2022 THIA Annual Conference

April 24 - 27, 2022

President’s Message 2022 Conference

I am thrilled that we are able to welcome you in person, to our 22nd Annual THIA Conference in Cancun, Mexico.  This is being held at the wonderful JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa, located directly on the beach front and only a short distance from the location of our 2018 conference hotel in Cancun.  Many of you will recall what a fantastic event that was, and the Conference team is working flat out to ensure the experience is even better in 2022. 

Events will kick off on Sunday evening with our welcome cocktail reception, and end with a fantastic closing event Wednesday evening, which we hope to be able to hold on the beach (subject to local confirmation).  Aside from the exciting speakers we have lined up, there will of course be ample opportunity for networking and possibly a little sun worship and tequila!

Our roster of confirmed guest speakers is extremely exciting.  You will hear from Kamran Khan, MD, BlueDot; Chris Overholt, former CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee; and Chris Mathers, Crime, Terrorism and Security Expert, among others. 

Overall, I am confident that this conference will be enlightening, engaging, and of course a lot of fun.  Please make sure you take advantage of the Early Bird Rates and secure your place. And book your hotel room soon to take advantage of the limited number of rooms we have secured at the discount rate of USD$225/night. I look forward to welcoming you to the sunshine of Cancun 2022.

Richard Ollier
President, Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada

If you retained your registration for the 2020 conference, it has been automatically transferred to our new conference dates.


Conference Registration & Fees

Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown below are per person and expressed in Canadian dollars. To register, please scroll to bottom of this page.

Delegate fees include Educational Sessions, Networking Breakfasts (or Lunch on Tuesday), Refreshment Breaks, Kick-Off Cocktail Reception, and the Closing Night Event.

Early Bird Rates for THIA & UStiA MEMBERS ONLY are available until February 28th, 2022.

Before registering, please read our Immunization and COVID Policy. You will be required to agree to it during registration. 

Early Bird for THIA & UStiA Members Only

(on or before February 28, 2022)

Fees (CAD)

$1,525

Regular Rate for THIA & UStiA Members Only

(on or after March 1, 2022)

 

 

 $1,775

Non-Members

$2,175

Spouse/Non-Business Guest (All Social Events)

(Networking Breakfasts (or Lunch on Tuesday), Refreshment Breaks, Kick-Off Cocktail Reception, Closing Night Event.)

$200

Please note: Only registered THIA delegates are permitted to attend educational sessions and business partners or business guests are not permitted access to special events.


Conference Schedule

Check In/Onsite Registration:

Sunday, April 24th, 2022 - 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday, April 25th, 2022 - 8:00 am – 8:30 am

Sessions: (Includes refreshment breaks)

Monday, April 25th, 2022- 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 -1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, April 27th, 2022 - 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Networking Breakfasts (Monday & Wednesday):  7:30 am – 8:30 am

Networking Lunch (Tuesday):  11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Networking Reception (Tuesday):5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Special Events:

 

New THIA Member / First-Time Delegate Reception

Sunday, April 24th, 2022

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Kick-Off Cocktails

 

Closing Night Event on the Beach

Sunday, April 24th, 2022

 

Wednesday, April 27th, 2022

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Fiesta with Freddy: You saw him make his magic during our November 16th Coffee Talk, now experience Freddy in person. Learn how to make the following:  Pineapple Margarita, Rosemary Margarita, Raspberrita Mezcalita, Nacho Bar, Chips, Salsa, Guacamole.

The fee per person: $70 CAD

Limit: 30 Guests per session

Location: Gustino Italian Restaurant in the JW Marriott

 

 

Monday, April 25th, 2022

 

1:00 pm

 

Other events and activities will be added. Stay tuned for more news!


Confirmed Speakers (More to Come)

Monday, April 25, 2022

Kamran Khan, MD, Founder & CEO, BlueDot

Dr. Kamran Khan is practising infectious disease physician and a Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto. Motivated by his experiences as a frontline healthcare worker during the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak, Dr. Khan has been studying outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases for nearly two decades to lay the scientific foundation for a global early warning system for infectious diseases. His research has been published in scientific journals from the New England Journal of Medicine, to the Lancet, Science, and Nature. Dr. Khan recently received a Governor General’s Award for his work transcending clinical medicine, public health, big data, and artificial intelligence. To translate and disseminate scientific knowledge into timely action, Dr. Khan founded BlueDot in 2013, an infectious disease intelligence company that combines human and artificial intelligence to help governments protect their citizens and businesses protect their employees and customers from dangerous infectious diseases. BlueDot’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic was featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes.

Rebecca Brown,  Associate, Zarek Taylor Grossman Hanarahan, LLP
Is there a Good Gene for Every Bad Gene? Genetic Testing and the Law – Underwriting and Risk Rating in Insurance – An Update

Rebecca Brown is an Associate at Zarek Taylor Grossman Hanarahan, in Toronto where she practices civil litigation, with a focus on insurance defence. Rebecca has appeared before several Courts and Tribunals, including the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, the Licence Appeal Tribunal, and Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.Rebecca enjoys running, snowboarding, reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, and travelling, Her father has instilled in her an irrational love of the Toronto Maple Leafs, so she enjoys commiserating about with others.

Christopher Overholt, President and CEO, OverActive Media
A Cultural Evolution: Esports, Driverless cars and the Challenge of Embracing Your 21st-Century Self

With more than 20 years of experience in the elite echelons of the sports industry, Chris Overholt now leads Toronto-based OverActive Media Group, one of the most diverse esports organizations globally — owning more than seven international esports teams.

Chris has established himself as a leading and trusted voice in the worlds of sports and business. He joined the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) in April 2010 in the dual roles of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In August 2011, he was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and was in that role until October 2018. During his 25 years in business, Chris played a key role in the marketing, branding, and business strategies for some of North America’s top sports franchises, including: the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and seven years with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment working with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors. He is very proud for having helped to recruit Michael Camacho into the Insurance Industry. Christopher holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University in London, Ont. and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive General Managers Program.

David J. De La Zerda, MD, FCCP, Associate Professor of Medicine | Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine | Jackson Memorial Hospital
Health System Resilience: COVID 19 Response

Dr De La Zerda is a Board Certified physician in the areas of Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases and Internal Medicine. He was educated at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia and at the University of California. He is  licenced to practice medicine in both California and Florida. Since 2015, he has served as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami. He serves as the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program Director and as the Jackson Memorial Medical Intensive Care Unit, Medical Director and the Co-Director of the Pulmonary Vascular Program at UM/JMH.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Dr. Ferial Ladak, Director of Global Medical Affairs, Global Excel Management Inc.

Dr. Ladak joined Global Excel in 2006. She received her Medical Degree from the University of British Columbia in 1983, and completed a Family Practice Residency in New York from 1983 to 1986.

Prior to Global Excel, Dr. Ladak has 15 years’ experience in family practice and the Emergency room. In addition she was the Medical Director of two U.S. hospitals in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Currently, she is responsible for the  medical governance of all the Medical Case Management teams, for the entire enterprise.  This includes making sure that all the assistance cases are held to a high standard of medical evaluation, adhering to the best practices of the day. She is also responsible for prudent financial handling of  high cost inpatient U.S. files and complex or high-risk cases worldwide. She is a sought after speaker and author on behalf of Global Excel Management.

Carlos Juárez Cruz, Mexico Program Director, Institute for Economics and Peace
Measuring Peace in a Complex World

Carlos leads the Mexico Program of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and has experience spanning academic, corporate, and social impact spheres, with a strong focus on peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He has led various multi-sector peacebuilding initiatives, including local governments, universities and NGO’s. He has given talks and training in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, and the United States, to diverse audiences ranging from military and police officers, to religious leaders and college students. Carlos is a Rotary Peace Fellow, a graduate of Duke University (Master of International Development Policy), holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and is the father of three.

Jill McCutcheon, Partner Torys LLP
Insurance Regulatory Update & Case Studies

Jill is co-head of the Financial Services Practice. She has more than 25 years of experience in providing counsel to the insurance industry on all aspects of the law. She acts as counsel to insurers, reinsurers, MGAs, intermediaries, third-party administrators, marketers, retailers, employers, and associations.

Chris Mathers, Crime, Terrorism and Security Expert
Cyber Security: The Invisible War

Chris Mathers spent most of his life working undercover for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Drug Enforcement Administration, and the US Customs Service.  Posing as a gangster, a drug trafficker, and even as a money launderer, Mathers has seen and done it all. In his extraordinary talks, Mathers takes audiences into the underworld that only he can describe, letting people in on the stunning stories and secrets harboured by terrorists and those involved in organized crime.

Mathers retired after a 20-year career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  At the time of his retirement, he was the senior undercover operator at the RCMP Proceeds of Crime Section where he established and operated a number of “storefront” money laundering businesses in Canada and the US, targeting Colombian, Russian, and Asian crime groups.  Mathers personally infiltrated criminal organizations in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe.

In 1995, Mathers joined the Forensic division of the international accounting firm, KPMG.  In 1999, he was appointed to the position of President of KPMG Corporate Intelligence Inc. where he was responsible for international due diligence, asset recovery operations, and the investigation and prevention of organized crime and money laundering.

A popular media commentator and speaker, Mathers has served as a consultant on several feature films and documentaries relating to organized crime, espionage and money laundering. He has appeared on television and radio interviews on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, all of the Canadian national news networks as well as media outlets in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean. Mathers is also the host of The Egyptian Job, on the National Geographic Channel. He is also the author of the bestselling book, Crime School: Money Laundering.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Allan Cole, President and Owner of MacKinnon & Bowes
Final Journey Home

Allan is the President and Owner of MacKinnon & Bowes, a mortuary support firm that serves funeral homes, government agencies such as the Office of the Coroner, police agencies throughout Canada, Department of National Defense, Health Canada and many insurance providers that require repatriation assistance.  He is the Current Vice President of the Board of the Funeral Service Association of Canada a trustee on the Funeral Service Foundation for the National Funeral Directors Association in the United States, Past President of the Canadian Funeral Trade Association, and the Toronto District Funeral Directors Association, and former director at the Ontario Board of Funeral service.  Allan has the distinction as Canada's first civilian contractor for Mortuary Affairs for the Government of Canada.  Allan has been awarded an Honorary Degree from the Canadian Forces Staff College, Senior Officers Joint Command and Staff Program and received the 2019 Chief of the Defense Staff Distinguished Service Medallion, and an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies Degree, Health Sciences, from Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in 2009.

Douglas E. Lavin,
Vice President, Member and External Relations, North America
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Governments’ Response to COVID-19 and its Impact on Commercial Aviation – Lessons (hopefully) Learned

Doug Lavin is the Vice President for North America for the International Air Transport Association.  In that capacity, Doug represents the interests of IATA’s 290+ international airline members both in the United States and Canada and is the head of IATA’s Washington, D.C. office. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doug has been the lead representative of international airlines in negotiations with the Governments of Canada and the United States on their pandemic response.  In addition, Doug and his team address a number of issues impacting IATA’s member airlines, including safety, security, facilitation and environment, consumer protection and disability rights, economic regulation, charges, taxes, and distribution. Doug’s career has included work in both public and private sectors. He joined IATA from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he was the Assistant Administrator for International Aviation from 2003 to 2005. Immediately prior to the FAA, Doug was Vice President of Portfolio Management for American Express. Doug is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law, where he was a member of the law review, and the University of New Hampshire.

 

Dr. Jim Chung, Chief Medical Officer, Air Canada
Living with COVID

Dr. Jim Chung has been Air Canada’s Chief Medical Officer since 2016. In this role, he has oversight for the preventative, occupational, environmental and clinical medicine with the physiology and psychology of flight, which includes mitigation and management of global health risks, and both employee and passenger medical regulatory issues, first aid training, onboard medical procedures and pilot medical certification.

Dr. Chung is a graduate of the University of Toronto Medical Program and undergraduate studies at McMaster University. Following completion of his residency in Family Medicine, he served in the Canadian Forces in various roles while stationed at CFB Petawawa. Dr. Chung also deployed to Bosnia on Canada’s NATO SFOR mission and to Turkey with Canada’s DART team in response to a major earthquake in 1999.

Dr. Chung attained his flight surgeon training through the Canadian Forces and also received his Master in Aviation Medicine and Post graduate diploma in Occupational Medicine through Otago University. Dr. Chung also completed his emergency medicine training and certification at the University of Toronto following his retirement from the Canadian Forces, practicing as an emergency medicine physician in Toronto prior to joining Air Canada in 2009 as Senior Medical Advisor, Toronto, a role he held until his appointment to Chief Medical Officer.

 

Plus, hear from your THIA Committee Chairs as they update us on their activities.


IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFO:

Before registering, please read our Immunization and COVID Policy. You will be required to agree to it during registration and to show proof of vaccination at registration desk in Cancun. 
 
For entry requirements to Mexico, please visit: https://www.visitmexico.com/en/faq.
Prior to your trip, you will also need to complete a Mexico tourist card.

Event & Conference Booth Sponsorship Opportunities

Participation in the THIA Annual Conference speaks to your commitment to the travel health insurance industry. This conference will be your opportunity to connect with leaders and decision makers from across North America.

Sponsorship is a great way to show off your company's brand and support of our Association but there are limited opportunities available!

For Conference 2022 Event Sponsorship Information, please contact Ryan Lee via:
Email: ryan.lee@globalexcel.comTel: 416-569-6157

Exhibition Space

Once again, we are offering you the opportunity to showcase your company’s products and services by inviting you to exhibit at our conference – giving you an opportunity to maximize your visibility to the delegates.  If your company wishes to participate by exhibiting, we will have limited exhibition space on a first-come-first-serve basis. 

The exhibition will be held in the food service area guaranteeing the visibility of your company to our delegates. The cost will be $3,250CAD until February 28, 2022 and $3,750 CAD on or after March 1, 2022. This pricing includes one (1) Conference registration.

If you are interested in taking part in this opportunity, please contact:

David Ewing
Email: david.ewing@jhsmiami.org
Direct: 310. 498.0718


REGISTRATION REFUNDS:

The following cancellation penalties apply:

  • 100% refund until March 1, 2022, less $150 administration fee
  • 50% refund from March l 2 to April 1, 2022

Please note: Absolutely no refunds available after April 1st, 2022 

We strongly encourage you to ensure appropriate travel insurance coverage as we will not consider registration refunds outside of the above noted policy.

Location & Hotel Information