Dear Members,I hope you, your families and your employees are well and enjoying our warm weather. Thank you for your continued support of the Ottawa Board of Trade. On behalf of our board of directors and our staff/volunteer team, we remain passionate about cultivating a thriving world class business community and driving economic growth in our region.So far this year, we have been very active working with business and community leaders at every level of government on priority setting, addressing barriers to business and generating new opportunities. We have convened several tables on key issues and hosted events to bring together thought leaders on city building, affordable housing, downtown revitalization and more.Thank you to those of you who consistently support our work by referring members, attending events, sponsoring and volunteering. As an independent organization, your local board of trade is only as impactful as the membership is strong. As an active member, your endorsement with other businesses is critical. Who do you know that could be our next member? It is a simple application. Please share and invite others to join.As we approach the summer season, I encourage you to continue to support local, be bold as an ambassador of our amazing region and get involved in shaping the future of our city and our region. To that end, we have a few exciting and important events coming up, including;
- June 7 – Last Chance to register for the Welch LLP Business Growth Survey: 2023 Report Launch. Business confidence comes from knowing the numbers. We are thrilled host our annual event and present our local results with David Coletto of Abacus Data. And when it comes to framing the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian businesses, you cannot get better than Goldy Hyder of the Business Council of Canada.
- June 12 – Our Annual General Meeting is open to members to receive our year end reports and elect our new board of directors. Learn more about the work we are doing and ask questions of the executive and CEO.
- June 12 – New this year, the Annual Reception will immediately follow the AGM and is open to everyone. This is the perfect opportunity to network with business leaders including the new board of directors. We are pleased to have Roger Greenberg, Executive Chairman, Minto Group as our keynote to discuss business and city building.
Also, coming soon is our monthly Mayor’s Breakfast on June 22 and our annual Forty Under 40 Awards Gala on June 23, where we will celebrate Ottawa’s bright young leaders.Finally, congratulations to you for the work you are doing and the contributions you are making to our community. As an executive, entrepreneur or employee, you are part of the fabric of our community and contribute to building an affordable, inclusive and sustainable city every day. Thank you!Hope to see you soon!Warm regards, SuelingSueling ChingPresident & CEOOttawa Board of Trade