Best Defence Conference
ODAOfficial Conference of the
Ontario Defence Association
Alliance Partnership Program

Your community. Access
Canada's largest defence-industrial base.

Alliance Partnership is a reciprocal, performance-based relationship — not a sponsorship. Partners bring reach and recruitment; Best Defence brings co-branded campaign support, delegation recognition, and conference passes. What each side contributes, and what comes back, is shaped together. Conference branding and sponsorship rights are always priced separately.

Conference
Held annually · London, Ontario
Format
Two days
Basis
Reciprocal & performance-based
01
Strategic Alliance Partner
Large associations, chambers, clusters, and innovation organizations with the reach to build a significant delegation.
02
Sector Alliance Partner
Specialist organizations with a narrower but highly relevant audience, focused on one sector delegation.
03
Regional Development Partner
A municipality or regional EDO organizing a delegation and connecting regional manufacturers to defence demand.
Add-on · Hosted Experience Partner
An optional module — not a status level — that lets an approved partner run its own co-branded reception, dinner, breakfast, or roundtable inside the official conference week.
bestdefence.co · Official Conference of the Ontario Defence AssociationAlliance Partnership · Page 1 of 8

The front line of access to Canada's defence-industrial base

Best Defence Conference
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Best Defence Conference is the Official Conference of the Ontario Defence Association, held annually in London, Ontario. Where the largest trade shows chase scale, Best Defence is built for connection — direct, affordable access to prime contractors, the Canadian supply chain, the Canadian Armed Forces, and government. Two days, one venue, and a room organized around introductions rather than floor space.

500+
Leaders from industry, the Canadian Armed Forces, and government
2
Days of program, exhibits, showcase, and structured meetings
Ontario
Home to Canada's largest defence-industrial base
Annual
Held each year at RBC Place London, London, Ontario
Who Is In The Room
Prime Contractors
Defence SMEs & Suppliers
Canadian Armed Forces
Federal & Provincial Government
Procurement & Policy Leaders
Academia, Colleges & RTOs
International Delegations

What happens over two days

  • Keynotes and briefings from defence, government, and military leaders.
  • Panels on procurement direction, capability gaps, and supply chain readiness.
  • A technology showcase where companies present capability from the stage.
  • An exhibit floor of manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers.
  • Structured business-to-business meeting space.
  • Receptions and networking built into the program, not bolted onto it.

The association behind it

Best Defence is the Official Conference of the Ontario Defence Association, the province's dedicated defence and dual-use industry association. That relationship gives the conference its institutional footing and its reach into Ontario's industrial base.

Why it matters to your members

  • A route into defence supply chains that does not require a trade-show budget.
  • Direct access to primes, buyers, and CAF capability holders in one venue.
  • Market intelligence on where Canadian procurement is heading.
  • Introductions the partner can attribute, report on, and repeat next year.
Dates, program, and speakers are published each year at bestdefence.cobestdefence.co

An alliance built on reciprocity

Alliance Partnership
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Best Defence works with organizations that can bring their community into Ontario's defence market. Partners bring real, qualified recruitment; Best Defence brings co-branded reach, a tracked route to registration, and recognition for the delegation built together. Levels are defined by the reach and recruitment a partner commits, not by a fee.

Reciprocal by intent
Both sides bring something to the table. Reach, recruitment, and the benefits that come back are shaped together with Best Defence rather than set by a fixed exchange.
Performance-based
Execution is aligned between Best Defence and the Alliance Partner. What counts as delivery, how it is measured, and what it earns are agreed together at the outset rather than fixed to a single formula.
Co-branded reach
Campaign assets, dedicated emails, and webinar participation built with Best Defence and approved before release.
Never a back door
Alliance status does not carry sponsor branding benefits. Any conference branding or sponsorship rights are priced separately.
Who This Is For
Industry Associations
Chambers of Commerce
Sector Clusters & Innovation Organizations
Municipalities & Regional EDOs
Colleges, Universities & RTOs
Workforce & Ecosystem Organizations
At a Glance
At a glance01 · Strategic Alliance02 · Sector Alliance03 · Regional DevelopmentAdd-on · Hosted Experience
Best forLarge associations, chambers, clusters, innovation organizationsSpecialist organizations with a focused, highly relevant audienceMunicipalities and regional economic-development organizationsApproved partners already planning their own event
Commitment≈2,000+ qualified contacts≈500–1,500 qualified contactsA delegation from one region or municipalityPartner covers all costs of the experience
BasisReciprocal, performance-basedReciprocal, performance-basedReciprocal, performance-basedA module, not a level
Member discount5% registration discount5% registration discountNot includedNot applicable
RecognitionProminent delegation recognitionSector delegation recognitionRegional delegation recognitionCo-branded experience in the conference week
AvailabilitySubject to approvalSubject to approvalSubject to approvalApproved Alliance Partners only

Reach figures are indicative commitments, not thresholds — the conversation starts with the audience you can genuinely reach. Every level is subject to approval by Best Defence, and all recognition is subject to conference communications standards.

Alliance or Sponsorship?

Alliance Partnership is for organizations bringing a community: you commit reach and recruitment, and earn co-branded visibility and passes on the registrations you deliver. Sponsorship is a priced package of conference branding, exhibit space, stage time, and passes — available to any organization, with or without Alliance status.

Alliance Partnership is reciprocal and performance-basedbestdefence.co
01
Alliance Level

Strategic Alliance Partner

For large associations, chambers, clusters, and innovation organizations with the reach to build a significant delegation and open direct introductions into their membership.

Indicative reach
≈2,000+ qualified contacts
Basis
Reciprocal & performance-based
Member discount
5% registration discount
Availability
Subject to approval

Who this is for

Strategic Alliance Partners are the organizations with the largest qualified reach into Ontario's industrial base — associations, chambers, sector clusters, and innovation organizations whose members are the companies Best Defence exists to connect to defence demand.

At this level the partner does more than promote the conference. It builds a named delegation, nominates companies directly, and opens introductions into its membership, with Best Defence supplying the campaign infrastructure behind it.

Ideal for organizations that

  • Represent a large membership of manufacturers, technology companies, or service providers relevant to defence and dual-use markets.
  • Can commit dedicated email campaigns to their own audience, not just a newsletter mention.
  • Are willing to nominate named companies and make direct introductions.
  • Want their delegation recognized as a visible bloc at the conference.

What the partner earns

  • Dedicated email campaigns to the partner's audience
  • Named company nominations and direct introductions
  • Co-branded recruitment campaign, built with Best Defence
  • Unique tracking code for attributed registrations
  • Delegation recognition at the conference
  • Conference passes earned on actual registrations
  • A 5% registration discount for the partner's members

Strategic value

The partner's members enter Ontario's defence market through a route their own association built — with attribution, recognition, and a measurable return on the reach committed.

The Value On The Table
Market access at scale
Your members meet primes, CAF capability holders, and federal and provincial buyers in one venue, over two days.
A delegation with your name on it
Your organization arrives as a recognized bloc rather than as scattered individual registrations.
Reach you don't have to build
Best Defence supplies the campaign, the messaging, and the assets. You supply the audience.
A result you can report
Attributed registrations give you a number to take back to your board and your members.

What your members gain

  • Direct introductions to primes, buyers, and CAF capability holders.
  • A 5% registration discount through the partner's code.
  • Market intelligence on where Canadian procurement is heading.
  • A room organized around meetings, not floor space.

What Best Defence provides

  • Co-branded campaign assets, email templates, and messaging.
  • A unique tracking code and reporting on attributed registrations.
  • Direct recruitment support from the Best Defence team.
  • Delegation recognition on site and in conference communications.
Level 01 · Strategic Alliance PartnerAlliance Partnership · Page 4 of 8
02
Alliance Level

Sector Alliance Partner

For specialist organizations with a narrower but highly relevant audience — the same core marketing infrastructure, focused on one sector delegation.

Indicative reach
≈500–1,500 qualified contacts
Basis
Reciprocal & performance-based
Member discount
5% registration discount
Availability
Subject to approval

Who this is for

Sector Alliance Partners trade breadth for relevance. The audience is smaller than a Strategic partner's, but concentrated in one capability area — cyber, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, marine, space, AI, materials, or a comparable specialism.

The partner receives the same core campaign infrastructure as Level 01, aimed at building a single, credible sector delegation rather than a broad one.

Ideal for organizations that

  • Convene a specialist community whose capability maps directly onto defence or dual-use requirements.
  • Prefer a focused sector delegation over broad, untargeted promotion.
  • Can run email campaigns to their audience and co-brand recruitment assets.
  • Want targeted recruitment support from the Best Defence team.

What the partner earns

  • Email campaigns to the partner's audience
  • Co-branded recruitment campaign assets
  • Unique tracking code for attributed registrations
  • Focused sector delegation recognition
  • Targeted recruitment support from Best Defence
  • Conference passes earned on actual registrations
  • A 5% registration discount for the partner's members

Strategic value

A specialist community arrives as an identifiable sector bloc — easier for primes, government, and the Canadian Armed Forces to find, and easier for the partner to report on afterwards.

The Value On The Table
Access without the trade-show cost
Specialist companies reach primes, CAF, and government buyers without a national trade-show budget.
A visible sector bloc
Your community arrives as an identifiable capability group, easier for buyers to find in the room.
Campaign built for you
Co-branded assets and messaging tuned to your sector, supplied by Best Defence.
A result you can report
Attributed registrations give you a clear number to take back to your members.

What your members gain

  • Introductions to buyers who are actively looking for their capability.
  • A 5% registration discount through the partner's code.
  • Stage and showcase opportunities to present that capability.
  • Market intelligence on where Canadian procurement is heading.

What Best Defence provides

  • Co-branded campaign assets and messaging tuned to the sector.
  • A unique tracking code and reporting on attributed registrations.
  • Targeted recruitment support from the Best Defence team.
  • Sector delegation recognition on site and in conference communications.
Level 02 · Sector Alliance PartnerAlliance Partnership · Page 5 of 8
03
Alliance Level

Regional Development Partner

For a municipality or regional economic-development organization organizing a delegation to bring its business community into Ontario's defence market.

Commitment
Delegation from one region
Basis
Reciprocal & performance-based
Member discount
Not included
Availability
Subject to approval

Who this is for

Regional Development Partners are municipalities and regional economic-development organizations that want their local manufacturers, technology firms, and service companies connected to defence demand — and want that connection recognized as a regional effort.

The delegation is built with Best Defence and recognized at the conference under the region's name.

Ideal for organizations that

  • Are responsible for the growth of a regional industrial or manufacturing base.
  • Want to introduce local companies to primes, the Canadian Armed Forces, and federal and provincial buyers.
  • Can convene local businesses and co-brand recruitment materials for the region.
  • Want regional recognition rather than sector or association recognition.

What the partner earns

  • Regional delegation built with Best Defence
  • Co-branded recruitment materials for the region
  • Unique tracking code for attributed registrations
  • Regional delegation recognition at the conference
  • Conference passes earned on actual registrations

Strategic value

A regional economy gets a route into Canada's largest defence-industrial base, and the region gets a documented, attributable count of the companies it brought.

Please note

The 5% member registration discount available to Strategic and Sector Alliance Partners does not apply to Regional Development Partners.

The Value On The Table
Defence demand for local firms
Regional manufacturers and technology firms meet primes and buyers without leaving the province.
The region, named
Your delegation is recognized at the conference under the region's own identity.
Materials built for you
Co-branded recruitment materials carrying the region's identity, supplied by Best Defence.
A number for council
Attributed registrations give you a documented count of the companies the region brought.

What your businesses gain

  • An entry point to defence supply chains close to home.
  • Introductions to primes, CAF capability holders, and government buyers.
  • Market intelligence on where Canadian procurement is heading.
  • A room organized around meetings, not floor space.

What Best Defence provides

  • Co-branded recruitment materials carrying the region's identity.
  • A unique tracking code and reporting on attributed registrations.
  • Recruitment support and briefing material for local businesses.
  • Regional delegation recognition on site and in conference communications.
Regional Development PartnerAlliance Partnership · Page 6 of 8
ADD
ON
Optional Module

Hosted Experience Partner

An optional module — not a status level — available to any approved Strategic, Sector, or Regional partner. It lets a partner run its own co-branded reception, dinner, breakfast, or roundtable in support of the conference, inside the official conference week.

How the add-on works

  • The partner or partner sponsor covers all costs of the experience.
  • An integration fee applies. Any waiver is announced for that year's conference.
  • Best Defence approves the timing and the venue.
  • Best Defence co-brands the experience and integrates it into the official conference week.
  • Available only to approved Alliance Partners — it is a module, not a level.

Already planning an event?

Organizations already planning a reception the night before or during the conference join here — but only from inside one of the three Alliance levels.

Compare Levels
What each level commits and earns
Commitment & benefitStrategicSectorRegional
Indicative qualified reach≈2,000+≈500–1,500Regional base
Dedicated email campaignsYesYesRegional
Co-branded campaign assetsYesYesYes
Unique tracking codeYesYesYes
Named company nominationsYesWhere relevantWhere relevant
Direct introductionsWhere relevantWhere relevantWhere relevant
Delegation recognitionProminentSector delegationRegional delegation
Passes earned on registrationsYesYesYes
5% member registration discountYesYesNot included
Hosted Experience add-onAvailableAvailableAvailable
Conference branding & sponsorshipPriced separatelyPriced separatelyPriced separately
Hosted Experience Partner · Level comparisonAlliance Partnership · Page 7 of 8

How we partner

Alliance Partnership
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Best Defence is the Official Conference of the Ontario Defence Association. That exclusive institutional relationship sits above the Alliance program and is not available to any other organization. Alliance Partnership is how every other association, chamber, cluster, municipality, and ecosystem organization engages the conference.

Reciprocity first
Both sides bring something to the table. What each partner contributes, and what comes back, is shaped together with Best Defence.
Qualified, unique reach
"Reach" means unique, qualified people — not newsletter circulation or social impressions.
Tracked registrations
Passes and delegation recognition are earned on actual registrations attributed to the partner's tracking code.
Delegation building
The unit of success is a delegation of real companies, not a count of impressions.
Approved communications
All partner recognition, co-branding, and communications are subject to Best Defence approval and brand standards.
Sponsorship priced separately
Alliance status does not carry sponsor branding benefits. Conference branding, exhibit space, and stage time are priced separately.
Good to Know
Official Conference of the Ontario Defence Association

Best Defence is proud to be recognized as the Official Conference of the ODA, reinforcing its role as a gathering point for Ontario's defence and dual-use ecosystem. Year-round association partnership is led by the ODA at ontariodefence.ca/partners.

Let's build your delegation
Tell us about your organization, the audience you can reach, and the delegation you'd like to build.
info@bestdefence.co · bestdefence.co/partners · Conference dates and program are published annually at bestdefence.co
Contact Us
Best Defence Conference · Official Conference of the Ontario Defence Associationbestdefence.co