For beginners there might be introductions to census research or the resources at the Archives of Ontario or National Archives of Canada. This looks at the kinds of documents churches generate aside from the baptisms, marriages and burials which we are all familiar with. It is surprising how many there are, and how useful they can be for genealogists. For instance, membership records, which virtually all denominations keep, can be used to discover where people moved when they left that church. It can help to look in them when you have some relatives who have disappeared.
Most conferences now feature talks which discuss on-line genealogical searching and sources.
There are so many places to look, and many of them are so mis-represented in their advertising, that genealogists need help in determining which ones to use. In addition to the lectures, conferences are good opportunities to meet other genealogists. You may find someone who is actually looking at the same families or locales, or merely find a friend to gossip with about your research. All conferences also feature sales tables of publishers or software producers. You can handle the books you might want to buy to see if they will be useful.