The Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum is a community of more than 1,700 member organizations and associations across North America. It runs a flagship conference plus city meetups through the year.
Nearly 100 people came to the Fall 2026 Toronto meetup at StartWell, and many organizations sent teams of four or five. The organizers planned around that, and it shaped the whole day.
Starting in Level Up
Guests arrived into Level Up, our second-floor suite. It combines a stage and presentation seating with lounge and cocktail areas, so the room felt social from the first minute. Everyone showed up on time and the program started quickly. A welcome address led into a panel on DIY fundraising, which means giving supporters the tools to run their own fundraisers and creating a network effect for the cause. Featured speakers included Jamie Lamont (Sinai Health), Keith Clarke (The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation) and Tracey Matasugu (Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada). A lively Q&A followed.
Breaking out next door
Next, the group moved into the adjoining suite (Dedicated Offsite Venue) for table discussions. Seats were assigned, so colleagues from the same organization ended up at different tables. That kept conversation from turning into a team catch-up and got people sharing with peers instead. Screens around the room showed discussion questions for each table to work through. Afterwards, the host stayed on stage while a second wireless mic went around the room, and each table shared what it had learned with everyone.
Closing with a social
After final remarks back in Level Up, the afternoon finished in our Offsite Venue. The organizers built in enough time for our team to reset the room into a cocktail setup with catering, bar service and some mood lighting.
What made it work
Moving between adjacent suites gave attendees a change of scene throughout the day, so nobody felt stuck in one seat all afternoon. The result was clear: only three or four people left before the social, and that was for school pickup.
In their words
During the program, we brought a few guests down to the CUBE, our hospitality suite next to the reception café, to talk on camera.
Tracy Matsugu, Senior Manager, Community Programs at Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, on why DIY matters: “It brings highly committed, highly passionate individuals who care so much about our mission. And those are the ones that you want to work with.”
Dave Gilchrist, Senior Manager at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, on why experience counts: “The experience is critical. I think it’s what motivates people to come back year over year.”
Attendees also commented on the venue. One called it “very eclectic,” with lots of unique rooms and great ways to collaborate. Another said the different spaces “got us moving around” and that the setup seemed to promote creativity.
