Press Release

March 23, 2009

Toronto, Ontario – March 23, 2009 – Join the new way of doing business. During these uncertain times, as company closings and layoffs continue to make headlines, Leadership Summit 2009 will put the spotlight on a new way of doing business, by focusing on what matters most – employees.

During its fourth annual gathering of business leaders on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the Imperial Room, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, 100 Front St. West, Leadership Summit 2009 takes place during day two of IAPA (Industrial Accident and Prevention Association)’s 92nd annual Health & Safety Canada 2009 Conference & Trade Show, running April 20 – 22, 2009 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building.

The DNA of a Winning Culture: Imagine. Innovate. Inspirewill examine the role corporate culture plays in motivating and helping organizations transform their workplace culture by enabling them to attract and retain their greatest asset – their employees.  Imagination, innovation, and inspiration are the building blocks needed to establish and maintain a winning culture. Healthy and safe workplaces are one aspect of a winning culture and they need the commitment of both employees and employers.

Emphasizing a new way of doing business, Leadership Summit 2009 will focus on:

• Imaginative thinking about how to design workplace environments that ignite employees and improve effectiveness
• Innovative initiatives that target key success factors of a winning culture
• The inspiring true story of an organization’s drive to regenerate its culture   

Leadership Summit 2009 will officially open at 8:30 a.m., with remarks by the Honourable Michael Kirby, Honourary Chair of Health & Safety Canada 2009 and a leading advocate of mental health reform. Tim Sanders, Former Yahoo! Leadership Coach and New York Times best-selling author will follow from 8:40 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. with a keynote address outlining his mission to transform the workplace and society at large.

Leadership Summit 2009 includes additional presentations:

At 3:30 p.m., participants will receive an update on the progress and success of the CEO Health & Safety Leadership Charter presented by Gilles Rheaume, Vice President of Policy at the Conference Board of Canada. The Charter, launched at IAPA’s Health & Safety Canada 2005, was created to help achieve a Canada-wide breakthrough in health and safety performance. Members have committed to working together to improve health and safety performance through sharing, mentoring, and coaching.

Registration for both the Leadership Summit 2009 and Health & Safety Canada 2009 is still open. For additional information, log on to IAPA’s website www.iapa.ca or call 905-614-4272 or 1-800-406-4272.

Health & Safety Canada 2009 Conference and Trade Show is the largest event of its kind and the focal point of Canada’s health and safety community. Through its theme – Imagine. Innovate. Inspire. – IAPA’s 92nd annual event takes a dynamic, forward-thinking approach to health and safety challenges facing today’s evolving workplaces and explores the building blocks needed to achieve positive change.
 
The conference includes three days of celebrated keynote speakers, leading edge sessions, workshops, and professional development courses. Two trade shows and one feature area covering over 200,000 square feet and 500 exhibitors will run during the first two days of conference, April 20 – 21, 2009. In addition, two special forums will focus on two influentially diverse topics: the DNA of a winning culture (as noted above) and mental health in the workplace.

IAPA is a not-for-profit, member-driven organization operating in Ontario since 1917. Representing approximately 50,000 member firms and more than 1.5 million Ontario workers, IAPA is Canada’s leader in workplace health, safety, and employee well-being.  IAPA is focused on providing industry-leading training, consulting, educational products, and informational services that meet our members’ needs and the needs of those in their communities. IAPA is also recognized as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health and an International Labour Organization – CIS Collaborating Centre.  IAPA is ISO 9001 certified, has been awarded the NQI PEP® Level 4 for Quality Certificate, and the Canada Awards for Excellence Gold Trophy Awards for both Quality and Healthy Workplace. For more information on IAPA’s programs, products, services, and awards programs, visit IAPA’s website at www.iapa.ca.

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For further media information:
Edye Rome, Edye Rome Communication Services, (416) 785-6213,edyerome@sympatico.ca
Helen Kampfmuller, (416) 694 – 5640, helen-kampfmuller@rogers.com
Vince Ciarlo, (416) 763-3783, vciarlo@ciarlo.ca