Companion Package Includes:
All Meals (inc. Gala) and Final Keynote Presentation
To Register - Click Here

Companion Agenda
Tuesday April 10
Optional Pre-Conference Tours:
Please note: space is limited for these tours, so please book early to avoid disappointment!

1:00 pm to 3:30 pm – “Connecting BC to the World” – Port of Vancouver
Cost: $50/person + taxes (includes tour and transportation costs)
The Port of Vancouver is the second largest port on the west coast of North America, and a key component of Canada’s Asia Pacific Gateway.   The Port handles approximately 76.5 million tonnes of cargo, including close to 1.8 million containers, as well as close to a million cruiseship passengers annually.   Join us for this exciting tour of the Port’s facilities, and see first-hand how the products produced in BC’s communities are sent to international markets, and how products from abroad are brought to our doorstep.

2:00 to 4:30 pm – “Behind the Scenes” – Film studio tour
Cost: $50/person + taxes (includes tour and transportation costs)
Film and television production is a $1billion industry in British Columbia, and the region is the third-largest film and television production location in North America.   Communities around BC have benefited from location-based production activity; this tour offers the opportunity to visit a major film studio facility in the Lower Mainland. The BC Film Commission will lead this film studio tour, and show you what happens behind the glitz and glamour of this competitive business.

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm – Canada Export Centre tour
No cost (note: transportation not provided)
The Canada Export Centre is a private company that showcases BC firms to the global marketplace.   The centre is a short 15 minute stroll from the conference hotel, so make your way to 602 West Hastings Street to meet the team at the centre, and learn what they do to host international delegations and facilitate trade connections.  

3:00 to 4:00 pm – 2010 Commerce Centre at Robson Square
No cost (note: transportation not provided)
The 2010 Commerce Centre is establishing a store-front presence in a re-vamped Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, a short 15 minute stroll from the conference hotel.   Meet the team at the Commerce Centre, as they welcome you on a tour of their new facilities, and outline their plans for the space in the time leading up to and during the 2010 Games.

“Taste of BC” Welcome Reception     6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us for a fun-filled evening sampling the best of BC food and wine, networking with colleagues and making new friends.
Wednesday April 11
Breakfast - 7:30 am-8:30 am

Lunch Presentation   11:45 am to 1:15 pm
Working together to create a stronger BC   
What is the Government of British Columbia doing to put BC on the international stage? Premier Gordon Campbell has been invited to provide us with an update about key priorities for our province, and the role of communities in creating a strong and vibrant economy.

Gala Banquet, Auction and Awards Dinner 6:00 reception; 7:00 meal
We’ll use any excuse for a party! This evening, we will celebrate BC’s best economic development achievements with lots of laughter and fun.   And don’t forget your chequebook – we will be auctioning items to raise funds for EDABC’s Professional Development Scholarship Fund.

Thursday April 12
Breakfast - 7:30 am-8:30 am

Lunch Presentation    11:45 am to 1:15 pm
Working together to create a stronger Canada   
What is the Government of Canada doing to put BC on the international stage? Minister David Emerson has been invited to provide us with an update about key federal priorities that impact BC, including recent investments in the Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor initiative.

Friday April 13
Closing Plenary    3:00 pm to 4:30pm
Navigating Uncharted Territory In surroundings that don't comply with our beliefs, how do we move forward? Why do some people chart their own course and others remain in reactive mode? During this plenary session, space scientist, neurologist, author, astronaut and Canada's first woman in space, Dr. Roberta Bondar will change the way you think. Forever.

Named by Time Magazine as one of North America’s Best Explorers, holder of the NASA Space Medal, and inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame, Roberta Bondar makes exciting connections between how our brains adapt in space to how we can adapt to constantly-changing environments here on Earth. In space, severe disorientation confronts astronauts in an unfamiliar and weightless environment. From her own experiences aboard the space shuttle Discovery, Dr. Bondar unveils her findings on the science of coping with change, along with specific actions that can deal with the challenges of disorientation in today's chaotic corporate world.   This inspiring session is not to be missed!