What exactly is the ONWARD Summit?

📅 June 5 & 6, 2017    📍 BMO Centre

Think Silicon Valley innovation meets Disneyland for entrepreneurs. Over two half-days, you'll step into the future and challenge how you do business.

Here's some of the incredible speakers that will change how you think:

• Global exponential organization expert and angel investor,  Salim Ismail.
• Disruptive transportation industry leader, Dirk Ahlborn.
• Aritificial intellegence for business transformation VP, Debbie Landers.
• Growth-hacking marketing juggernaut, Ryan Holiday.

Expanding your influence

Knocking down barriers to growth: Helping your business gain access to capital

Applications for the Alberta Investor Tax Credit (AITC) opened in January 2017, and like any new initiative, there were some kinks to be worked out. To help iron them out, we consulted with both business and investment leaders to determine what the issues were, and the best ways to address them.

To this end, the government has made several changes to the program requirements that took effect as of April 11, 2017. Simply put, these changes have made it easier for your business to take part in the program.

Connect at upcoming events

[Thursday] Strong corporate governance: Canada's global advantage

📅 May 4, 2017    🕒 11:30 am – 1:30 pm    📍 Calgary Petroleum Club

With cases of corruption, corporate fraud, and instability showing up in the media, corporate governance is now top of mind for many business owners. 

Simply put, good corporate governance is a competitive advantage. So what are the best practices?

Join us to hear from Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors, on best practices around corporate governance, and the link between strong governance and Canada’s economic growth.

[Next week] If you love SBWYYC, you won't want to miss Rev!

📅 May 11, 2017    🕒 8:30 am – 4:00 pm    📍 Calgary Zoo

Join 300 of Calgary’s fastest-growing companies for a full-day entrepreneurial growth conference, packed with real learning opportunities laser-focused on driving sales, using market research, tech trends and innovating to drive productivity.

You'll hear from speakers like:

• Jill Belland, award-winning journalist and founder of Barre Belle, on being your strongest self while running a growing business.
• Jim Dewald, Dean of the Haskayne School of Business, on staying innovative but with a purpose.
• Matthew Stone, Co-founder of Stone-Olafson, on how to use consumer and market intelligence to be your own CIA agent. 

🆕 Business After Hours at The Keg

📅 June 14, 2017   🕒 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm   📍 The Keg – Macleod Trail

At our upcoming Business After Hours at The Keg on Macleod Trail, you'll have a chance to release your inner sommelier as you connect with the movers and shakers of Calgary’s business community. Mix and mingle on the patio, experience a wine pairing seminar, take in the sounds of a live DJ, and snack on some of The Keg’s finest appetizers. 

Join us to kick off your summer with some of the finest networking around.

🆕 When robots come for your job

📅 June 13, 2017    🕒 7:00 am – 9:00 am    📍 Delta Calgary Downtown

With advances in technology growing every day across all industries from robotics, to artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, the pace of change is set to accelerate. Is your company prepared for what’s coming?

At this event, hosted in partnership with The Talent Pool, you have an opportunity to arm yourself with knowledge. You'll hear from three industry experts on:

• The rise of the gig economy
• Reinventing the HR Function
• The workforce of the future
• Arming your company to take advantage of the digital revolution with the skills to lead the way and seize opportunities

Tips to grow your business

Digital tip: Five tips for managing your online reputation in Google search

Much of a person's first interaction with your business online starts with a search. Managing what appears when someone performs searches of your brand, key people and products and services, is vital.

Google decides what it shows in search engine results pages (SERPs) algorithmically based on hundreds of different factors. And the task for organisations who want to manage what appears for their brand is getting increasingly complicated. So where do you begin?

What we're reading...

• Legge: Why Canada’s new infrastructure bank should be built in Calgary
• Senate leader pitches Trudeau reform plan in Alberta
• Business owners weigh in on President Trump's first 100 days
• How to scale without imploding
• How tech firms are racing to perfect conversational artificial intelligence

Member insights

🌟 2016 Report to Community: Strength in numbers

We're celebrating our 126th year as your Calgary Chamber, and what better way to do that than releasing our 2016 Report to Community?

This year we're shaking up the traditional model of delivering our Report by making it into its own website. That's right, the whole thing is online and paper-free!

Chamber member: Cenovus

When Cenovus became a company, back in 2009, they made a commitment to be a responsible developer of one of Canada’s most valuable resources – the oil sands.

By applying the latest technology and fresh, progressive thinking to their work Cenovus is able to minimize their impact on the environment while safely producing energy resources the world needs.

Members get a break on Business Banking Packages from ATB Business

As a Calgary Chamber member, you have a chance to enjoy a special price break on ATB's Business Banking Package when you sign up for ATB Merchant Solutions. Here's what you get: 

• Merchant credit rates starting at 1.47%
• No setup fees for your merchant account
• Unlimited Business Banking account for $30/month
• No annual fee on ATB Business MasterCard for one year

From our partners

[Rev kick-off event] Personal branding: Selling yourself and your business

📅 May 10, 2017    🕒 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm    📍 Avec Bistro

Whether you’re new to the workforce, or an experienced business owner or leader, having a unique and credible personal brand online allows you to achieve both personal and professional goals. In this workshop, you'll learn:

• How to build a powerful and impressive online presence
• How to elevate your LinkedIn profile and optimize your digital image
• Latest trends in personal branding

2017: The age of skills disruption and transformation

📅 May 25, 2017    🕒 9:00 am – 12:00 pm    📍 Kahanoff Centre

Demographic and socio-economic shifts are expected to have nearly as strong an impact on business operations and organizational structures as accelerated technological change. In this session, you'll hear about topics like:

• What is the real future of work? Drivers of change and associated skills shifts.
• The impact of emerging technologies on roles and jobs: Do we have the right people in the right jobs?
• Anticipated shortages: Mitigating strategies to ensure your talent supply. Where to source the new skill sets?

Community leaders