The SOHO (small office home office) Summit is just in its second year, but its popularity with local business owners and their employees has meant a rapid expansion of the event that will be held on January 27 at the Victoria Conference Centre.
There will also be an additional event in Nanaimo on January 28.
“Running any small business means wearing a lot of hats but we don’t always know who to turn to for help when we face challenges or opportunities,” said Chris Burdge, SOHO founder. “Many Island businesses also have the intention to disrupt or transform an industry, which can be overwhelming. This conference brings local businesses together to share their experiences and offers a powerful hit of expert advice from our speakers.”
Burdge, who is also the co-founder of Social Media Camp put the first SOHO conference on in January 2016 on a hunch and in just a few weeks.
“Last year I was frankly overwhelmed by the response to our first event,” said Burdge. “I think we’ve struck a nerve, in part because 98 per cent of Island businesses are small, independents. I believe that they have a real need for inspiration, reliable experts, information about basic and not-so-basic business functions and a forum for conversations about individual and collective business growth.”
What to Expect at SOHO
Approximately 400 business owners and employees from local companies that range from one to 20 people in size will attend SOHO. The full day conference is a fit for new and established businesses, including the great vision entrepreneurs who are focused on significant growth.
Thirty Canadian small business leaders will be speaking including keynotes Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte, a pioneer brand and performance strategist, best-selling author, TEDx Speaker and TV show host and Alex Glassey, CEO, author of “Customer Dreams” and Adjunct Professor at Royal Roads University.
Sessions and panels will cover a wide-variety of topics from “What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Canadian Small Business?” and “Sports – Civic Pride and Cash” to practical learning on marketing and administration from experts like and Marc Stoiber, best-selling author, TEDx Speaker, brand strategist and Podcast host.
SOHO Victoria
- When: January 27, 2017
- Where: Victoria Conference Centre
- Cost: Starting at $99 – Purchase tickets online
