CONNIE CAY-SANTOS

At the CMP Advance Conference hosted at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York, Connie Cay-Santos delivered an educational session on building strategic partnerships that scale with intention and integrity. 

Drawing from her leadership and consulting experience, she reinforced trust as the foundation of sustainable, long-term client and partner relationships.

Connie guided participants through proven frameworks and practical roadmaps to establish, evaluate, and evolve strategic partnerships. She explored how to set clear expectations, define meaningful KPIs, and assess when a partnership is creating value, when it may need to shift in-house, or when a new partner is required to support organizational growth.

Attendees left with actionable tools to assess partnership exchanges more strategically, reduce risk, and make confident decisions that support sustainable business growth.

At CSE Live 2025, Connie Cay-Santos contributed across multiple touchpoints as a panel speaker, Business Forum roundtable facilitator, and exhibitor, bringing the HER Seat at the Table community to life within Canada’s events industry. 

Through panel discussions, she shared candid insights on leadership, community-building, and the realities of navigating growth, visibility, and sustainability in an evolving industry landscape.

As a facilitator in the Events Business Forum, Connie led focused, peer-driven conversations that challenged participants to rethink collaboration, equity, and long-term value creation. On the show floor, she showcased HER Seat at the Table as a values-led, living community, sparking meaningful dialogue around mentorship, allyship, and the intentional design of spaces where leaders can connect, learn, and rise together.

Together, these contributions reinforced Connie’s human-centered approach to leadership and experience design, grounded in education, experience, and exposure, and her commitment to strengthening the industry through trust, shared responsibility, and purposeful connection.

At WEDO Canada’s Invest in HER Summit, Connie Cay-Santos led a breakout session that challenged women leaders to rethink how they invest in their professional growth and leadership impact.

Grounded in the Power of the 3 Es, Education, Experience, and Exposure, the session delivered practical insights on how intentional learning, real-world experience, and meaningful visibility work together to build confidence, influence, and sustainable leadership pathways.

Participants engaged in guided reflection, peer discussion, and real-world examples that demonstrated how these three pillars can be applied across careers, organizations, and communities. The session reinforced a powerful truth: when women are given the tools, access, and support to grow, they do not just advance individually, they elevate the spaces and people around them.

This session is well suited for organizations seeking a thought-provoking, actionable, and human-centered leadership experience that inspires growth, connection, and measurable impact.

At MPI WEC 2025 in St. Louis, Connie Cay-Santos contributed across multiple leadership platforms, engaging emerging, mid-career, and senior leaders in meaningful conversations centered on community, inclusion, and collective advancement. 

Throughout the week, she co-designed and delivered the Women in Business Learning Journey alongside Courtney Stanley, facilitated dialogue on building and sustaining values-driven communities, inspired future leaders to navigate change with courage and clarity, and participated in Senior Leader Round Tables addressing systemic barriers, allyship, and shared responsibility in leadership.

Grounded in the principles of HER Seat at the Table, Connie’s contributions emphasized intentional connection, mentorship, and the responsibility to keep pathways open as leaders rise together. Each engagement reinforced a human-centered approach to leadership, where education, experience, and exposure intersect to create lasting impact beyond the conference stage.

At the MPI Fredericton event, Connie Cay-Santos delivered Empowered Together: Leading with Purpose Through Community, a session exploring how leadership in today’s evolving events and hospitality landscape extends beyond titles to purpose, inclusion, and the power of community. 

She shared how inclusive leadership and sustainable purpose intersect to create thriving, resilient professional communities. Drawing from real-world experience and the HER Seat at the Table framework, attendees explored how intentional connection, shared leadership, and community-driven action can break barriers, amplify diverse voices, and drive long-term impact. 

Participants left with practical insights and reflective moments they could immediately apply within their teams, organizations, and professional networks.

At MPI Toronto’s Global Meetings Industry Day, Connie Cay-Santos served as a specialized education speaker, delivering a practical, human-centered session on building an authentic and professional online presence. 

Drawing from her experience in leadership, events, and digital engagement, she introduced three core pillars of wellness and preparedness that support showing up with confidence in virtual and hybrid environments.

The session addressed essential technical foundations, including hardware, software, camera positioning, and lighting, to ensure clarity and on-screen confidence. Connie also explored wellness and energy management, encouraging leaders to schedule meetings within their optimal performance windows to foster stronger connection and engagement. The session concluded with a focus on authenticity, reinforcing that trust begins with showing up as we truly are, including maintaining a current, accurate profile image that reflects who we are today.

Together, these insights empowered participants to align professionalism, presence, and authenticity in how they lead and connect online.

At the Seenca EMP Talk, Connie Cay-Santos delivered a keynote inviting emerging and experienced leaders to reframe uncertainty as a catalyst for growth rather than a barrier to progress. Drawing from more than 20 years of leadership experience, she explored how moments of discomfort, risk, and misalignment often surface as red flags, signals that invite leaders to pause, reflect, and prepare for their strategic next steps.

Through real-world stories and guided reflection, attendees examined what it means to be a change maker by raising their hand when it matters, planning with intention, and mitigating risk while staying aligned with their values. Connie emphasized adaptation, resilience, and grace under pressure as essential leadership skills that help guide leaders through change and toward their personal North Stars.

Participants left with renewed clarity, practical insights, and the confidence to lead with purpose, especially when the path forward feels uncertain.

At Dare to Interrupt by Meetings Today, Connie Cay-Santos joined host Courtney Stanley for a candid conversation on trust, red flags, and what it truly takes to build meaningful, values-aligned relationships.

In this episode, Connie shared how she approaches trust with intention, the signals she pays attention to when partnerships need to shift, and how her leadership philosophy continues to evolve. She also reflected on her past role as Senior Director of Growth and Engagement at Quest Audio Visual, the development of her Circle of Trust, and the launch of her Legacy Pin era.

The conversation offered thoughtful insights on leadership, discernment, and building relationships that are grounded in clarity, integrity, and long-term alignment.

Listen to Podcast here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/dare-to-interrupt/episodes/Thats-a-Red-Flag-Building-and-Managing-Trust-in-Relationships-e266u28

At the Marketing Starter Podcast, Connie Cay-Santos joined host Tim Hines for a featured conversation on building human-centric communities through intentional event strategy.

Connie reflected on her journey from corporate retail to entrepreneurship, sharing insights on purpose-driven leadership, designing experiences that prioritize meaningful connection, and creating safe, inclusive spaces that drive impact. The conversation explored leadership pivots, sustainable growth, and why starting small while thinking big leads to lasting, values-aligned results.

Listent o Podcast here: https://www.tnhines.com/podcast/connie-santos/

At The Humanity of Sales Podcast, Connie Cay-Santos joined host Heather Hansen O’Neill for a powerful conversation on purpose-driven leadership, human-centered growth, and building trust at scale.

Connie shared her journey from corporate retail to entrepreneurship, including the creation of HER Seat at the Table as a safe, intentional space for women leaders to rise, connect, and lead boldly. Together, they explored the purpose gap within organizations, why feedback without follow-through erodes trust, and how placing humanity at the center of business drives both fulfillment and sustainable growth.

The conversation offered thoughtful insights for leaders navigating growth, culture, and meaningful impact.

At the Neuroplus+ Podcast, in honour of AAPI Heritage Month, Connie Cay-Santos joined Yush Takahashi for an unscripted conversation as part of the Neurodivergent Asian Voices Series.

This accessible, registration-free series creates a human-centered space for honest storytelling with no polish, only presence. Connie shared her lived experience as a neurodivergent Asian woman, mother, and leader, offering candid insight into the often-invisible ways she has navigated leadership, identity, and expectations while building trust, resilience, and purpose-driven impact.

The conversation served as a powerful reflection on visibility, belonging, and what it means to lead authentically on your own terms.