Rogers Centre Ottawa For organisers working in defence, cybersecurity and resilience, access to the right institutions can matter as much as venues or connectivity. Ottawa Tourism is building its sector strategy around precisely that advantage.
As Canada’s capital, Ottawa brings federal decision-makers, diplomatic missions, universities, technology companies and research institutions into a concentrated ecosystem. Its strengths in cybersecurity, aerospace, artificial intelligence and advanced communications give specialist meetings a direct connection to the people shaping national policy and putting new technologies into practice.
“Ottawa’s strength in this sector is not simply that it is Canada’s capital,” said Stephanie Seguin, Vice President, Meetings & Major Events at Ottawa Tourism. “It is that defence, security, cyber, diplomacy and innovation actively intersect here.”
The proposition is supported by Ottawa Unlimited, a partnership between Ottawa Tourism, Invest Ottawa and the Ottawa Board of Trade that combines destination marketing, economic development and business networks.
Recent events show that positioning taking shape. CANSEC, Canada’s largest defence and security trade show, returned to the capital in May, while Ottawa Innovation Week connected researchers, investors and companies across AI, defence, health and clean technology in June.
The next major marker comes from 1 to 3 December 2026, when the Ottawa–Gatineau region hosts INCYBER Forum Canada. Focused on cybersecurity, AI safety and national digital resilience, the conference will bring government, defence, academia and industry together across the Canadian Museum of History and Rogers Centre Ottawa.