The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Do you hear the Canada geese honking overhead? Registration for EconoUs2017 is now open and these birds don’t want to miss out. Only, instead of a worm, what the early bird gets is $100 off their registration…
that’s a 20% discount! And if you’re a member of the Canadian CED Network you can take advantage of the buffet deal…an additional $100 off!
Don’t miss out; join the flock and we will all fly so much further than we could on our own!
Register at econous.ca/registration
For Too Long, the Economy Has Been About ‘ME’
Despite the political rhetoric of austerity, we live in a time of unparalleled prosperity. This prosperity has made some very rich while others are unfairly left out. And while our society fetishizes the new wealthy entrepreneurs of today how familiar are we with the humble innovators that are looking first and foremost to generate shared prosperity, particularly with and for those who are most consistently left out of the economy? At EconoUs2017 you’ll get to meet these leaders and learn about the strategies being employed to build strong, inclusive community economies that put people and planet first. EconoUs2017 will help illustrate that the economy can be by and for ‘US’.
Why Should You Attend THIS Conference?
 Food for Thought |
 Beakerhead (photo by Trevor Lalonde) |
Okay, so maybe you’re experiencing conference fatigue. Or maybe you need to be extra strategic with the budget you have for conferences (I did mention that prosperity is not currently shared fairly, didn’t I?). Here’s a shortlist of 3 reasons why I think EconoUs2017 should be on your list of conferences to attend this year:
Calgary is home to burgeoning innovation
While EconoUs2017 will be exploring innovations from across Canada we will be putting a particular spotlight on Calgary and Alberta.
- Come early for the chance to take one of four tours (two in Calgary and two in the nearby communities of Olds and Cochrane)
- Food for Thought will give you the chance to taste Calgary’s finest ingredients while mingling with local chefs and farmers
- Many of the workshops will highlight exciting initiatives and developments in the province around topics like creating and connecting local businesses, renewable energy, community ownership, labour market integration of newcomers, policy development, CED investment, social purchasing, and so much more!
- On Thursday you’ll again get the chance to embark on local tours, whether discovering local breweries or connecting with two other exciting events taking place in Calgary at the same time: TechStock and Beakerhead
Make connections with people dedicated to transforming the economy
The delegates that come out to the national community economic development conference are those that have an undying passion to foster thriving communities, create good jobs, and do business differently. The connections you make here will help inspire your own work and may even develop into impactful partnerships. We’ve made sure that the program has lots of networking breaks built in to allow you the time you need to deepen the connections you’ll make through the other program activities. To get a sense of who’ll be there, take a look at the organizations represented at last year’s conference.
 Chief Robert Joseph |
 Shaun Loney |
The conversations we’ll be having, need to happen.
Ideas are nice, but if we don’t engage with them through dialogue and an exploration of how theory can be put into practice we risk just replicating the old ideas we wish to change. Our keynote speakers, Chief Robert Joseph and Shaun Loney, will start EconoUs2017 with one of the most imperative conversations we need to have in this country: understanding the economic underpinnings of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We’ll also be looking at issues related to climate change, precarious work, economic disparity, etc. While these can be daunting challenges to confront, EconoUs2017 will tackle them with the spirit of hope and a lens to practical solutions moving forward.
And when the conference is over, the conversations won’t stop. On our last day we’ll be dedicating much of our time collaborating on actionable ideas that participants have through a design and peer coaching process using the talent that’s in the room. There will also be opportunities for continued engagement with the collaborative partners hosting the conference in Calgary
Have any question about the conference? Please don’t hesitate to contact me at mthompson at ccednet-rcdec.ca.
Matthew Thompson is a Communications Manager with the Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet). He has worked with CCEDNet since 2007 in a variety of capacities including research and knowledge mobilization, event organizing, and the coordination of the national internship program, CreateAction. Matthew also co-authored Assembling Understandings: Findings from the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships, 2005-2011 a thematic summary of close to 400 research products on the Social Economy in Canada.
*The opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of CCEDNet
