Buzz is our annual event to help you get inspired for what’s next. This year, it’s all about the future of retail and community and how it’ll impact every industry. There will be no lanyards, no sandwich platters, and no promotional material to speak of. Though there will of course be food and drinks (we’re not animals).
Craving inspiration? We’ve got you.
Craving inspiration? We’ve got you.
Buzz is our annual event to help you get inspired for what’s next. This year, it’s all about the future of retail and community and how it’ll impact every industry. There will be no lanyards, no sandwich platters, and no promotional material to speak of. Though there will of course be food and drinks (we’re not animals).Â
November 5, 2025
9:15am - 5:00pm
Tonic House @ Sweat & Tonic, The Well, Toronto
Buzz is not your typical “conference”. It’s a day OOO.
It’s a high-energy, invite-only day for insights and innovation leaders to sharpen their thinking, explore what’s next in consumer culture, and test new tools that turn cultural shifts into business opportunities. Hosted at Tonic House in The Well, Buzz blends strategy, experimentation, and community — all with great people, great ideas, and great food (no lanyards required).
We're at capacity! Join the waitlist below.
What to expect on the day
Envision the future
We’ll kick off with a keynote from Erin Mays on how to spot signals before they scale. Over the course of the day, you’ll also get two in-depth briefings on the Future of Community and Future of Retail. Then, hear from experts on how these shifts are reshaping their businesses.
Prove the potential
Break into hands-on workshops led by our Trends & Innovation strategists. Here’s where you’ll map research-backed opportunities to your industry and business. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore and launch proprietary research gathered on OneCliq and Upsiide to push your thinking further.
Topics we’ll cover
Future of Community
Connection is easy. Belonging is hard.
As technology makes everything effortless, real community demands effort again — ritual, reciprocity, and shared commitment. We’ll explore how digital life has reshaped what it means to belong, and what brands can do to help rebuild meaning:
- The cultural and technological forces rewriting how we connect
-
Why true community thrives on friction and follow-through
-
The new social architecture of belonging
-
How brands can move from collecting audiences to cultivating communities
Future of Retail
Retail is evolving — fast.
Search is turning into personal guidance. Checkout is disappearing. Loyalty is becoming a virtuous cycle. In a new report, we chart the next 12–36 months of retail through three defining shifts:
-
Adaptive Curation: From search results to personalized suggestions.
-
Invisible Checkout: Seamless, frictionless transactions as the default.
-
The Delight Loop: Loyalty that feeds on itself through data, service, and surprise.
Your facilitators
Erin Mays
EVP, Trends & Innovation
Betsy Pendergast
VP, Trends & Innovation
Shelby Walsh
VP, Trends & Innovation
Sarah Polansky
VP, Trends & Innovation
Tanika McLeod
General Manager, OneCliq
Nathan Knight
Co-Founder, OneCliq
Alanna Colaiacovo
Manager, Upsiide
Patrick Lambert
SVP, Upsiide
Why it’s worth a day OOO
Get future focused
Catch up on the forces shaping consumer culture in 2026 — from how people build community to how they shop and spend.
Explore new technologies
Play with AI-powered insights platforms and collaborative frameworks that help you move from data to decisions faster.
Collaborate with peers
Build connections with senior insights and innovation leaders tackling the same challenges you are.
Leave with momentum
Walk away with actionable frameworks, fresh thinking, and real research to spark your next big idea.
Agenda
8:45am
Grab a smoothie, breakfast, and chitchat
12:00pm
Lunch @ Lulu Bar
9:15am
Welcome & introduction to futures thinking
1:45pm
Briefing on the future of retail
9:40am
Expert Interview with Sweat & Tonic’s Chief Brand Officer, Morgan Thomas, and The Well’s Retail Lead, Jonah Vetro
2:10pm
Workshop: Map the impact of retail futures to your business
10:00am
Briefing on the future of community
3:15pm
Leaders of Tomorrow Chat: In conversation with OneCliq’s founders
10:45am
Workshop: Map the impact of community futures to your business
4:00pm
Cocktails, canapes, and chitchats