media creators
Focused on showcasing innovation, emerging talent, and the future of technology
5:00 PM
Industry Leadership Panel: Technology, AI & the Evolution of Canada’s Economy
Discussion on how AI, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies are reshaping Canadian industries, productivity, and careers
6:30 PM
Programming Concludes
9:00 PM
Team Building Concludes
Sunday, October 18, 2026
9:00 AM
Breakfast
9:30 AM
Team Building & Industry Mentorship Begins
Teams continue developing their solutions
Rotating mentorship with engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders
10:30 AM
Presenting with Impact: Building a Clear, Confident & Compelling Pitch
Presentation structure, storytelling, executive communication, confidence, and presenting with charisma
12:30 PM
Finalist Evaluation & Judging
Projects evaluated on innovation, technical execution, impact, feasibility, and presentation
1:00 PM
Lunch Served
2:00 PM
Finalist Teams Announced
4:00 PM
Catalyst 2026 Innovation Pitch Competition
5:00 PM
Closing Keynotes, Winner Announcement & Awards
6:00 PM
Programming Concludes