Wishing you and your business a prosperous 2015 from all of us at the Chamber!

Please note that Document Certification and Commissioner of Oaths services will be unavailable until January 5, 2015.

Tuesday January 20, 2015
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
National (on 8th)
360 225 8th Ave (+30, Scotia Bank Centre)

Great food and drinks, amazing people, incredible advice and a relaxed environment. Fast-Growth Champions is back; this time with three visionaries from three of Calgary’s most beloved brands.

The owners of Crave Cupcakes, Espy experience and Cococo Chocolatiers (owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut) share the ups and downs of running a hyper-growth business.

Don't miss their inspiring anecdotes of success, and failure.

• The big business of ugly Christmas sweaters
• The growing business of online Christmas trees
• 7 end-of-year planning tips for your small business
• Top 10 New Year's resolutions for business cuccess
• 7 surprising things everyone should know about Hanukkah

Wednesday February 4, 2015
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
The Hyatt Regency
700 Centre Street SE

Volatile oil prices are a challenge for every Alberta business. Entering 2015, prices are dramatically lower than expected but what should Albertans expect next?

Robert Johnston, CEO of Eurasia Group will present his global perspective on whether we exit 2015 at $50/barrel or $100/barrel.

The Calgary Chamber will also be swearing in Robert J. Hawley, Partner at PwC as the 2015 Calgary Chamber Board Chair.

Join us for this special celebration, and this very timely conversation on the risk our city faces from the state of the current global energy market.

The rapid drop in oil prices has implications for Calgary’s oil and gas sector; however it is also a big problem for Alberta’s emerging alternative energy businesses. It undermines the argument for further government subsidies and should push government to explore alternative strategies.

Renewables and energy alternatives are no longer cost effective as a substitute for fossil fuels. This not only means trouble for the alternative energy industry, but could hamstring efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Learn more about how the alternative energy sector is starting to feel the pinch because of low oil.

Tuesday January 13, 2015
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Delta Bow Valley
209 4th Avenue SE

While many economic outlook discussions focus on the big picture, this event is designed to help small- and medium-sized business owners make good decisions in planning for 2015.

You won’t want to miss  two of Canada’s leading economists, Todd Hirsch, Chief Economist for ATB Financial and Pierre Cléroux, Chief Economist for BDC,  deliver their entrepreneur- centric economic forecast for 2015.

Find out what to expect in 2015.

The holidays can be a tricky time for social media marketers. On one hand, the year is winding down and people are checking out physically and mentally. On the other, it can be one of the busiest times, especially if your brand has a product to promote.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to make sure the holidays run smoothly, even if unplugging isn't an option -- which it probably isn't. 

These five tips can help.

Wednesday January 21, 2015
7:30 am – 10:00 am
Calgary Chamber
600, 237 8th Avenue SE

As a result of current market conditions, the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment in North America is in flux. However, when the dust settles there could be a flurry of M&A activity and it will be important to know about the process, which can be unfamiliar to many business owners.

Shane Dunn, a Calgary-based Mergers and Acquisitions Partner at EY, will provide a comprehensive overview of how the M&A process works from beginning to end, for both buyers and sellers.

Learn about the current state of the M&A landscape in Alberta and what it means to your business.

For a limited time, enjoy a special price break on ATB's Business Banking Package when you sign up for ATB Merchant Solutions.

Benefits include:

• Merchant credit rates starting at 1.55%
• No setup fees for your merchant account
• Free Full Service 40 bank account ($24/month service waived)
• No annual fee on an ATB business MasterCard® for one year

For more information on this offer, email ATB's Business Banking Centre at atbbusiness@atb.com or call 1-855-941-4912.

Thursday January 15, 2015
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
The Palliser Hotel – Ballroom
133 9th Avenue SW

Canada’s Finance Minister Joe Oliver will be in Calgary for a pre-budget consultation – hearing from Albertans about their ideas to create jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity.

Minister Oliver will be speaking to Calgary's business community to outline his priorities for the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the government’s plan to return to balanced budgets and continue growing the economy.

Join Finance Minister Joe Oliver for an update on the financial state of our nation.

The Honourable David Emerson has been asked by the Minister of Transport to lead a review of the Canada Transportation Act supported by a panel of advisors and a secretariat that is independent of government.  

The Van Horne Institute has developed a number of papers designed to lead a discussion as to the issues:

• Reforming Canada’s transportation policies for the 21st century
• Catching up: The case for infrastructure nanks in Canada
• Summary report on transportation policy roundtables

The objective of the Review is to provide an independent assessment of how federal policies and programs can ensure that the transportation system strengthens integration among regions while providing competitive international linkages.

Read the discussion paper and learn about the submission process.

These Prestige members have shown a substantial and unwavering commitment to supporting the work of the Calgary Chamber. We thank our Prestige members, Suncor, TELUS and Nexen, for helping to make Calgary a better place to live and work for all.