Arrive early, settle in and network in-person with fellow attendees.

Presented by Small Business BC and BCAA Small Business Insurance.

Join Nathan LaFayette, a previous NHL player, business owner and now Chief Insurance Officer at BCAA, in a discussion about how innovation has played a role in his life and what lessons he has learned. With innovation and change often comes risk which is where small business insurance can provide you the protection you need so you can continue to grow your business. You’ll receive an introduction to what small business insurance is and why it is an important part of your business development.

Wondering how to take the guesswork out of your business decisions? Market research offers all the data you need to succeed – you just need to know where to look.

Presented by SBBC’s Market Research Analyst, Mark Eversfield, this session will teach you how to use tools like Google and ChatGPT for market research. You’ll discover how data can help you understand the opportunities and threats in your industry, alongside key tips for making sense of the data.

Josh Nilson is a Métis from Willow River, BC. He is the founder of Maskwa Investments which focuses on early-stage seed funding and advisement with a focus on Indigenous tech businesses. Prior to that, he was a founder at East Side Games (ESG), making mobile games like Trailer Park Boys, The Office, Ru Paul Drag Race Superstar and more. Josh has been working in tech since 2002 and was recognized as one of the most influential business leaders in the province as part of the BC500 in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Josh was named Person of the Year 2022 at the BC Tech Technology Impact Awards. He currently works in the technology and interactive media spaces and will always stop for pugs.

As the world shifts towards digitalization, it’s no longer a matter of “if” but “how well.” In this session, delivered by Digital Main Street, we’ll explore essential digital strategies for attracting more customers and driving growth in 2024. You will gain insights into key themes and trends crucial for your online presence to help you not only attract but keep more customers through building an authentic community, enabling personalization, staying at the forefront of innovation and more.

Growing a business and finding new customers can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to foster growth when a business is limited to only its local market. Businesses that look outside of their local borders are the ones that can set themselves up for both increased survivability and opportunities to thrive.

Join us as two Export Advisors walk you through important resources for growing your business outside its local constraints. We will talk about the history and benefits of the Export Navigator program, touch on who exporters are and why they should export, and outline some of the other key support organizations in the export ecosystem.