Wednesday, October 24, 2012
7:30 am – 2:30 pm
Marriott Calgary Hotel
110 9th Avenue SE

Canada’s economic success is tied to the ability of its cities to properly manage the challenges that comes with rapid growth. To pave the way for a brighter future, the Calgary Chamber and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to present Smart Cities of the Future, a one-day conference that will examine how Canada’s competitiveness can be improved by addressing the challenges facing its urban centres,  such as transportation, infrastructure, urban planning, governance, sustainability and energy.

A keynote address by Premier Alison Redford will accompany a number of leading experts who will be participating in panel discussions throughout the day.

Tickets for only the lunch with Premier Redford are now available for $79 per person, contact 403 750 0432 for bookings.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to discover how cities fuel sustainable economic development.

Tuesday October 30, 2012
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
The Calgary Petroleum Club
Devonian Room
319 5th Avenue SW

It’s been 24 months since this City Council was elected to serve Calgarians and steward a growing Calgary. As he enters the last year of this Council’s term, Mayor Naheed Nenshi is asking: how have we made Calgary better?

With its fiscal plan for the City, Council set out a path to make Calgary a great place in which to make a living and a life. Nenshi will share where we are along that path and where that path leads next – ddressing some of the most important issues affecting the better Calgary of tomorrow. 

Join the Mayor as he discusses the future of Calgary.

Thursday October 18, 2012
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
The Metropolitan Conference Centre
333 4th Avenue SW

Small Business Week, which runs from October 15 – 19, is dedicated to celebrating the contributions that small to mid-sized companies make to the economy. The two biggest events of this week are the Tradeshow Expo and the Small Business Week Awards presentation.

Tradeshow Expo
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
This event gives businesses the opportunity to display their products or services, discover new businesses and network with other people in Calgary’s business community. The event typically attracts upwards of 150 attendees.
Booths sell out quickly for this event. Book yours today. 

Small Business Awards presentation
7:00 pm – 9:00pm
The pinnacle of Small Business Week is an awards presentation that reveals the emerging stars of the city’s small business scene. This year, awards will be given out to a number of high achievers in the business world.

A special keynote address will also be given by Zahra Al-Harazi, founder of Foundry Communications and one of Chatelaine Magazine’s “Women of the Year.”

Meet and learn from some small companies who are doing big things in the local economy.

Thursday November 8, 2012
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Room 3 - 4, CREB
300 Manning Road NE

Teetering on the brink of prosperity

While Alberta is poised to close out 2012 with strong economic performance, global economic struggles will likely create a “downdraft” that will cool the province’s economy in the year ahead. For 2013, there will likely be a decrease in oil demand as well as prices, leading to a pullback in provincial energy sector development and, as a result, slower economic growth.

Join us as Ben Brunnen, the Calgary Chamber’s chief economist, provides an overview of the state of the economy in 2013, and explains what these developments mean for your business.

Learn more about the major economic developments in 2013.

Thursday November 1, 2012
7:15 am – 8:50 am
The Westin
320 4th Avenue SW

The Energy Smart Series is a new speaker series put on by the Calgary Chamber that will explore the changing realities and emerging opportunities involving the natural gas industry in North America.

Join us for the inaugural event in the Energy Smart series as we hear from Regina Hopper, president and CEO of America’s Natural Gas Alliance, on the role that natural gas can play as a clean energy resource that improves air quality, while simultaneously adding jobs to our economy and enhancing energy security. Hopper will also participate in a Q&A session with the audience, which will be led by Gianna Mannes, president and CEO of the ENMAX Corporation.

Learn more about the emerging opportunities involving the natural gas industry in North America.

Monday October 22, 2012
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Self Connection Books
125, 4611 Bowness Road NW

Creating the conditions your business needs to grow in a quick and yet sustainable way is a delicate balance of product development, proper positioning in the marketplace and getting the word out to your target market.

Clifford L. Spyker knows this process all too well. For nearly 25 years, Spyker, an associate professor in accounting and entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University, has assisted more than over 2,500 men and women throughout Alberta start and grow their business ventures.

Learn how you can double your business in one year by identifying your unique expertise and positioning it properly in the market.

Tuesday November 20, 2012
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Metropolitan Conference Centre
333 4th Avenue SW

Recent investment and innovation in telecommunication networking has created a global infrastructure – a powerful business platform that changes how every company competes. This global platform opens up new opportunities for helping your business innovate for success, especially in an increasingly vital area of differentiation: customer service.

Join us as Dean Prevost, president of Allstream, examines these global developments and explains what they mean for companies in Calgary in sectors such as energy, finance and high tech. Prevost will also touch on how a new generation of IP networking solutions are being deployed that can radically improve how your business operates locally, regionally and internationally, and how Allstream is progressing on its own journey to customer service excellence by leveraging its networking solutions to empower its people to build strong relationships with its customers.

Find out how your business can take advantage of these exciting advancements.

Thursday November 1, 2012
8:00 am – 3:30 pm
TransAlta
110 12th Avenue SW

Understanding the Aboriginal community is critical to your organization’s success. It can help you avoid project delays by learning how to consult and accommodate Aboriginal communities, as well as develop a reputation for corporate social responsibility, foster workplace diversity and tap into new economic opportunities.

To provide businesses with this knowledge the Calgary Chamber and Cross Cultural Consulting are joining forces to present a one-day Aboriginal cultural sensitivity course with Neil McDonald, Canada’s most experienced diversity trainer. During this 30-year career, McDonald has trained tens of thousands public, private and volunteer sector personnel on cultural awareness.

Only 25 spots are available. Hurry up and get your ticket today.

Monday October 29, 2012
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Gerry Thomas Gallery
Suite 100, 602 11th Avenue SW

Where else can you find…

• The maker of Spy vs. Spy, one of the bestselling mobile games of all time and a man that CNN Money has labelled a “CEO to watch?”
• The man that Alberta Venture magazine has called “one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs of the Century?”
• The female head of a Calgary tech start-up which earlier this year won the title “the most innovative start-up on the planet” at the renowned Global Technology Symposium in Silicon Valley?

The answer to these questions is the iF series. This ground breaking speaker series brings together business savvy Calgarians whose own career success began by wondering “what if….” What if the old way of doing things isn’t the best way? What if there is a better way? And with that simple what if… question they went on to pursue an unconventional idea that lead to incredible things.

Hear their stories, learn their secrets and be inspired to pursue your own “what if…” idea.