International Business Growth Forum

From July 5 to 7, 2016, Québec City will host an international event on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). Québec City’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIQ), Québec International (QI) and the Québec City Convention Centre, in partnership with the World Entrepreneurship Forum (WEnF), present the first-ever Québec City International Business Growth Forum.

The Forum, which will take place at the Québec City Convention Centre, will be a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs from Québec and abroad to discuss the daily challenges they face. On the agenda: company tours, case studies, interactive workshops, a discussion panel, and acclaimed speakers.

Some 200 entrepreneurs and economic actors primarily from North America and Europe are expected to attend this conference, which serve as a think tank on accelerating business growth and entrepreneurial development. These business leaders will share their experiences and exchange views on the challenges associated with growth (innovation, financing, and risks.)

The initiative was presented to Lise Thériault, Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining, and Regional Economic Development, who commended the initiative and supports the event.

“One of the roles of the Québec City Convention Centre is to generate business opportunities and it has, in a way, sparked this important project. We want to hold an international meeting of entrepreneurs that is based on the WEnF’s model, so we approached CCIQ and QI to gain their support and build our own forum from scratch,” said P.-Michel Bouchard, Québec City Convention Centre CEO.

“This event will showcase the economic power of the region and strengthen Québec City’s position as an important economic centre,” said Alain Aubut, president and CEO of CCIQ. “Whether they live in Europe or North America, entrepreneurs are faced with similar growth challenges: innovation knows no bounds, which creates the desire to constantly be on the lookout for new ways to improve. We can build on the strength of our respective networks to help SMEs grow.” 

“The Forum’s programming is designed to generate new ideas and identify winning conditions inspired by new management practices and the presentation of successful ecosystem models,” said Line Lagacé, vice president, business growth and foreign investment at QI. We also hope to be inspired by the journeys of entrepreneurs from Québec and beyond. We are delighted to host entrepreneurs from Québec, Ontario, the United States, Brazil, France, and South Korea. Participants will have the opportunity to share the challenges they all face.” 

The idea for the Forum came from the World Entrepreneurship Forum held in China in October 2015. Leaders from the three organizations participated in the event and used it as an opportunity to establish a partnership with the WEnF organizers. This collaboration gives the organizations access to WEnF’s global network and will make the Québec Forum the only one of its kind in North America.

For more information on the schedule of activities for the Québec City International Business Growth Forum, visit http://www.cciquebec.ca/growthforum.