Leadership Keynote: Juan Bendaña
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Make Confidence Your Competitive Advantage
During times of exponential change, we must create our own stability. Leadership expert and author of Confident by Choice, Juan Bendaña has coached Olympians, actors, Grammy-winning artists and top CEOs to consistently perform at their best.
Bendaña combines energy, humor and science-backed tools that empower leaders to develop the confidence mindset to rise to the level of their ultimate goals.
You will leave with a personal playbook of actionable advice to help you lead boldly, thrive through change and ignite extraordinary growth.
Technology Keynote: Shama Hyder
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Leadership in the Age of AI
In a world scrambling to predict the future, Shama Hyder will show you how to profit from the NOW. Certified AI-trainer and author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing, she began as an industry pioneer with $1,500 in her pocket and developed a multi-million-dollar consultancy serving Fortune-500 brands.
Named one of North America’s Top 100 Entrepreneurs by the White House and the United Nations, Hyder brings a battle-tested framework for turning AI from a buzzword into your next competitive advantage.
You will leave with a clear system that you can implement right away, without a seven-figure budget or an army of data scientists.
Sponsored by: 
Economic Keynote: Connor Lokar
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Economic Outlook
ITR Economics™ Senior Forecaster Connor Lokar succeeded our beloved Brian Beaulieu as the Economic Keynote in 2026 to great acclaim. We immediately arranged to welcome him back in 2027.
Lokar’s quick wit and knack for storytelling will captivate and educate you with solid economic intelligence to help you grow revenue and remain profitable throughout an everchanging business cycle.
Move beyond reacting to headlines and instead align strategy, resources and timing with real data. This special morning session will feature an extended Q&A session
Sponsored by: 
Industry Update: Craig Brightup and Rafe Morrissey
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Legislative and Regulatory Update from Washington, DC
Learn how the new Congress could impact the pet industry from Craig Brightup and Rafe Morrissey, who represent APPA in Washington, DC. They will explore opportunities and challenges for the pet industry from divided government on issues including tariffs and whether the Trump Administration’s regulatory policies will be impacted.
Craig Brightup is CEO of the Brightup Group LLC, a government relations consulting firm. He previously ran the Washington Office for the National Roofing Contractors Association and headed congressional affairs for the Federal Trade Commission.
Rafe Morrissey is President of Morrissey Strategic Partners, LLC. He previously served as Vice President for Public Affairs at the Greeting Card Association and Sr. Vice President for Government Relations at the Evans Capitol Group.
Industry Update: Michael Johnson
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Understanding Today’s Pet Consumer and Finding Tomorrow’s Growth Opportunities
What made your brand or store relevant to pet owners yesterday may not earn their business tomorrow. As consumer expectations, shopping behaviors, and approaches to pet care evolve, how well do we really understand the people buying our products?
Michael Johnson, a defining voice of the modern pet consumer, sought-after speaker, writer, and industry thought leader, will challenge some of the industry's long-held assumptions about what pet owners really want and what drives their purchasing decisions.
Drawing primarily on petLENS, the new standard in pet consumer insights and research powered by the World Pet Association (WPA) and BSM Partners, along with retail sales data and broader market trends, Johnson will explore what a full year of monthly consumer tracking and in-depth research reveals about changing behaviors, expectations, and priorities.
Attendees will discover what drives trust, trial, and loyalty, what matters most to today's dog and cat owners, and where new opportunities for innovation, differentiation, and growth are emerging.
Monday Dinner Entertainment & Tuesday Emcee: Craig Karges
Experience the Extraordinary
Craig Karges combines the art of magic with the science of psychology and the power of intuition to demonstrate how your brain and your mind can work together to accomplish the extraordinary. Karges delivers a remarkable interactive experience that challenges you to broaden your perceptions of intuition, creativity, decision making and memory to help you reach your full potential.
Karges says that he does not possess supernatural powers, nor does he claim to perform as a psychic or a magician. While he acknowledges that he is an entertainer and that showmanship plays a role in what he does, he insists that he does not prearrange anything with members of the audience. Skeptical? He offers $100,000, payable to charity, if anyone can prove he uses stooges or confederates from the audience to accomplish his demonstrations.