December 5, 2024 – Ottawa, Canada – In a groundbreaking move, Ottawa Tourism, Invest Ottawa, and the Ottawa Board of Trade are proud to unveil Ottawa Unlimited, a revolutionary partnership that embodies radical collaboration among three leading economic development agencies for the city. This innovative alliance aims to catapult Ottawa onto the global stage as a premier destination for business, innovation, talent, tourism, and investment, while fostering sustainable economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for all residents.
Uniting Diverse Strengths for a Shared Vision
Ottawa Unlimited creates a unified force to help drive transformative change, facilitate even greater collaboration across the region, and shape Ottawa’s future together as a community. It harnesses the unique strengths, expertise, and collective ambitions of its founding partners:
- Ottawa Tourism: Bringing its passion for showcasing the city’s vibrant attractions and cultural experiences, Ottawa Tourism infuses the partnership with its expertise in destination marketing and visitor experience enhancement.
- Invest Ottawa: Contributing its drive for innovation, job creation, and economic growth, Invest Ottawa fosters entrepreneurship, attracts international investment and talent, accelerates business expansion and commercialization, and positions Ottawa as a global tech and business hub.
- Ottawa Board of Trade: Offering its deep connections with the local business community, the Ottawa Board of Trade brings its advocacy skills and commitment to creating a thriving, world-class business environment.
This radical collaboration builds upon years of impactful collective initiatives, including the Think Ottawa campaign, International Women’s Month programming, buy local Ottawa campaigns, and the Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda.
Key Priorities and Transformative Outcomes
Ottawa Unlimited aims to help revolutionize the city’s economic landscape through focused collaborative action, including:
- Unified Storytelling and Marketing: Crafting a compelling narrative that promotes Ottawa’s economic strengths, cultural richness, competitive advantages and opportunities to a global audience;
- Downtown Renaissance: Spearheading innovative initiatives to transform downtown Ottawa into a vibrant, inclusive epicenter of business and tourism with impact that elevates and benefits the entire city and all citizens; and
- Signature Events: Launching and leading city-wide collaborative events such as Ottawa Innovation Week 2025, which will engage the entire community, showcase and celebrate the wealth of innovation across our city, and facilitate powerful new collaborations.
Championing Inclusive Growth
At the heart of Ottawa Unlimited is a steadfast commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in a highly collaborative, authentic way. Together with leaders who bring lived experience, the partnership will pioneer initiatives that create groundbreaking opportunities together with, and for, underrepresented groups, ensuring that Ottawa’s growth story is one of inclusive prosperity.
New Chapter Begins
The official launch of Ottawa Unlimited will take place during a historic tripartite board meeting on December 5, 2024, at the Lord Elgin Hotel. This momentous occasion will feature insights from Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and a collaborative dialogue among Ottawa Tourism, Ottawa Board of Trade and Invest Ottawa board members, leaders, and key stakeholders.
The first wave of transformative initiatives under the Ottawa Unlimited banner is slated to launch in 2025, marking a new chapter in Ottawa’s evolution as a world-class city.
“Ottawa Unlimited is more than just a partnership-it’s a bold reimagining of how we can unite to fuel inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity for our city,” said Sonya Shorey, President & CEO of Invest Ottawa. “By harnessing our unique strengths and expertise, and forging collaborations across the region, we’re building an unparalleled force to elevate Ottawa’s global competitiveness.”
Michael Crockatt, President & CEO of Ottawa Tourism, added, “ Ottawa Tourism welcomes this groundbreaking partnership with partners who each bring expertise and networks that can be leveraged strategically for the benefit of our destination. As we apply our expertise areas in brand promotion, business event and major event sales, destination development, and visitor experience to the partnership, we are looking forward to seeing the horse power that our partners also bring in their fields, with results that will significantly amplify Ottawa’s presence nationally and globally.”
Sueling Ching, President & CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, emphasized, “Through Ottawa Unlimited, we’re not just enhancing economic opportunities – we’re crafting a future where every business and resident can thrive in our increasingly global city.”
About Ottawa Tourism
Through its values of inclusivity, trust, collaboration, and innovation, Ottawa Tourism pursues its vision to be one of Canada’s most visited, sustainable, vibrant, and appealing urban destinations, as well as the tourism authority for key economic development and city-building decisions in Ottawa. Canada’s capital welcomes an estimated 9.8 million visitors annually who spend $2.6 billion in the community.
About the Ottawa Board of Trade
The Ottawa Board of Trade is the voice of business and a key economic partner in the National Capital Region. Our mission is to cultivate a thriving world class business community. One that drives affordable, inclusive, and sustainable city building. We are champions of Ottawa as the best place to live, work, play, learn, visit, and invest. For information, visit www.ottawabot.ca.
About Invest Ottawa
Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital Region, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Invest Ottawa is also the manager of Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub and one-stop business acceleration shop, and founder and operator of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Since 2013, Invest Ottawa has supported almost 14,000 companies, contributed to the creation of more than 14,700 jobs, helped domestic companies raise $1.86 billion in capital and attracted $1.47 billion in domestic and foreign direct investment to Ottawa. www.investottawa.ca