Schedule
Activate includes a pre-show, hands-on labs, game sessions, and open networking with peers and sponsors. Select a session title to read its description and the speaker's bio.
| Time (ET) | Front Stage Track | Back Stage Track |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00–12:20 PMET | Pre-Show Networking  Robert B. Moran, EH5, VC5 | |
| 12:20–12:40 PMET | Pre-Show Game  Rob Ferre, CSP | |
| 12:40–12:55 PMET | Emcee Kick Off  Robert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, & Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE | |
| 1:00–1:50 PMET Labs | Back Stage TrackFrom Stage to Studio: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of a Hall of Fame Speaker's Complete Setup  Sam Silverstein, CSP, CPAE | |
| 2:00–2:50 PMET Labs | ||
| 3:00–3:50 PMET Game | Nothing is scheduled in the Back Stage Track at this time. | |
| 4:00–4:50 PMET Labs | Front Stage TrackScintillating Slides: Create Visuals as Fabulous as You Are  Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, VMP | |
| 5:00–5:10 PMET | Emcee CloseRobert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, & Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE | |
| 5:10–6:00 PMET | Networking with Peers & Sponsors (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Time (ET) | Front Stage Track | Back Stage Track |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30–12:50 PMET | Emcee Kick OffRobert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, & Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE | |
| 1:00–1:50 PMET Labs | ||
| 2:00–2:50 PMET Labs | ||
| 3:00–3:50 PMET Game | Nothing is scheduled in the Back Stage Track at this time. | |
| 4:00–4:50 PMET Labs | Front Stage TrackCompelling Virtual Presentations: The Key Pace Elements   Darren LaCroix, CSP, & Mark Brown, CSP | Back Stage TrackMaximum Impact, Minimum Gear: Cinematic Video Techniques & Practical Production Choices for Virtual Speakers  Karl Ahlrichs, CSP |
| 5:00–5:10 PMET | Emcee CloseRobert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, & Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE | |
| 5:10–6:00 PMET | Networking with Peers | |
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Pre-Show Networking
Robert B. Moran, EH5, VC5
December 2 • 12:00–12:20 PM ET
Start your Activate experience with some light networking, facilitated by Robert B. Moran, EH5, VC5. You'll be invited to reflect and share as much or as little about yourself as you're comfortable with. This is a low-pressure opportunity to get to know your peers beyond their work.
About Robert B. Moran, EH5, VC5
Robert "Bob" Moran, EH5, VC5, has been a speaker since 1987, when he joined Toastmasters while stationed in Maine as a USMC officer. In the years since, he has devoted himself to communicating ideas and encouragement to groups large and small in the technology, banking, and consulting industries.
Bob is known for the depth of his personal expression and his use of speaking, teaching, stand-up comedy, and nude modeling modalities.
Pre-Show Game
Rob Ferre, CSP
December 2 • 12:20–12:40 PM ET
Join Rob Ferre, CSP, for some fast-paced fun and get your energy up before Activate officially begins.
About Rob Ferre, CSP
Rob Ferre, CSP, is a game show host, entertainer, and virtual event specialist who has hosted interactive experiences for organizations from Disney to the Utah Jazz. With over 20 years on stage and on screen, Rob designs and delivers live game shows for corporate events, conferences, and virtual programs, turning passive audiences into active participants. His virtual game shows have engaged audiences on Zoom and Teams for clients across industries, using browser-based technology that requires nothing from attendees except their phone.
Keep 'Em Engaged: Humor Techniques That Hold a Virtual Audience
Andrew Tarvin, CSP
December 2 • 1:00–1:50 PM ET
When you're delivering a talk in person, the audience is there with you (literally). They have to physically stand up and walk out to check their inbox, and almost nobody does the dishes or answers the door in the middle of a keynote. Online, that same audience is one Cmd+Tab away from their email, Slack, and thousands of cat videos on Instagram.
The competition for attention is brutal. People drift faster on a screen than in a room, and attention starts leaking within the first few minutes. What works for you on stage won't always work for you on screen, which is why a virtual presenter needs a pattern interrupt every few minutes just to stay in the game.
In this hands-on lab, Andrew Tarvin makes the case that humor is the most reliable engagement tool there is. Done well, it not only keeps attention, it boosts credibility and helps the material stick. Andrew will walk you through three specific, replicable humor techniques built for online delivery. You'll apply them to your own content live and leave with engagement moments you can use in your very next session, so no one in your audience goes looking for feline fails online.
About Andrew Tarvin, CSP
Andrew Tarvin, CSP is a keynote speaker, comedian, and consultant who teaches professionals how to use humor to achieve better business results. Since 2016 he has delivered more than 500 virtual and remote programs, ranging from hands-on online sessions for organizations like NASA to 10,000+ person virtual livestreams for companies like IBM.
In total, Andrew has delivered over 1,000 programs to 750+ organizations in 36 countries. A best-selling author, he has been featured on Dry Bar Comedy, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, and FastCompany, and was named a 'Visionary Alum' by the P&G Alumni Network. His TEDx talk on the skill of humor is one of the Top 50 most viewed TEDx talks on YouTube, with more than fifteen million views, only half of which were by his mother. He loves chocolate and singing the Hokey Pokey with his 4 year old daughter (because that's what it's all about).
From Stage to Studio: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of a Hall of Fame Speaker's Complete Setup
Sam Silverstein, CSP, CPAE
December 2 • 1:00–1:50 PM ET
What does a professional speaker's studio actually look like, and how does it work? In this session, Hall of Fame speaker Sam Silverstein takes you on a live tour of his complete studio setup, showing you exactly how he uses it for high-stakes Zoom calls, close-the-deal conversations, social media content creation, and online course production. You'll see his whiteboard setup in action, watch live demonstrations of the tools he relies on every day, and walk away with specific ideas, sources, and a clear vision for building the studio of your dreams.
About Sam Silverstein, CSP, CPAE
Sam Silverstein, CSP, CPAE, is a past president of the National Speakers Association, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, author of 15 books, and founder of The Accountability Institute™. Recognized globally for his work in accountability, workplace culture, and leadership, Sam has been called “The most trusted voice on accountability.” He empowers organizations to build values-driven cultures where people take ownership and deliver results. His dynamic keynotes and programs inspire audiences to lead with purpose, elevate performance, and make a lasting impact.
Cameras Off, Engagement On: Reaching the Quiet 90%
Randy Nathan, MA, MSW
December 2 • 2:00–2:50 PM ET
Online speakers often measure engagement by what they can see: cameras on, chat responses, raised hands, and the same few voices volunteering to speak. But visible participation represents only a fraction of the audience.
In this interactive lab, Randy Nathan, MA, MSW, will show you how to engage the quiet 90% without calling people out or forcing participation. You'll experience a practical progression that moves people from private reflection to low-risk response to group discussion, then apply it by redesigning a moment from one of your own virtual programs.
You'll leave with practical ways to move more of your audience from passive attendance to active thinking, even when cameras stay off.
About Randy Nathan, MA, MSW
Randy Nathan, MA, MSW, is a professional speaker, executive coach, author, and Rutgers University lecturer who has delivered keynotes and educational programs throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For more than 20 years, he has helped people participate, perform, and lead more effectively.
His online work includes professional webinars, executive and career coaching, and synchronous graduate-level instruction at the Rutgers School of Social Work. He holds a Certificate in Effective College Instruction from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), with training in evidence-based practices that increase engagement and participation in synchronous online environments.
Randy is the author of The 90% Advantage: Elevating Good People into Great Performers and focuses on the potential that leaders and presenters often overlook.
C.A.L.L. (Camera, Audio, Lighting, Location)
René Rodriguez & Ryan Grams
December 2 • 2:00–2:50 PM ET
Command the virtual stage with proven performance and delivery techniques René Rodriguez has refined through thousands of virtual events, plus the studio design expertise Ryan Grams has built over 20+ years. In this lab, you'll learn how to create energy, connection, authority, and audience engagement through the screen.
Your virtual stage is still a stage. René and Ryan show you how to design your camera, audio, lighting, framing, eye contact, and workflow as one cohesive online experience. They also show you how to run a polished multicamera presentation solo using smart automation, switching, and control systems.
You'll see how choices like camera position, lighting, framing, backgrounds, and teleprompters directly affect your screen presence and perceived professionalism, so you can stop looking like you're on Zoom.
About René Rodriguez
René Rodriguez is a keynote speaker, leadership advisor, transformational speaker coach, and best-selling author of Amplify Your Influence. For more than 30 years, he has researched and applied behavioral neuroscience to solve some of the toughest challenges in leadership, sales, and change.
As an entrepreneur and CEO of multiple companies, René brings a practical business approach that inspires his audiences to take action. Through his keynotes, boot camps, workshops, and proprietary AMPLIFII™ course, he helps people own their backstory and build the frame for their unique value propositions.
About Ryan Grams
Ryan Grams is an award-winning filmmaker, studio designer, and founder of Studio Upgrade. He builds broadcast-quality studios for people who have something worth saying and absolutely no interest in becoming broadcast engineers.
Over the past 20+ years, Ryan has worked with brands including Google, Meta, Walmart, UPS, Ferrari, and Best Buy, and has designed studio environments for executives, speakers, and organizations including Amazon, Spotify, Netflix, and Mall of America.
His specialty is making complicated production technology disappear. Cameras, lighting, audio, teleprompters, automation, and control systems all work together so the person on camera can focus on the thing that actually matters: communicating.
Along the way, he’s produced national brand campaigns, documentaries, virtual events, podcasts, and enough strange technical setups to earn two Upper Midwest Emmy Awards.
The Best Game Show Ever!
Rob Ferre, CSP
December 2 • 3:00–3:50 PM ET
Take a break from labs and join a live, interactive game show hosted by Rob Ferre, CSP. You'll have the chance to play a handful of fast-paced games built for virtual audiences, all run on simple browser-based tools that work for any group size. Afterward, Rob debriefs the experience, so you can bring similar interactive moments into your own virtual keynotes, trainings, and events.
About Rob Ferre, CSP
Rob Ferre, CSP, is a game show host, entertainer, and virtual event specialist who has hosted interactive experiences for organizations from Disney to the Utah Jazz. With over 20 years on stage and on screen, Rob designs and delivers live game shows for corporate events, conferences, and virtual programs, turning passive audiences into active participants. His virtual game shows have engaged audiences on Zoom and Teams for clients across industries, using browser-based technology that requires nothing from attendees except their phone.
Scintillating Slides: Create Visuals as Fabulous as You Are
Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, VMP
December 2 • 4:00–4:50 PM ET
Are your slides stuck in 2020? Have you significantly updated them lately to reflect how good you are now? Are they as dynamic as your delivery? As memorable as your message?
Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE, says, "If you're a $5,000 speaker, your slides should look like a $10,000 speaker’s." Too often, the reverse is true—outdated or dull slides silently signal, “This speaker hasn’t refreshed their presentation in years.”
Some presenters insist, “People don’t come to see my slides.” True—but they often judge you by them. Even the most riveting delivery can be undercut by visuals that feel old-fashioned or inconsistent. Great slides visually reinforce your message, helping audiences remember you long after the applause fades. They should be as captivating as you are.
In this lively, interactive, practical session, you’ll learn simple design principles and creative tricks to breathe new life into your slides. You’ll see examples of small tweaks that make a big difference, from enhancing readability to adding subtle flair without going overboard. You’ll leave with the ideas—and inspiration—to make your slides not only support your content, but elevate your entire presentation. And you'll have more fun being creative in the process.
About Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, VMP
Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, VMP, blends her decades of experience presenting globally with her deep knowledge of how adults absorb and retain information. She’s mastered creating engaging slides to enhance presentations, prompting Apple’s slide experts to say, “You need to teach us how to do what you’re doing.”
Her clients say that they are riveted during her presentations, not only because of what she says, but also because of how she uses slides to help them absorb and remember key points. She understands that your slides can greatly enhance or diminish your credibility, memorability, and effectiveness.
Rebecca has spoken in 24 countries, is the author of 28 books, including two that have sold over 250,000 each, and been featured in media like Oprah, 60 Minutes, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, NPR, and many more.
Stop Sharing Your Screen. Start Producing an Experience.
Scott Welle, CSP
December 2 • 4:00–4:50 PM ET
Virtual presentations don't have to be a talking head in a little box next to a PowerPoint. There’s a better way! In this interactive session, Scott Welle, CSP, will show you how he uses Ecamm Live (Mac only) to create more dynamic, engaging virtual presentations—with animated overlays, multiple visual elements, transitions and real-time interaction.
You'll see how a little production value can dramatically change the way an audience experiences you online—and walk away with practical ideas you can put to work immediately.
About Scott Welle, CSP
Outperformers are not born: they’re made. We ALL have the capacity to “raise our game,” and Scott Welle, CSP, has spent 20+ years helping people do this, personally and professionally. Scott’s 10 best selling books, articles, videos, podcasts and online programs inspire millions of people worldwide. He was named the 2021 Midwest Motivational Speaker of the Year, earned his CSP designation, has delivered a TEDx Talk, and has grown bottom & top-line revenue every year for the last 6 years. For “fun” (and because he’s kinda crazy!), he’s completed 34 marathons, 5 Ironman triathlons, a 100-mile ultra marathon, and serves others by showing them how to challenge their self-limiting beliefs and aspire to Outperform every day.
Stay In-Sight, In-Mind by Hosting Monthly Virtual Community Salons
Sam Horn
December 3 • 1:00–1:50 PM ET
Stop waiting for the phone to ring, for the "Are You Available?" emails to show up, and for clients and speakers bureaus to contact you. Stay visible, showcase your expertise, align with respected experts, and add value by hosting monthly, open-to-the-public, no-fee, community zoom calls that are a win for all involved.
About Sam Horn
Sam Horn is the Founder and CEO of the Intrigue Agency. She has had the privilege of speaking to more than a half million people worldwide and for hundreds of organizations including NASA, National Geographic, Accenture, Cisco, Intel, American Bankers Assn. YPO, Capital One, and Four Seasons Resorts.
Sam's specialty is helping people crystallize one-of-a-kind communications that scale their income and impact, for good.
Perfecting Your Pre- & Post-Event Rhythm for Virtual Gigs
Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP
December 3 • 1:00–1:50 PM ET
Every virtual presentation requires a flawless delivery on the front-end and a seamless logistical dance behind the scenes. Unfortunately, too many speakers end up in last-minute tech panics or let thousands of dollars in post-event follow-up opportunities gather digital dust. They simply don't have a plan for what to do next.
In this lab, we will break down the exact operational cadence needed to improve and scale your virtual speaking business without reaching your breaking point. You will actively map out your ultimate pre-event tech and client checklist to ensure zero-fail delivery. Then, we will flip the script to the post-event phase, where you will learn how to convert attendees into prospects and keep track of important content for later use.
Leave this lab not just with ideas, but with a concrete plan to protect your peace, delight your clients, and unlock hidden revenue from every virtual gig you book.
About Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP
Cara Silletto, MBA, CSP, has been a speaker/trainer focused on workforce retention for nearly 14 years. Today, she loves using her unique mechanical mindset to help speakers create well-oiled operations machines. Creating a new revenue rhythm allows them to be successful and still spend nights and weekends with their family and friends instead of their laptops!
The Hidden Driver of Virtual Engagement: Your Speaking Constitution
Annah Elizabeth
December 3 • 2:00–2:50 PM ET
What if the most important factor influencing audience engagement isn't the platform, the polls, or the presentation technique, but your speaking constitution?
Speakers can use the exact same technology and experience dramatically different levels of confidence, connection, and audience engagement, because engagement begins long before the presentation does. In this interactive lab, Annah Elizabeth introduces the concept of a speaking constitution: the combination of intrinsic wiring, existing skills, preparation preferences, stress responses, and resources that shape how effectively you prepare, deliver, and engage online.
Through guided reflection, discussion, real-time examples, and application exercises, you'll examine where your current online engagement strategies are working, where they may be creating friction, and what could strengthen the experience. You'll leave with a practical framework you can immediately apply to your next virtual presentation, training, webinar, or workshop.
About Annah Elizabeth
For more than twenty years, Annah Elizabeth has explored the underlying drivers that influence how people communicate, connect, learn, lead, and perform. A TEDx speaker, facilitator, educator, and creator of The Five Facets® Philosophy on Healing, she has spent more than fifteen years designing and facilitating interactive learning experiences in both virtual and in-person environments.
Her online work includes conferences, workshops, webinars, coaching programs, support groups, and educational experiences where engagement, participation, and audience connection are essential to success. Her research has helped her identify the often-overlooked factors that influence confidence, delivery, and audience engagement before a speaker ever goes live.
Annah is the founder of HeartWise Healing Solutions™ and author of Digging for the Light.
Sleep. Wake. Launch a New Course.
John D. Mayfield
December 3 • 2:00–2:50 PM ET
John D. Mayfield runs an online real estate school licensed in ten states, with zero employees. Every course, video, voiceover, and student touchpoint is produced and delivered by one person and an AI stack that keeps working after he logs off. He literally goes to sleep, wakes up, and launches in another state.
In this hands-on lab, John opens the hood on his Course Builder Kit, the pipeline that turns an idea into a finished, sellable online course with no team, no studio, and no production budget. You'll learn how a plain PowerPoint can become a narrated movie, hear lessons delivered in John's cloned voice, see how AI drafts and structures course content, and follow how automated workflows handle enrollment, delivery, and follow-up.
You'll take an idea from your own expertise and turn it into a working piece of your own course with a repeatable system you can rebuild the next morning.
About John D. Mayfield
John D. Mayfield is a real estate broker, longtime real estate educator, and course creator who runs an online real estate school licensed in ten states, as its only employee. By pairing decades of adult-education experience with a modern AI production stack, John writes, produces, voices, and delivers full online courses solo, then automates enrollment and follow-up so the business keeps running and growing while he sleeps.
He is a co-author of Easy Sales Meetings and has trained real estate professionals across the country through live and on-demand programs. John speaks on AI-powered course creation, solo-operator systems, and turning expertise into scalable digital products.
The Master Influence Challenge™
Tami from Miami Reiss
December 3 • 3:00–3:50 PM ET
Take a break from labs and join a live pub quiz-style game hosted by "Tami from Miami" Reiss. You'll test your knowledge of influence, communication, and executive presence, with one lucky participant crowned "Master of Influence" by the end. Afterward, Tami debriefs the experience, so you can bring engagement, interaction, and storytelling into your own events.
About Tami from Miami Reiss
"Tami from Miami" Reiss is an international keynote speaker, leadership coach, and author of Unleash Your Leader Within. She helps leaders build trust, gain buy-in, and turn vision into action through engaging, highly interactive learning experiences.
Since moving her business online, Tami has delivered hundreds of virtual keynotes, workshops, executive coaching sessions, and online courses for organizations around the world. Her signature programs combine storytelling, audience interaction, and gamification to transform passive attendees into active participants.
Compelling Virtual Presentations: The Key Pace Elements
Darren LaCroix, CSP, & Mark Brown, CSP
December 3 • 4:00–4:50 PM ET
The most important part of a presentation is the thought process in the listener's mind. This is even more important when presenting virtually. As Jennifer Lier, President of IASB, put it: "You can't just come on and rely on your personality and stories anymore."
A compelling virtual presentation is a direct result of engagement. If you lose your audience's attention, you both lose. Every presenter has a distinct style and voice that carries over online, just differently.
Join Mark and Darren to find out what Pace Elements are, how to change them up every two to three minutes, and how to make them work for your own style and voice.
About Darren LaCroix, CSP, & Mark Brown, CSP
Mark Brown, CSP, and Darren LaCroix, CSP, have been presenting workshops and trainings virtually since long before COVID, from one-hour webinars to three-day workshops. They've mastered compelling virtual presentations, and it comes down to flow and the effective use of Pace Elements.
They co-wrote the book on it, Deliver Unforgettable Presentations, with the legendary Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, and host the podcast Unforgettable Presentations.
Both have spoken at NSA and PSA chapters around the world and have been NSA members since the 1990s. They've coached CEOs from YPO chapters worldwide and have personally trained more than 2,200 presenters.
Maximum Impact, Minimum Gear: Cinematic Video Techniques & Practical Production Choices for Virtual Speakers
Karl Ahlrichs, CSP
December 3 • 4:00–4:50 PM ET
Having high standards and a tight budget is a challenge. Online presentation standards are rising, and professional video production gear is expensive.
In this lab, you'll use the tools you already have to engage a modern online audience without breaking the bank. Karl Ahlrichs, CSP, draws on more than ten years of hands-on experience as a video producer to share back-to-basics ideas on lighting, audio, and cinematic video techniques that create maximum impact with minimum investment, whether you're working from a studio or on the road.
About Karl Ahlrichs, CSP
Karl Ahlrichs, CSP, is a professional trainer, presenter, writer, communications coach, and Certified Virtual Master Presenter. He has a practical background in video production, including eight years in a global manufacturer's training department and years as a freelance corporate video producer.
Karl has developed his facilitation and training skills over several decades, with more than 20 years of experience presenting to clients including Apple, Thomson Reuters, Home Depot, Lowe's, Roche, Boeing, Marsh & McLennan, and IBM. He has a proven understanding of the motivation and psychology that enables behavior change, and works across all areas of media and support material that create a good environment for adult learning.
Networking with Peers & Sponsors
December 2 • 5:10–6:00 PM ET
Stick around to connect with your peers or visit with select sponsors.
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Networking with Peers
December 3 • 5:10–6:00 PM ET
Stick around to connect with your peers.
Meet Your Emcees
Robert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, & Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE
About Robert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP
Robert Kennedy III (RK3), CSP, is bringing back his unique blend of storytelling, speaking, and video expertise to the screen as emcee for Activate 2026.
Robert is a communication strategist, keynote speaker, and trainer with a background in radio journalism, education, and real estate. As the founder of Kennetik Kommunications, he’s building a multi-million-dollar training company through workshops, keynotes, and digital programs. His guiding philosophy is simple yet powerful: “Communication transfers information, but connection creates transformation.”
He's delivered that message to organizations you’ll instantly recognize: AARP, the Baltimore Ravens, the National Association of Realtors, REMAX, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Labor Relations Board, just to name a few. His sessions—and his emcee style—are known for energy, humor, and practical insight.
About Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE
Mike Domitrz, CSP, CPAE, is joining Activate 2026 as co-emcee, bringing his signature blend of audience engagement, transformational speaking strategies, and real-time interaction to the virtual stage.
A Hall of Fame speaker, author, and communication expert, Mike is the founder of the Center for Respect. He has delivered keynotes and trainings for organizations across five continents, including the U.S. military, major corporations, associations, and educational institutions. His philosophy is simple: audiences remember what they experience, not just what they hear.
His emcee style combines energy, spontaneity, humor, and a genuine commitment to making every attendee feel part of the experience.