In Bloom 2024: A Love and Relationships Summit
Dr. Gabor Maté, Rae Maté, Logan Ury, Dené Logan, Shaun Galanos, Dr. Jess O'Reilly, Dr. Jody Carrington, John Kim, Vanessa Bennett, Todd Baratz, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
April 12–14, 2024 | Vancouver, BC, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Take your relational skills to the next level.
We’re putting you in the room with your favourite relationship experts—and the most trusted names in love—for a weekend of learning, growth, and community.
3 action-packed days of learning.
Friday, April 12, 2024
Intimate access to jump-start your weekend.
The ultimate double-header. Enjoy a wine & cheese welcome at our opening reception, followed by an intimate (and interactive) conversation with John Kim and Vanessa Bennett. The perfect kick-off to a magical weekend ahead.
Saturday, April 13, 2024
A deep dive with the experts you love.
A day packed with powerful sessions from the speakers you rely on most. Be there for a keynote with Dr. Gabor Maté and Rae Maté, plus our popular Q&A chat (Ask the experts!)—your chance to ask questions in a room bursting with supportive energy.
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Hands-on workshops to fuel your growth.
Roll up your sleeves and learn some new relationship skills. Shaun Galanos, Dené Logan, and Todd Baratz break out the whiteboard to teach you tools you can apply right away—and have a whole lot of fun at the same time.
Deepen your connections.
In Bloom 2024 is for anyone who wants to strengthen their love toolkit when it comes to how you love, relate, and communicate with the most important people in your life.
Join us solo or bring a friend, partner, or a new love-connection—there’s never been a more powerful way to grow together.
Friday Kick-Off & Talk
Mingle at our opening reception, then swap stories with a beloved therapist super-couple.
April 12, 5:30 - 8:00 PM
WINE & CHEESE + TALK
John Kim & Vanessa Bennett
Tearing up our relationship blueprints
Everything we think we know about relationships is changing. Therapist couple John Kim (@TheAngryTherapist) and Vanessa Bennett (@VanessaSBennett) break down the ways they’re choosing interdependence over codependence and what it means to pursue radical accountability inside our intimate relationships. They reveal why now is the right time to rip up old ‘blueprints’ inherited from family and society so we can create truly fulfilling relationships on our own terms.
Our evening event sold out quickly last year. Get a ticket before they’re gone!
The Saturday Sessions
An entire day stacked with relationship insights and powerhouse guests.
April 13, 2 pm - 3:30 PM
Keynote
Dr. Gabor Maté & Rae Maté
Reconciling attachment with authenticity
Dr. Gabor Maté and Rae Maté share insights from 54 years of marriage. They illuminate a key dynamic that puts our relationships under pressure: the conflict between our deeply-rooted attachment needs and our drive for authenticity, to be genuinely ourselves. What happens when out of fear we repress our true selves in our hope to make things work? The struggle can take a heavy toll on marriage and intimacy, on children, and our immune systems—with outsized impact on women. In this rare joint appearance, Gabor and Rae discuss their own challenges, missteps, and lessons learned along the path of love, growth, and healing.
April 13, 9:20 am - 10:20 AM
Dr. Jody Carrington
Reconnecting in a disconnected world
We may be biologically wired for connection, but many of us are feeling more disconnected (and lonely) than ever. In a world where our relationships compete for attention with careers, kids, right swipes, and Netflix, how do we create solid friendships and partnerships? Can we even be in love when there are so many opportunities not to be? Psychologist Dr. Jody Carrington (@DrJodyCarrington) shares how to show up for the people we love and the steps we can take to bridge the distance between us.
April 13, 10:30 am - 11:30 AM
Dr. Jess O’Reilly
Crucial conversations for hotter sex
Communication may be the key to happier relationships, deeper intimacy, and hotter sex, but how do we initiate and navigate the difficult conversations? In this session, sexologist Dr. Jess O’Reilly (@SexWithDrJess) puts theory into practice with prompts and strategies to help us talk about everything from money and monogamy (and ethical non-monogamy) to sexual fantasies and mismatched desire.
April 13, 12:50 PM - 1:50 PM
Logan Ury
Intentionally ever after: How to build relationships that last
While love may be a natural instinct, dating isn't. We're not born knowing how to choose the right partner. With her signature data-driven approach, behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury (@LoganUry) reveals what’s holding you back from finding love, why you should date like a scientist, and the questions to ask yourself to know if someone is right for you. This session focuses on Intentional Love — being in the driver’s seat of your relationship and making thoughtful decisions at every step of the way.
Closer Together Fireside Chat
April 13, 4:00 pm - 4:20 PM
BOOK TALK
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Join us for an intimate fireside chat with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, where she'll share exclusive insights from her forthcoming book Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other. Get ready for an enlightening discussion on mental wellness, emotional literacy, and fostering deeper connections.
April 13, 4:20 pm - 5:20 PM
Q+A DISCUSSION
Ask the experts!
A high-energy dialogue with the experts, this session is a summit highlight—and a chance to get your love and relationship questions answered by some of the best in the business.
Vanessa Bennett, Dr. Jody Carrington, John Kim, Dr. Jess O’Reilly, and Logan Ury talk us through our top-of-mind relational issues and let us in on the skills we’ll need to fortify our connections.
If you want to feel the true power of community and collective learning, don’t miss this one.
The Sunday Workshops
Accelerate your growth with practical learning in a small-group setting.
APRIL 14, 12:45 PM - 2:00 pm
Ever wondered why chemistry is so randomly high even in a fleeting encounter? Or why trust can amplify pleasure tenfold? Sex is about more than a little romp in the sheets or a quick race to cum. It’s a complex mix of emotions, psychological nuances, cultural influences, and yep, our personal histories.
Certified sex therapist Todd Baratz (@YourDiagnonsense) leads us on a journey to decode how our relationships shape our desires and discover the deep-seated meanings that give rise to our most erotic and intimate moments.
APRIL 14, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
How do we identify emotionally available people, invite our partners to be more open with their emotions, and become more available ourselves?
Love coach Shaun Galanos (@TheLoveDrive) shows us how to cultivate vulnerability and empathy and express our emotions healthily—whether dating, in a relationship, or looking to expand our emotional bandwidth. In the process, he challenges us to ask whether we’re as open as we think.
APRIL 14, 10:30 am - 11:45 AM
Our current models of love and partnership have conditioned us to love either from a space of codependency or hyper-independence. But this way of loving is no longer sustainable.
Marriage and family therapist Dené Logan (@Dené.Logan) walks us through what it looks like to love from a sovereign place. She illustrates how we can work towards a greater sense of interdependence in all of our relationships so they serve as tools for self-actualization rather than as places to escape our existential fears.
Additional Guests
Henrietta Devine
SOUND THERAPIST
Anne Marie Hogya
Movement Specialist
Monique Grey Smith
AUTHOR & SPEAKER
THE EXPERIENCE
Feel loved from start to finish.
We’ve dreamed up all the ways to enhance your summit experience. Kick off your day with morning movement and music. Stay fresh and fueled with premium sips and snacks from the Fairmont kitchen. Hit up our selfie wall or photo booth. Explore local goods (and RLR swag!) at the Self Care Market. Share a specialty cocktail or mocktail with new friends at our signature social hour.
Expect the special touches a Real Love Ready event is known for—and a few sweet surprises, too.
The Summit Schedule
FRIDAY: April 12, 2024
5:30pm: Opening Reception
6:30pm-8:00pm: Talk - John Kim & Vanessa Bennett
SATURDAY: April 13, 2024
8:00am - 8:50am: Registration / Marketplace / Light Breakfast / Coffee + Tea Bar
9:00am: Movement is Medicine with Anne Marie Hogya
Morning Blessing: Monique Grey Smith
Welcome: Robin Ducharme
9:20am: Session - Dr. Jody Carrington
10:30am: Session - Dr. Jess O’Reilly
11:30am: Lunch (provided)
12:30pm: Sound Bath - Henrietta Devine
12:50pm: Session - Logan Ury
1:50pm: Break
2pm: Keynote - Dr. Gabor and Rae Maté
3:30pm: Break (Gabor Maté book signing)
4:00pm: Closer Together Fireside Chat - Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
4:20pm: Q & A Discussion - John Kim, Vanessa Bennett, Logan Ury, Dr. Jody Carrington, Dr. Jess O’Reilly
5:20pm - 6:20pm: Social Hour
SUNDAY: April 14, 2024
8:30am: Registration/ Light Breakfast
9am-10:15am: Workshop - Shaun Galanos
10:30am-11:45am: Workshop - Dené Logan
11:45am: Lunch (not provided)
12:45pm-2pm: Workshop - Todd Baratz
*Please note this schedule is subject to change.
SELF CARE MARKET
Explore local goods made with care.
Thoughtful ways to show yourself love and take some memories home.
Your once-a-year chance to gather with the RLR community.
Jump off the apps and join us in person!
Can’t attend in person? Join us virtually.
Please note: Accommodation bookings will be the responsibility of event attendees. Downtown Vancouver offers a wide range of convenient stay options. Rooms at the Fairmont Waterfront venue are expected to book fast, so it’s best to plan early.
What our guests say
“Feeling the energy in the room is next level.”
“To see the experts in real life after listening to their podcasts is so good.”
"You’ve created a beautiful thing.”
A *supercharged* experience.
Want to know what it feels like to be here? Sneak a peek at last year’s summit.
