Virtual Roundtable — Chamber of Commerce, Businesses & Trade Experts

chamber of commerce and trade roundtable.v.1

OVERVIEW

Visible minority businesses and visible majority businesses and the industries they serve have been plunged into crisis as a result of SARS-CoV-2.

While some industries and businesses are facing existential challenges, others are booming. Still there are old industries to be resurrected and new ways for bringing those under threat into new or expanded supply chains.

As the pandemic linger and continue to flip  economic and social norms practitioners and researchers in trade, business, research, policy and international development must engage and work more closely together for driving rapid adaption, understanding of trends and helping countries to leverage and seize diaspora capital and pathways to new markets.

Economic development clusters, producers of geographical indications (GIs) and creative industry service providers must meet to discuss and plan the way forward.

This session aims to translate high level briefings to actions, policy and strategy directions for Chambers of Commerce and their members ― both established and diaspora entities (various diasporas and chambers).

Participants will be able to share challenges and opportunities with experts; as well as learn from experts.  The Roundtable will explore and discuss novel solutions and best practices for keeping sustainable trade, and safe supplies flowing in addition to leveraging diasporas, home and cultural knowledge for diaspora and domestic market economic recovery and growth.

Practitioners in international trade, development and businesses will create their network map and agree novel ways of working together and harvesting best and emergent practices for business and driving international trade while building stronger resilient organizations.

Industry focus: Climate finance, agri-business and foods, high value manufacturing, crafts, fashion, fragrance, healthcare, the creative industries, development consulting, and education

On the agenda, participants will discuss:

Tour of Chamber Economic Impacts and recovery: The impact of COVID-19 on diaspora and established chambers of commerce and their members. What are some new and proposed business models for stronger businesses during and post the coronavirus crisis challenging period and develop robust post-crisis business models?

Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Technology Adaption: It is clear that technology and its adaption saves human lives as well as businesses. But creating awareness on what and how for SMEs is often at a cost that widens the chasm of access and inequalities.  How can Chambers and development organizations work together to make facilitate awareness creation, reskilling and adaption?  What resources exist for reducing the barriers of access and cost of adaption?

Diaspora Capital, Economic Development Clusters & Sustainable Development: COVID-19 have left us little choice other than to build trust, collaborate and cooperate.   Finding local and global solutions requires that we meet, connect and risk it together for profit and growth.

How can industry clusters, chambers and development professionals  collaborate, facilitate capacity building and investment flow for driving innovation that contributes to long-term viability, sustainability and harmonious societies?

Dates and Times

Times are listed as EST [New York, Toronto, Jamaica] the Eastern Caribbean is now one hour ahead of North America and Jamaica

Monday November 16, 2020 – 2:00 – 3:35  PM EST

Tuesday, November 17, 2020  | 10:00 – 11:45  AM EST

Wednesday, November 18, 2020   –  1:00 PM EST – 2:45  PM EST

Friday, November 20, 2020   –  10:00 AM EST – 11:45  AM EST

Registration Form

(Click the words Registration Form above)

click words colour hand

Brought you by Magate Wildhorse Inc., New York in partnership with Magate Wildhorse Ltd, Toronto, The Community of Practice of Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (The CoP), Caribbean Diaspora Professional Business Association (CDPBA, and the Pan African Chamber of Commerce.

Copyright © 2020 by Meegan Scott, Magate Wildhorse Ltd .(Toronto), Magate Wildhorse Inc.,(New York). All rights reserved.

For Immediate Release: Canadian business organizations to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

canada market headers logos

COVID-19 might be a formidable enemy but it cannot stop Canadian businesses from celebrating GEW2020.  Among them are several organizations from the Caribbean diaspora who will join business leaders and their supporters in celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 to be held November 16-22, confirmed one event partner.

“ This year we will be celebrating the event under the banner BIDEM 2020 GEW Brawta,” said Meegan Scott, founder of  The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs (The CoP), (BIDEM is an acronym for “bridged, high impact diaspora entrepreneurs to efficient diasporic markets.”).

” Our partners and audiences can expect extras (brawta) from BIDEM Conference and Trade Show recently hosted in Toronto, only with a greater focus on the virtual trade show and virtual bazaar,” Scott said.

More than 20 events have been posted by eleven organizations as Canada gets ready to  “connect and celebrate ” the contributions of entrepreneurs to economic growth and job creation.

“This year the coronavirus pandemic forced business leaders to be more deliberate and sharp in bringing economic recovery and solving some of the world’s most “wicked problems to their daily plans and actions”, said  Scott.

Official sponsors of GEW Canada 2020 along with several GEW partners and organizations will host events in cities across Canada for building resilience and entrepreneur capacity in the face of COVID-19.

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) will lead approximately 180 countries including Canada to host 40,000 events in celebration of GEW and entrepreneurs. The CoP will lead the celebrations for Caribbean diasporic markets with the sponsorship of Magate Wildhorse Consulting (Magate Wildhorse Ltd., Toronto and Magate Wildhorse Inc., New York).

The four official themes for this year’s celebration are ecosystems, policy, education, and inclusion.

Partnering organizations such as Magate Wildhorse Ltd, The Community of Practice for Caribbean Immigrant Entrepreneurs, The Caribbean Camera, GEN Canada, United Counties of Prescott and Russell Economic Development, Business Community and Partners and academic institutions such as George Brown College will host official GEW Canada events.

Magate Wildhorse and The CoP will heighten our focus on policy.  The discussions and action for “accelerating Caribbean entrepreneurship at home and in the diaspora” will be a major agenda item. Currently there is an online discussion forum  open to interested organizational leaders with Caribbean roots worldwide. The discussions will follow on the Minister’s Panel discussion of the same name in which Canada’s Minister of Small business the Hon. Mary Ng and the Hon. Audley Shaw,  Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce were panelists last month at BIDEM.

In addition, there will be virtual discussions, trade show, bazaar, workshops and media related activities for entrepreneurs during GEW. The Strategy Planning and Evaluation Workshop for Disability Programming; “Views on News”, The Virtual Trade and Chamber of Commerce Summit and “Blinkers Off MSME Fireside Chat” are among the highlights of this year’s event.

“Facilitating collaboration among diaspora and domestic Caribbean entrepreneurs and their peers of African descent, mainstream North America and the UK, indigenous, other immigrant groups and entrepreneurs from other geographical areas will also be a feature of our celebration this”, said Scott.

Organizations with Caribbean roots, Mainstream Canadian and diaspora entities are invited to register to celebrate with us at: https://magatewildhorse.ca/strategy-planning-and-evaluation-for-disability-programming/ invited, Scott..

Futurpreneur is the county host for GEW Canada

caribbeam footer

 

BIDEM 2020 Evokes Memories of ― “J’cans win Caribbean Public Speaking Contest” 2004

I few months ago as I was going through my old newspaper clippings; I thought it was time to review old writings, the piece referenced above and attached from the Sunday Gleaner [Jamaica] came up yellowed.

Thanks to the Gleaner I was able to get a nice new copy―I miss the newsprint, but it is a nice clean copy.

There is something about this BIDEM Conference and Trade Show that reminds me of the nights we [other Toastmasters and I]  spent at LOJ New Kingston, in the office of another Toastmaster planning the Conference referenced in the piece below.  Then, there was a group huddled in an office working, feeding on pizza and drinks till midnight or close to it at times.  Since then every international conference planning for me― except for one― has been a virtual distance planning affair.

I have had some great virtual planning and execution experience since 2004 but for some reason it has been lingering this time around.

I guess the unfolding of BIDEM 2020 International Caribbean Diaspora Conference and Trade Show has  called up memories along the time continuum. Interestingly, four years and four events beep out of the digital mental timeline. And guess what, people, processes, technology and results are the standout aspects.

Drifting in and out of getting them delivered, group dynamics, time of work, how work got done, bureaucracies and no bureaucracies was all a part of the mental multitasking.

Our virtual planning committee meeting two nights ago added some new experiences and collectibles to the mental catalogue. That includes the ambiance of the workspace then and now.  Many thanks to the committee and for the spirit of the session. It was certainly a pleasant and energizing meeting.

Other pleasant memories came to mind a few days ago when I responded to an Association for Strategic Planning Conference related activity.  I guess this is the season for 2004, and the four most recent international conferences and related planning to come roaming in the mind. The dynamics, experiences, differences in approach of teams, people, technology, processes, physical distance etc., are all so interesting and rich.

While COVID-19 is making virtual planning, everybody’s lot this year, it has been a reality for some of us for a more than a decade now.

I have enclosed the piece referenced about the 2004 when Jamaica won the The Caribbean Public Speaking Championship for the second year in a row below.

Meegan Scott . (June 20, 2004) . J’cans win Caribbean Public Speaking Contest. Sunday Gleaner, pg. 72 .[Online] at: https://gleaner.newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner/2004-06-20/page-72/

J'cans win Caribbean public speaking contest - The Gleaner June 20, 2004

Many thanks to The Jamaica Gleaner for providing the copy of the article referenced above.

Meegan Scott

Copyright © 2020 by Meegan Scott. All rights reserved