Sign up | Leadership Day 2026: Coming Up in April |
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OPBA Leadership Day 2026 Performance Management & Difficult Conversations for Senior Procurement Leaders |
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People Leaders Meetings | Free to OPBA Members |
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📅Register early to secure your spot. Capacity is intentionally limited to support meaningful discussion and peer learning.
Date: April 28, 2026 | Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET | Format: In-person, full day Location: Mississauga Living Arts Centre | Fee: $299 per person Leadership Day is a focused, in-person leadership development experience designed specifically for senior procurement leaders who manage people and lead teams.
This full-day session addresses key leadership challenges in procurement today — retention, motivation, communication, and performance management. The content is practical and grounded in real-world public sector procurement leadership dynamics, not theory. |
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| Leadership Day Facilitator
This session will be facilitated by Nicole North, President of Whiteboard Consulting, an organization focused on strengthening leadership capability and building cultures that enable execution, adaptability, and sustained performance.
Who Should Attend: Supervisors, Managers, Senior managers, and Directors in procurement with people-leader responsibilities. This event qualifies for 6 contact hours toward professional development requirements. |
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People Leaders & Procurement Specialists Meetings |
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Join us for the March 27 People Leaders Meeting. It is coming up soon. |
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Join us for a unique and inclusive gathering of procurement peers where the spirit of collaboration takes center stage! Our People Leaders Meetings are a welcoming space for management/leadership-level procurement professionals who lead others within their organization, regardless of their title. This year, there will be four (4) People Leaders Meetings - three virtual and one in-person (at the conference).
Our goal is to cultivate a culture of open dialogue, curiosity, and inclusivity among peers in a safe environment. People Leaders are welcome to share their perspectives and engage in a free-flowing exchange of ideas, problem solving and sharing. This is an opportunity to learn from one another, broaden perspectives, and strengthen the bond within our network of procurement professionals.
Send your burning questions or discussion topics to events@opba.ca at least one week before the meeting.
Attendees eligible for two (2) contact hours. |
Procurement Specialists Meetings | Free to OPBA Members |
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Join us for the March 25 Procurement Specialists Meeting. It is coming up soon. |
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Join us quarterly for a unique and inclusive gathering of procurement peers! Our Procurement Specialists Meetings offer a welcoming space for professionals in a Procurement capacity within their organization, regardless of title. These facilitated sessions use a structured yet flexible format that ensure everyone’s voice is heard and that current topics of interest are shared and discussed. Come prepared to ask questions, listen, and connect with peers in this virtual networking session.
Send your burning questions or discussion topics to events@opba.ca at least one week before the meeting. Attendees eligible for two (2) contact hours. |
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March Procurement Month | Free to OPBA Members |
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Week 4: Capital Planning to Project Delivery | Public Sector Procurement |
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📅 Register by March 25, 12:00 PM | Free to OPBA Members
Melissa Jackson and Jamie Cook will share practical insights on how Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) can be used—alongside traditional procurement approaches—to support capital planning, budget development, project financing, and delivery across municipal and broader public sector environments.
The session will be grounded in real-life procurement experience, drawing on Melissa’s former role in a publicly funded hospital, where she was responsible for long-term capital planning and working directly with internal stakeholders to deliver capital and infrastructure projects within strict funding timelines and governance requirements. This practitioner perspective will be used to illustrate how procurement teams assess options, manage risk, and make policy-compliant decisions in complex public sector settings.
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2026 OPBA Annual Conference and Tradeshow |
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Early Registration is Now Open |
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📅 Sign Up | Use Remaining Budget Funds Before March 31.
Full session details will be released soon (including session topics, speakers, and scheduled times) as soon as they are available.
Click here to learn more. |
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Overview
Early registration is now open for the OPBA Annual Conference 2026, including the pre-conference and the Caveat Emptor Cup Golf Tournament.
Taking place in London, Ontario, the conference will bring together public procurement professionals from across public agencies for learning, discussion, and connection.
This year’s theme, Procuring for Tomorrow, will shape a forward-looking program focused on emerging trends, evolving practices, and practical insights for today’s procurement environment.
Pre-conference workshops held on Tuesday, September 22 at RBC Place London, offer additional learning opportunities ahead of the main conference. The Caveat Emptor Cup Golf Tournament also takes place in London on September 22. While registration is separate, it provides a great opportunity to start networking early and connect with peers ahead of the conference. |
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2026 Courses for Your Professional Growth |
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As the cornerstone of OPBA's educational offerings, PPLL provides a more comprehensive and meaningful learning experience through a blend of self-paced online modules and a virtual classroom session via Zoom in the final week. |
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Prepare to Write Your CPPB with OPBA’s CPPB Exam Prep Course Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) Exam Preparation 2-Day Course
Course Dates: April 13 + 14, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET
Registration closes Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Preparation is key! As a recognized training partner of the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC), the Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA) has developed this examination preparation course based on the BoK-C. Led by a qualified instructor, the course will cover the six (6) domain areas which comprise the BoK-C for CPPB exam. The course will help learners understand their strengths and the areas that require additional focus. Click here to register
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Additional Upcoming Course |
PPS – Zoom Advanced Procurement for Construction
Course Dates: April 21 + 22, 2026
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
Registration closes Tuesday, April 14, 2026 The Advanced Procurement for Construction course is for procurement professionals in the public sector who are called upon for their expertise in developing and administering large, sometimes complex procurement for construction. This course is part of OPBA's Public Procurement Specialties (PPS).
Click here to register |
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Renewals Reminder 2026 Dues |
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To keep your OPBA membership in good standing, 2026 renewals will be open until March 31, 2026 – after this date, your membership will lapse. You can re-instate your membership anytime after that date by emailing members@opba.ca. Your invoice is also available through your member profile under Billing Info > Pay Membership Dues/Fees.
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OPBA Mentoring Program Returns for 2026 |
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We’re pleased to share that OPBA’s Mentoring Program, launched last year has returned and is in full swing. All past participants are welcome to return, and we also encourage anyone who hasn’t yet participated to consider joining this year. Click the link below to read more about the program, if you have any questions please email members@opba.ca
Click here to learn more |
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