Get Tix!
Buy Tickets Now!

RECON Laval 26

Event Summary

Reality Escape Convention (RECON) 26 was held in person in Laval, Québec, Canada. This marked the convention’s first Canadian edition and its debut in one of the world’s most celebrated escape room destinations.

The two-day event brought together escape room designers, venue owners, technology innovators, and passionate players for expert speaker sessions, live stage experiences, sponsor exhibits, and community networking.

With a focus on community building, RECON Laval included a new, more intimate format of discussion groups for peer-to-peer learning and idea exchange, as well as a structured Speed Networking opportunity. It also included an Extended Q&A with each speaker following their talk, giving attendees extra time to explore the material that was most of interest to them.

Featured live experiences included The Crossword Show, a one-of-a-kind stage event that blends wordplay, comedy, music, and trivia into an unforgettable evening of entertainment, and the first ever live recording of Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), the flagship podcast of Room Escape Artist.

Event Dates: August 16th & 17th, 2026

Location: Laval, Quebec, Canada

Featured Sessions

RECON 26 title card reads, "Resilience: A tale of building and/or breaking" by David Spira
Industry TrendsBusinessOperationsBuilder / Maker

Resilience:

A tale of building and/or breaking

David Spira

View Session
Title card reads, "Welcome to project management"
OperationsBuilder / Maker

Practical Approaches to Making Impractical Things:

How to build better, faster, and more ambitiously through project management

Theresa Piazza

View Session
Title card reads, "Design Process" with a big red X through it.
Builder / MakerGame DesignIndustry Trends

Innovation, Risk, and Perseverance:

How to keep going when you have no idea what you're doing

Bill Dalitsikas

View Session
Title card reads; "What is a puzzle" with a conspiracy meme connecting different types of puzzles.
Puzzle DesignGame Design

Puzzling Tales:

How storytelling through puzzles builds better games and happier customers

Arcturus Wang

View Session
Title card reads, "If you were to sell your escape room RIGHT NOW how much would you ask for it?"
FinancialBusinessOperations

Money Talks:

How to understand the value of your escape room business, and what you can do to improve it

Marcelo Morales

View Session
Title card reads: "Designing Outside the Box with Emma Rochon" and depicts and illustration of her surrounded by puzzles and games.
Game DesignBusiness

What if We Remove the Walls?

Expanding your business and creative opportunities by literally escaping the confines of a room

Emma Rochon

View Session
Title card reads: "The Quest for a Month-Long Vacation... and how it made our team stronger, our experiences, better, and everyone happier." Image depicts Will and Kim dressed up at an immersive experience.
OperationsBusiness

Escape Your Escape Room Business:

How to build a company that runs without you (and why you need this)

Kim Rutherford, Will Rutherford

View Session
Title card reads "A Sound Design. Easy and impactful methods for building better immersive soundscapes. Troy Armstrong RECON 2026 Immersive Experience Design Conference
Technical SkillsGame DesignBuilder / MakerSet & Prop Design

A Sound Design:

Easy and impactful methods for building better immersive soundscapes

Troy Armstrong

View Session
Reality Escape Pod logo with the blasting off rocket ship replaced with a blasting off RECON penrose triangle. Neon letters read "LIVE" beside the logo.
Entertainment

Reality Escape Pod Live

Featuring Gijs Geers of DarkPark

David Spira, Gijs Geers, Peih-Gee Law

View Session
The Crossword Show logo displays the show's name in a crossword grid. "With Zach Sherwin" underscores the logo.
Entertainment

The Crossword Show

with Zach Sherwin

Zach Sherwin

View Session
Text reads: "The RECON Game: Impish Posters and Marketing" art depicts: Impish Posters and Marketing's 3 red imps in a trenchcoat logo.
The RECON GameEntertainmentGames

The RECON Game

2026

David Spira, Mark Larson, Theresa Wagner

View Session
Improbable Escapes Space Quest, a mini escape game experience logo depicts a Canadian astronaut on a spacewalk.
GamesEntertainment

Improbable Escapes Space Quest

A Mini Escape Game Experience

Emma Rochon

View Session
Saving Atlantis A Mini Escape Room Adventure art depicting an undersea city and sea life.
Entertainment

Saving Atlantis

A Mini Escape Room Adventure

Shannon McDowell

View Session

Speakers & Special Guests

Arcturus' headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Arcturus Wang
Boxaroo
Bill's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Bill Dalitsikas
Lockhill
Owner, Game Designer/ Builder
David Spira's headshot in a gold RECON frame.
David Spira
Room Escape Artist
Co-founder
Emma's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Emma Rochon
Improbable Escapes
Co-owner and Creative Director
Gijs' headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Gijs Geers
DarkPark
CEO & Head of Design
Kim's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Kim Rutherford
Escape Artist Greenville
Co-owner
Marcelo's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Marcelo Morales
Encrypted Escape Room
Owner
Theresa's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Theresa Piazza
Great Gotham Challenge, Room Escape Artist
Chief Operating Officer at GGC
Troy's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Troy Armstrong
Great Big Game Show, The Escape Game
Director of Product Design
Will's headshot framed in a golden art deco RECON frame.
Will Rutherford
Escape Artist Greenville
Co-owner

Production Team

Theresa Wagner headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Theresa Wagner
Richard Burns headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Richard Burns
Heather Burns headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Heather Burns
Kate Wastl headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Kate Wastl
Lisa Spira's headshot in a gold RECON frame.

Lisa Spira
Ryan Brady headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Ryan Brady
Mark Larson headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Mark Larson
David Spira's headshot in a gold RECON frame.

David Spira
Cindi Saiewitz headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Cindi Saiewitz
Brendan Lutz headshot surrounded by a gold RECON frame.

Brendan Lutz

Hosted By

MC, Peih-Gee's headshot in a gold RECON frame.

Peih-Gee Law

Special Thanks To Our Guides

Andrew Reynolds
Chris Holland
Christina Rohlf
Evan Broder
Jacky Chang
Jayna Shea
Jenn Saldana
Joan Spira
Katrina Lat
Kurtis Rohlf
Marc Spira
Matthew Stein
Michael Andersen
Neda Delavarpour
Peter Droste
Ricky Rodriguez
Scott Olson
Sheila Holland
Tammy McLeod
Tyler Rochwerg
Hotel & Venue

Sheraton Laval Hotel
2440 Laurentian Autoroute, Laval, Quebec H7T 1X5, Canada

Limited Space

A limited number of discounted hotel rooms are available at the RECON 26 hotel and venue, the Sheraton Laval Hotel.

Our block of rooms on-site at The Sheraton Laval Hotel is SOLD OUT.

Luckily, we have secured a second, smaller block of rooms at Le St-Martin Hôtel & Suites. This is a 5-minute drive away from the RECON venue. If you missed out on the original room block, Le St-Martin Hôtel & Suites is our choice among the many hotels in the area. They are providing a special RECON rate of $209 CAD per night (plus taxes) that includes breakfast, wifi, and parking.

How to Book

  1. Go to the hotel website
  2. Click “English” on the top navigation menu (to make this easier)
  3. Click “Book now”
  4. Click on “Add Code”
  5. Click on the words “Discount Code” (which is a drop down menu)
  6. Click on “Group Attendee”
  7. Paste this code: 2608ROOMES
  8. Continue with selecting the dates of your stay.

You can also call the Reservations Manager Kayla’s direct line (450) 902-3007 and mention the Room Escape Artist group. If you are looking to extend your stay longer than 3 days, call Kayla, and she will honor the group rate if possible, depending on the dates of your stay.

Note that even if you stay off-site, you can park at The Sheraton Laval Hotel for free.

Book Now!