Canada–Africa Business & InvestmentSummit 2027 Guidelines
Everything speakers, investors, companies, and partners need to prepare for a successful Summit experience — 15–16 September 2027, Shaw Centre, Ottawa, Canada.
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Keynote & Solo Speaker Guidelines
Standards for keynote and solo presentations on the main stage — designed to deliver maximum impact to a global audience of institutional investors and decision-makers.
- Submit your final deck no later than 7 days before the Summit.
- Accepted format: PowerPoint (.ppt / .pptx).
- 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio is required.
- Embed all fonts; include a PDF backup copy.
- All videos must be embedded in the deck (MP4, H.264).
- Provide a separate copy of any video to the AV desk.
- Test high-resolution images at native scale.
- Notify the team in advance if using live web demos.
- Arrive at the speaker lounge 60 minutes before your session.
- Tech check and microphone fitting takes ~15 minutes.
- Meet your session moderator backstage 20 minutes prior.
- Confirm headshot and bio at the registration desk.
- Lavalier and handheld microphones available on request.
- Confidence monitors and presenter view on stage.
- Dedicated AV technician for every keynote session.
- Clicker provided; bring your own if you prefer.
- Keynote slot: 20 minutes + 10 minutes Q&A.
- Solo presentation: 15 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A.
- Visual timer cues at 5, 2 and 1 minute remaining.
- Sessions start and end on time — please respect the clock.
- Institutional investors & sovereign funds
- Government leaders & trade officials
- Business executives & multinationals
- Entrepreneurs & dealmakers
- Development organisations
- Media representatives
Panelist Guidelines
Panels at the Summit are curated, high-signal conversations. Come prepared, stay focused and bring fresh insight on Canada–Africa opportunities.
- Join a 30-minute prep call with your moderator before the Summit.
- Share your speaking points, data, and any sensitive topics in advance.
- Agree on the running order and time allocations.
- Review the panel brief and co-panelist bios.
- Prepare 2–3 sharp talking points per question.
- Bring concrete examples, data, and Canada–Africa case studies.
- Arrive 45 minutes before your panel.
- Microphone check and seating arrangement in the green room.
- Brief group sync with moderator before going on stage.
- Professional, respectful exchange — no monopolising airtime.
- Substantive insight over self-promotion.
- Engage your co-panelists; build on their points.
- Speak to the audience, not only the moderator.
Focus areas
Moderator & Session Chair Guidelines
Moderators set the tone of every session. Your role is to draw out insight, manage time, and create a memorable conversation for the audience.
Open the session with a sharp, energetic introduction of each panelist using their approved bios.
Keep the conversation moving, balance airtime, and pivot when a topic stalls.
Start and finish on time. Use the visual cues from the AV team and the timekeeper.
Curate audience questions, paraphrase when needed, and prevent monologues.
Push for specifics, real numbers, and actionable Canada–Africa insights.
End with 1–2 concrete takeaways the audience can carry into their own work.
InvestorsMatch Portal
The official deal-matching platform of the Canada–Africa Business & Investment Summit 2027.
Connecting capital with opportunities before, during, and beyond the Summit.
Quickfire Investment Presentations
High-energy pitch slots designed to put your opportunity in front of active investors in minutes.
- 3-minute investment pitch
- 2-minute investor Q&A
- Maximum 5 slides recommended
- 16:9 widescreen, .pptx format
- Company overview
- Funding needed
- Sector
- Country
- Business model
- Investor opportunity
60-Second Investment Snapshot
A rapid-fire format for companies and projects to introduce opportunities to investors in just one minute.
Who you are.
What you're building.
How much you're raising.
Why now.
How to engage.
Country Investment Sessions
Dedicated sessions connecting governments, investors, businesses, and project owners to develop Canada–Africa partnerships at country and sector level.
Each Country Investment Session pairs a host delegation with Canadian investors and operators to surface bankable projects, government priorities, and partnership pathways.
Priority sectors
Networking Sessions
Structured and informal networking moments are built into every day of the Summit programme.
Pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings via the InvestorsMatch Portal.
Closed-door sector and country roundtables for senior delegates.
Evening receptions, the Summit Gala and partner-hosted dinners.
Download Summit Guidelines PDF
The full speaker, panelist and investor handbook in a single document — including logistics, templates and contact details.
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Join 54,000+ investors, business leaders, and friends of Africa across Canada, Africa, the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East.