Every month our team compiles a list of startup and small business events that we’re interested in attending that are highly useful to the startup and small business community. A few of the organizations listed host a number of great events, but we’ve chosen to feature one event that we feel will be particularly useful.
The events we focus on are in Toronto and across Southwestern Ontario. The events may sell out fast, so if you’re interested in attending please contact the organization to register quickly. If you’re hosting an event or have come across one you think should be included here, feel free to contact us by email or social media with your suggestions.
This year Social Media Week Toronto will be taking place September 23 – 27 with the theme “Looking Ahead to 2015”, where they will explore the changes and trends expected to take place in the next 12-15 months. The below featured event will be co-presented by VA Partners and MaRS – don’t miss it!
Event: How Marketing Can Make Social Media Easy for the B2B Sales Team
When: Monday, September 23, 2013, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: MaRS Auditorium, 101 College St.
Innovation Factory strives to advance Hamilton’s innovation community by inspiring entrepreneurs and acting as an expert resource that fosters connections and accelerates growth.
Event: Sales Peer2Peer: Making Social Media Use Easy for the B2B Sales Rep
Where: Innovation Destination (Suite 101A) McMaster Innovation Park, 175 Longwood Rd South
HalTech’s mission is to act as a catalyst for innovation and commercialization by delivering services to help Halton-based enterprises start, grow and succeed.
Event: SB Partners Next Gen CEO: Change Management
When: September 17, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: Burlington Golf & Country Club, 422 North Shore Blvd E, Burlington
Startup Drinks
Startup Drinks provides an open space for entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect and share ideas. There are no presentations or pitches, just conversation and networking. To meet some of the up-and-coming people in the startup community, this is a great event to attend. These events are held regularly in a number of locations, including Toronto, Hamilton, and Waterloo.
Event: Startup Drinks Waterloo
When: September 10, 2013, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Chainsaw, 28 King Street North, Waterloo
Event: Startup Drinks Hamilton
When: September 12, 2013, 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Winking Judge, 25 Augusta Street, Hamilton
Event: Startup Drinks Toronto
When: September 10, 2013, 4:00 p.m. – late
Where: Switch Resto Lounge, 55 Colborne St
Startup Weekend Kitchener-Waterloo
Is a grassroots movement dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs all over the world to learn the basics of creating a startup and running your own successful venture. At the event you will have the opportunity to pitch your idea, receive feedback, create your own teams and learn about business models, coding, designing and market validation. All the tools needed to get you started.
Event: Startup Weekend Kitchener-Waterloo
When: Weekend of September 20, 2013
Where: The Communitech Hub, 151 Charles St W, Kitchener ON
Peterborough Economic Development Corporation
“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it” – Erik Qualman. Shari Darling and Cora Whittington teach you how to use blogging and social media for your business to tap into potential opportunities as well as to create brand awareness and strengthen relationships with your existing customers.
Event: Blogging for Business Profit Workshop
When: September 17, 2013, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: 210 Wolfe St, Peterborough Economic Development Corporation
Silicon Halton organizes a number of events throughout the year in the region Halton which including Burlington, Oakville, and Milton. Their monthly meetups and Peer2Peer include three main components; a key notes presentation, a get to know a member presentation, and time set out for networking. These events are catered to anyone at a startup – especially in the tech industry – that want to learn more about business best practices.
Event: Meetup #47: Selecting Your First CRM
When: September 10, 2013, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Burlington HiVE, Burlington, 429 Elizabeth St.
Toronto Business Development Centre
TBDC is an independent non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to nurturing the growth of new and emerging businesses. The Centre has been recognized at home and internationally for achievements in the field of business incubation. Over the past twenty plus years, TBDC has helped more than 4500 businesses through our various programs.
Event: Business Research: Will Your Idea Work? (Start a Business Seminar Series)
When: September 17, 2013
Where: Visit the TBDC website for more information
The Toronto Board of Trade facilitates opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking, business development, and city building. It is the authoritative voice of Canada’s most prominent business community.
Event: Economic Forecast Panel 2013
When: September 26, 2013, 11:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Where: Toronto Board of Trade Downtown Centre
Inbound Marketing Toronto is a monthly meetup group that focuses its discussion on hot topics within the world of Inbound Marketing. It brings together Digital Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Content Marketing, Media Relations, Start-up Founders, and Online Business Development professionals.
Event: #InboundTO 9: How to Trend Your Brand for 2014
When: September 19, 2013, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: BNOTIONS Office, 106 Front Street East, Suite 200, Room YMC, Toronto
This great informal social event in Toronto is perfect for anyone interesting in web development. People in the industry are able to gather along with both recruits as people in the web development start up community.
Event: Toronto Rails Pub Night
When: Monday, September 16, 2013, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: The Rhino, 1249 Queen Street West, Toronto
MaRS is where entrepreneurs get the help they need, where all kinds of people meet to spark new ideas, and where a global reputation for innovation is being earned, one success story at a time.The often free events at MaRS are ideal for start-ups, science, technology and social entrepreneurs looking to make connections and learn more about a particular aspect of business.
Event: Toronto Public Library – Small Business Week
When: September 17, 2013, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Toronto Reference Library, Business, Science and Technology 3rd floor, 789 Yonge St.
InboundCon 2013
InboundCon brings together Canada’s marketing leaders in a one-day conference designed to help businesses discover the best solutions to optimize their digital marketing strategy. All proceeds from the event will go to the Centre for Social Innovation, a non-profit that provides resources to entrepreneurs to develop their business.
Featured Event: Canada’s First Inbound Marketing Conference 2013
When: September 14, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Centre for Social Innovation – Annex, 720 Bathurst St, Toronto
Did we forget your event or an event you are attending? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list!
Don’t forget to sign up for next month’s newsletter (which comes out next week!) for more great events around the GTA.
