Montreal
Digital Summit

August 4, 2025

Montréal CoWork,
Montreal, QC

EvolveDigital + EvolveDrupal Summits are one-day summits for digital innovators: developers, designers, marketers, and strategists.  We focus on digital strategy, AI, and accessibility, to drive collaboration and innovation and more.

EvolveDigital Montreal returns in

45
Days
12
Hours
44
Mins
29
Secs
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EvolveDrupal summit is now live!

Check the agenda and session locations below.

AGENDA

Sessions

Here’s a preview of the sessions you can expect. Check back soon as we’ll be regularly adding more sessions over the next two weeks as we confirm them.

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Back to Basics: Making B2B Brands Matter in the Age of AI and Overload

Strategy & Comms

Amandine Michaud

Founder, Aria Consulting

Formerly Head of Communications and Chief of Staff of the CEO at Otera Capital (CDPQ)

Description:
Standing out as a B2B brand has never been harder. With AI-generated content everywhere and attention spans shrinking, most companies end up blending in. The ones who break through? They go back to the basics. In this talk, Amandine Michaud shares how she led a multi-pronged action plan that got Otera Capital (CDPQ group) to bounce back from a reputational crisis. Now founder of Aria Consulting, Amandine will walk you through the core framework she uses with clients to simplify messages, clarify strategy, and build brands that resonate.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Amandine Michaud is the founder of Aria Consulting, a communications, marketing and PR agency helping B2B and financial brands shine. Formerly Head of Communications and Chief of Staff of the CEO at Otera Capital (CDPQ), she led the company’s reputational recovery and supported its growth and international expansion. Amandine brings strategic insight, crisis-
tested experience, and a creative lens to every mandate.

Marketers' Quick Win Playbook: Five AI-Driven Marketing Wins You Can Implement Right Now

Strategy & Comms

Andrea Cohen

Senior Marketing Manager

HubSpot Canada

Description:
AI is reshaping how marketers attract and convert customers, but few know how to implement it effectively. This session bridges marketing strategy with technical execution, showing developers, designers, and strategists how AI tools deliver measurable results today. Discover 5 actionable strategies: AI data insights, search visibility, video scaling, personalization, and conversion automation.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Andrea Cohen is Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot Canada with 10 years of experience in demand generation, sales and marketing alignment, and integrated campaigns. She specializes in leveraging AI and data to optimize marketing funnels and drive measurable revenue growth. Andrea works with cross-functional teams to implement data-driven strategies that bridge marketing strategy, technical execution and revenue impact.

Bonjour Quebec: Quebec's Official Tourism Portal and a Drupal Success Story

Tech & AI

Albert Albala

Developer

Bonjour Québec/DCycle

Description:
Bonjour Quebec is Quebec's official tourism portal. It is also a Drupal success story. In this talk we will see some features of the site, some challenges the team faced, how we are on our way to a success Drupal 11 migration, right on time. We will also look at how Drupal has helped streamline development and security concerns.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

Albert has been working on Bonjour Quebec since early 2024. Prior to that he has been lead developer on numerous Enterprise Drupal sites, and worked with the Linux Foundation and Montreal's transit agency, STM, on their website.

Rebranding Yourself is Easy (Said No One Ever)

Design & Creativity

Dust Leblanc

Creative Director and Strategist

Locomotive

Description:
In recent years at Locomotive, we embarked on a transformative journey to completely rebrand our agency after a decade of the same look. (Yes, that train track logo...) We knew it was time for a fresh take on our digital presence, so we dove headfirst into reinventing our visual identity. Rebranding yourself is always a wild ride—balancing bold ideas with constant self-critique is no easy feat. To keep our ideas fresh and our brand sharp, we teamed up with trusted friends to create an identity that truly reflects our growth and where we stand today. In this talk, I’ll take you behind the scenes of crafting this unique brand and designing a website that embodies our team’s creativity. From rejected concepts to the deep reflections that shaped our final visuals, I’ll walk you through the journey from day one to day 700 of this fun, yet sometimes challenging, transformation.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Creative Director with Canada's digital-first design agency, Locomotive® — Timeless aesthetics, creative leadership and a problem-solving mentality are my trademarks. Dedicated and positive, I value grind, passion and collaboration above everything. With extensive knowledge crafting user experience and strategies, I've worked on everything from mobile sites and apps dating back to the era of the first iPhones to the device-agnostic websites and platforms Locomotive® builds today.

Sustainable Digital Design

Design & Creativity

Jean-François Poliquin

Design Manager

Radio-Canada

Description:
Digital sustainability goes beyond individual actions—it's about recognizing and reducing the carbon footprint of our entire digital ecosystem. As tech's environmental impact grows, conscious action becomes essential.he presentation offers 20 practical ways to design more sustainable digital products: setting page weight goals, analyzing life cycles, promoting “mobile first,” reusing design systems, encouraging responsible user behavior, and using AI thoughtfully. Like accessibility, eco-conscious design adds value—and transparency is key to driving lasting change.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

Jean-François is a digital design leader and currently Head of Design and Digital Interactivity at Radio-Canada, where he leads a team, shapes strategic initiatives, and champions user experience and talent development. Previously, he held leadership roles at Vidéotron, Intact Assurance, and Valtech, and played a key role in the La Presse+ digital transformation. He is also a committed mentor, supporting design professionals through MENTORO and graduate students at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique.

Content Governance in the Age of AI

Strategy & Comms

Joyce Peralta

Communications & Marketing Manager

McGill University

Description:
At McGill University, we manage over 1,000 websites through our centrally supported, Drupal-powered CMS. These sites are maintained by approximately 1,500 site managers, who collectively make between 6,000 and 8,000 edits each week. Content governance in this environment is a continuous challenge, and it's becoming even more complex with the rise of AI. In this presentation, we’ll take a high-level look at the strategies we’re adopting to strengthen and adapt our governance framework in response to the growing influence of AI.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Joyce has been building websites and digital communities for 20 years, including 15 years of experience in post-secondary education. For the past six years, she has worked at McGill University, holding positions in Communications and External Relations and IT Services. Joyce has presented at conferences across North America, including DrupalCon, Confoo, HighEdWeb, #PSEWEB and SEMM Forum about web standards, governance and user experience.

Digital Accessibility at CBC/Radio-Canada: From vision to execution

Strategy & Comms

Olivier Fortin

Senior Digital Accessibility (A11y) Engineer, Designer

CBC/Radio-Canada

Description:
How can a large organization successfully implement digital accessibility? Olivier Fortin will share CBC/Radio-Canada’s strategic approach, highlighting practical implementation methods, seamless integration within product teams, and the development of a centralized resource hub to promote access to—and the adoption of—accessibility best practices.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

Olivier Fortin, CPACC (IAAP), is Senior Digital Accessibility Engineer at CBC/Radio-Canada. He had worked on major projects, including the Olympic Games, and specializes in web, mobile and connected TV interface accessibility.

The Dramatic and Poetical Tale of the Website Hierarchy of Needs

Tech & AI

Steve Persch

Director, Developer Relations

Pantheon Platform

Description:
What happens when a web team drifts apart? When shared goals fade and each role optimizes in isolation? This session explores the all-too-familiar story of a simple stakeholder request that sparks a chain of miscommunication across siloed teams. Through poetic narrative and practical insight, learn to spot the signs early and realign around shared goals. Reconnect your team before you get lost in the WebOps weeds.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Steve draws on years of development experience—and a past life in theatre—to bring clarity, strategy, and the occasional laugh to the world of web platforms.

SEO in the Age of AI: Is it dead?

Digital Craftsmanship

Lindsay Aouled Ezzine

Gestionnaire principal de la stratégie de contenu numérique

Telus Santé

Description:
The rising use of AI search will impact SEO tactics, but SEO is far from dead. While learning to optimise for AI is an important new tool to add to your SEO toolbox, the fundamentals of your content and search strategy are and will continue to be relevant in this new landscape. Where do the two intersect and how do we navigate hype vs. reality in terms of the impact of AI on SEO.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Lindsay is a seasoned digital content strategist with a passion for creating impactful, audience-centric experiences that seamlessly align business objectives with user needs.Currently serving as Senior Digital Content Strategy Manager at TELUS Health, She leads the organization’s digital content and SEO strategy. Lindsay combines strategic vision with hands-on execution—bringing clarity, creativity, and performance-driven thinking to every aspect of digital content design.

Brandbook to Brand Behavior: Making Brands Work for Real People

Design & Creativity

Hugo Joseph

Directeur de Création Adjoint

K72

Description:
This sesion looks at how we can evolve branding from static guidelines to dynamic experiences — for users, staff, and collaborators alike. Using the Jean Coutu rebrand as a lens, we’ll dive into methods for designing brands that actually work in real life.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

Hugo Joseph is an Associate Creative Director at K72, where he blends bold art direction with strategic thinking to craft impactful brand experiences. With a background in visual identity and campaign work, he brings a sharp eye and conceptual clarity to every project.

Arguing Semantics: Enterprise Taxonomy Governance

Digital Craftsmanship

Michele Jenkins

Arguing Semantics: Enterprise Taxonomy Governance

Dovecot Studios

Description:
Every organization faces the overwhelming challenge of integrating siloed systems in order to support automations, workflows, reporting, and dynamic content delivery. This talk will explain the what, why, and how of establishing a holistic, enterprise wide approach to taxonomy governance.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Michele is an information management consultant specializing in taxonomy-driven content strategy. She has more than 25 years’ experience working with organizations across various industries, including Harvard Business Publishing, EA Games, and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR).

Living Portal: How U of T Built its First Scalable and Sustainable Brand Portal

Strategy & Comms

Emma Nguyen

Executive Director, Digital Marketing and Communications

University of Toronto

Description:
When the University of Toronto launched its Defy Gravity brand platform, it introduced its first enterprise-wide Brand Portal to spark excitement and support consistent brand adoption. This session will explore how the portal was conceived and built to foster strategic alignment across U of T’s three campuses. We’ll highlight how it empowers staff, faculty, and partners with clear guidelines, practical tools, and adaptable assets—making brand application easier and more unified. Join us to discover how this flexible, evolving platform is shaping the future of brand management at U of T.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Emma Nguyen serves as Executive Director of Digital Marketing and Communications at the University of Toronto, leading the Brand Hub digital team to advance the university’s global reputation and digital thumbprint. With over 15 years of expertise in digital transformation, fundraising, and brand strategy, Emma drives initiatives that integrate digital channels to enhance alumni engagement and philanthropic impact. A proven leader, she builds high-performing teams and delivers data-driven campaigns that achieve measurable results. Before U of T, Emma worked with North American non-profits, designing innovative fundraising strategies. She is committed to fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and forward-thinking solutions.

From Chatbots to Content Magic: The AI-Driven Future of Drupal

Tech & AI

Martin Anderson -Clutz

Senior Solutions Engineer

Acquia

Description:
Integration of artificial intelligence functionality with Drupal has been on a blistering pace over the past year. From countless individual contributed modules taking initial tentative steps to the rapidly-becoming-a-best-practice AI module ecosystem, the Drupal community has largely embraced the possibilities of leveraging AI on user, site-builder, and developer levels. This presentation will provide an overview of where we are, where we've been, and where we're heading with a focus on the AI module ecosystem as well as AI integration with Drupal CMS. Live demos will showcase existing functionality that you can add to your Drupal sites today.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

In late 2005 Martin started using the Drupal CMS and found it powerful and easy to work with. He began attending meetings of Drupal User Groups in Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario, eventually starting a group in London. Currently employed by Acquia, Martin is now Triple Certified for Drupal as well being certified for a variety of other Acquia products, in addition to being UX certified by the world-renowned Nielsen Norman Group. Martin has spoken at various user groups, local Drupalcamps, and Drupalcons. He has also appeared on the Talking Drupal podcast as a guest and host, and has blogs published on OpenSource.com and a handful of other sites.

Chatbot or Mega Menu? And Other UX Choices that Shape your Website Strategy

Digital Craftsmanship

Suzanne Dergacheva

Co-Founder

Evolving Web

Description:
What drives investment in your website? For some organizations, leadership sets the priorities. Others conduct user research. Sometimes, we’re simply influenced by design trends and what everyone else is doing. In this session, we’ll explore trends in UX design and content strategy that have likely come up in these conversations. I’ll share tons of examples from real-world projects and help you decide whether it’s worth jumping on the bandwagon. You’ll come away with ideas about how to critically assess design trends and techniques to make design decisions strategically.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Suzanne is the co-founder of Evolving Web, a digital agency that helps organizations that make a big impact in the world. She helps translate institutional goals and user needs into a tangible digital strategy, often bridging the gap between technology and user experience design. She runs trainings and strategic workshops and has collaborated with teams at Georgia Tech, Princeton University, McGill University and the University of Waterloo.

Vibe Coding: Shipping Features at the Speed of Thought

Digital Craftsmanship

Anton Morrison

Co-Founder

Mogul

Description:
AI-first “vibe coding” turns natural-language intent into trustworthy working code. We’ll demystify the trend, show where it fits (and fails) in modern development, and walk through a live build that starts with a spoken idea and ends with a functional feature. You’ll leave with pragmatic rules, an open-source tool-chain, and a game-plan for safely weaving vibe coding into your own workflow. In this session, you’ll learn how to recognize where vibe coding adds real value—and where it risks becoming technical debt. You'll compare today’s AI-powered IDE landscape, including tools like Lovable, Bolt, Cursor, and Windsurf, to help you choose the ones that best fit your stack. We’ll also demystify MCP (Model-Connected Programming) and explore its transformative potential. You’ll get hands-on with voice-first prompting using Whisper to prototype features without lifting a finger. Finally, we’ll look ahead to upcoming shifts in the field, from agentic IDEs and self-healing pipelines to the rise of continuous AI maintenance.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Anton Morrison is a 25-year UX and software veteran, founder of Mogul Global, and an AI-driven product consultant. He has spearheaded AI, automation, and digital-experience projects for Disney, Air Canada, and other global brands across travel, media, and e-commerce. Based in Montréal, he helps product teams weave AI safely into their workflows—turning hand-coded bottlenecks into rapid, test-driven innovation.

Customer Stories: How AI + CX is the driver of decoupled

Tech & AI

Andrew Kumar

Director/Founder

Uniform DXP / CMS + Personalization

Description:
AI + Customer experience (CX) is the driving force behind successful decoupled content and commerce strategies. In this session, we explore how businesses can leverage design systems, content reuse, and personalization to create seamless customer experiences across diverse channels (websites, apps, AI powered chats) while aligning with business goals. Through real-world case studies from leading brands like TELUS, Atlassian, UTI, Pampers, TaxFix, Vystar Credit Union, and REI, attendees will gain actionable insights into decomposing business objectives into customer-centric experiences. We will delve into the foundational principles of decoupled systems design—breaking down experiences into reusable components and content objects that enhance portability and scalability. Attendees will learn how these approaches enable organizations to meet customer needs while achieving operational efficiency. By the end of the session, participants will have a clear understanding of how to align business strategies with AI + CX-driven design in decoupled architectures. They will leave equipped with practical examples and frameworks to implement in their own organizations, ensuring their headless CMS solutions deliver value across all customer touch-points.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Andrew is a global leader of high-performing and diverse technology teams, with a 20-year track record in technology, marketing, commerce and content. These days, Andrew spends a lot of his focus on Integrations, APIs, AI, and he is instrumental in supporting technology platforms, agencies, and integration partners, bringing a wealth of expertise and experience scar tissue to the table.

The Power Users You’re Overlooking Are the Ones Who’ll Stay

Design & Creativity

Chloé Crevier

UX Team Lead

Royal Gramma

Description:
Designing for accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about inclusion, strategy, and business sense. When you exclude users who need your platform to function, you’re not just alienating them—you’re missing out on a deeply loyal, often underserved segment. In this session, we’ll explore how to include accessibility in earlier discussions, and why shared ownership is the strongest way to advocate for more inclusive, sustainable digital experiences.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

Chloé is a UX Team Lead with a passion for solving complex problems for B2B & B2C companies by creating intelligent interfaces that focus on usability and performance. Empathetic and strategic, she bases her work on market research and proven best practices to deliver experiences that bring long-term value to the companies she works with.

Building an Accessibility Practice That Sticks

Digital Craftsmanship

Fran Wyllie

Accessibility Specialist, Dev Manager

Northern

Description:
Learn how we built a practical, team wide accessibility practice that developers, QA, and content authors actually use. This session shares real tools, workflows, and cultural shifts that helped make accessibility part of our everyday process—not just an afterthought.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Fran is an IAAP-certified Web Accessibility Specialist and a passionate leader dedicated to advancing inclusive digital experiences. Currently, Fran leads a team of Drupal developers at Northern and spearheads the implementation of accessibility practices company-wide. With six years of expertise creating solutions that not only meet but exceed WCAG standards, Fran advocates for accessible development that ensures equitable, high-quality user experiences for all.

Engaging Communities Through Digital Storytelling

Strategy & Comms

Allison Saunders

Content Specialist

Concordia University

Description:
The Indigenous History Month website was developed as a dynamic and engaging digital platform to celebrate Indigenous voices, history, and culture. Designed with accessibility and inclusivity at its core, the website not only provided an educational experience but also fostered meaningful engagement with diverse audiences.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Allison Saunders is Digital Content Strategist at Concordia University. She works on the university’s website and social media strategy, and use her voice to work towards a diverse and inclusive community in which all people feel welcome.

OCR to AI: Unlocking Legacy Content

Tech & AI

Shannon Lal

Chief Technology Officer

BCA Research

Maria Parra

Senior Developer

BCA Research

Description:
What happens when you mix OCR, AI, and 75 years of macro insights? At BCA Research, we’re digitizing decades of content using AWS Textract, OpenAI, and MongoDB hybrid search—turning scanned reports into an intelligent chatbot. Learn how legacy content became searchable, semantic, and scalable.
Language:
English
About Speaker(s):

Shannon Lal, CTO
Shannon Lal is the CTO at BCA Research, leading digital innovation and AI adoption. With a background in scaling AI infrastructure and hybrid search at Designstripe, Shannon brings practical experience at the intersection of deep tech and digital strategy.

Maria Parra, Senior Developer

Maria Parra brings 15+ years of full‑stack development experience, 13 years at BCA Research, and expertise in scalable, responsive apps. Working on Drupal and AI initiatives, she's focusing on OCR integration and tooling pipelines that power content digitization and chatbot search interfaces.

When 3D Gets Real: Using WebGL to Enhance User Experience

Digital Craftsmanship

Frédéric Lord

Creative Director

Leeroy

Description:
What if 3D truly enhanced the user experience? Through real-world projects, we explore how WebGL can elevate storytelling, simplify the exploration of complex products, and support meaningful personalization. We focus on emotion, interaction, and intention—moving beyond flashy effects to create experiences that genuinely meet users’ needs.
Language:
French
About Speaker(s):

As Creative Director at Leeroy, Fred blends design, UX, and technology to craft innovative web experiences. His work particularly focuses on the strategic use of 3D and WebGL in real-world projects.

Highlights from past events

The first EvolveDrupal took place in May 2023. Since then, there has been a few EvolveDrupal summits across Canada and the United States. Scroll through our gallery to relive the energy from past events!

Testimonials

Don’t take our word for it—hear directly from past attendees.

“EvolveDrupal was not just an event; it was a catalyst for inspiration and collaboration, sparking new ideas and forging lasting connections.”

‍John Cloys
Assistant Director of Web & Digital Initiatives

“Possibly the most memorable conference experience I’ve ever had! Leave it to Evolving Web to organize an event so good it was literally out of this world!”

Joyce Peralta
Manager, Digital Communications

"We’re still buzzing from all the energy at EvolveDrupal Toronto last week! The sessions were inspiring, the conversations were meaningful, and the connections we made were unforgettable."

Pantheon Platform

"Honestly, it was so much fun getting to talk about this work. It was nice to deep dive on design and just nerd out. Thank you so much for having me! All the talks were great. Design systems are top of mind right now."

Chris Mantil
Graphic Designer

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Venue

Event location

Located in the heart of the Plateau, Montreal Cowork is Evolving Web’s new home and the ideal venue for EvolveDigital. After two successful editions already held in this vibrant space, we're excited to return for another day of learning, connection and inspiration. After the day’s sessions, head up to the rooftop patio to unwind and connect with fellow attendees at the afterparty.

Address

4388 Saint-Denis, suite 200 Montreal, QC
H2J2L1, Canada

Public Transit

Montréal CoWork is a 5-minute walk from Mont Royal metro station, on the orange line.

Parking

Parking is available behind the building at 4401 Rue Drolet for $15/day.

Airport

Montréal CoWork is a 40-minute drive (sometimes longer depending on traffic) from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

Our sponsors

About Evolving Web

EvolveDigital is organized by the team at Evolving Web. Our dedicated team of digital experts, event planners, and community enthusiasts work hard to ensure that every event is a success and brings immense value to attendees.