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

The Chamber’s Board of Directors helps to set the strategic direction of Calgary’s largest business organization and we look forward to swearing in our 2015 Board Chair, Robert J. Hawley, Partner at PwC.

In addition to the swearing-in ceremony, Robert Johnston, CEO of Eurasia Group will offer a keynote address on his global perspective of the three factors most likely to determine whether we exit 2015 at $50/barrel or $100/barrel.

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.

On Monday evening, after years of delays and a multitude of reports, eight members of Calgary City Council voted against an important proposal to streamline the approval process of secondary suites.

Calgary Chamber members have consistently rated attracting and retaining talented employees as the number one barrier to business competitiveness in our city. And, in a recent survey of Calgary business leaders, more than 60 percent believed that expanding the legalization of secondary suites would improve Calgary’s ability to attract talented labour.

Unfortunately, Council has yet again rejected compromise actions that would make it easier to create legal secondary suites.

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.

When you think about the world’s greatest cities, what comes to mind?

New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo would certainly top most lists, both as cultural influencers and economic powerhouses. It probably would not occur to the average reader, however, that Calgary can learn similar lessons from St. Albert than it can from Singapore.

With Calgary’s growth in mind, the Calgary Chamber launched the Great Cities initiative, which looks to understand the importance of  cities in the global economy, and the impact municipal decisions and actions have on the success of a community.

The greatest cities were not always great, and the Chamber’s Great Cities report seeks to frame the path to becoming great.

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.

• Take your analytics to the boardroom with these 5 easy steps
• What to do if you’re smarter than your boss
• 35 Cool gadgets that make business travel easier
• Why you have to get better at the boring stuff
• Exactly how much and how often you should be drinking coffee

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 many employers and employees, the holiday season is a time to rejoice and celebrate the successes of the year.

Celebrations are often in the form of an annual holiday party with delicious meals and ample alcohol. Regrettably, during this festive season, management (and their legal advisors) must dredge up the gloomy thoughts of potential liability for an employer-hosted holiday party.

With proper planning, policies and execution, the holiday season really can be about good cheer - learn how in our guest blog from Mcleod Law LLP.

The social media landscape is always changing and as you start to think forward to 2015 now is a great time to check in on the latest updates and what opportunities they bring. 

Among the list are a couple we have looked at previously here in eConnecting but there are plenty of new gems for the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Stay in the know with these tips from Buffer.

At the heart of WestJets numerous awards and distinctions are more than 8,600 WestJetters working hard to deliver a remarkable guest experience. Together, they believe that their guest experience is the result of their business, their people and their guests working together. They stand behind a commitment to take care of their people. In turn, their people take care of their guests, and their guests take care of their business.

WestJet continued their holiday miracles this year by bringing a snowy Canadian Christmas to a community in the Dominican Republic.

Check out the video and see the smiles a spirit of giving can create.

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.

Let the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and UPS help you save time and money this holiday season.

As a member of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, you can save up to 30% with the UPS Members Benefit Program, even if you already have an account! 

1. Check year-end shipping deadlines to ensure your packages reach their destination on time
2. Schedule Ahead with UPS My Choice™ and control where and when your UPS packages arrive
3. Sign up now and save!

There are no costs or minimum shipping requirements to take advantage of your UPS Members Benefit Program.

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.