Mark your calendars—Victoria is hosting a new extraordinary and inspirational event, and you’re invited!
Colourful Business 2022 is a first of its kind expo featuring racialized, Indigenous and new immigrant businesses.
The show will take place at the Victoria Conference Centre on Saturday, November 26th.
You can join many others in seeing Victoria’s most vibrant communities on display, accompanied by highly acclaimed live entertainment while you browse displays of local entrepreneurs.
All featured performers are all part of the communities that are involved with the expo, and admission to both the exhibition and the entertainment is free of charge, in keeping with the goal of Colourful Business to tear down barriers between diverse businesses and the wider Victoria community.
The expo will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and workshops for exhibitors will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Vendors and exhibitors are invited to register ASAP to reserve their spots online.
“Our city will undoubtedly benefit by working with Indigenous, racialized and new immigrant entrepreneurs, ” says Lisa Helps, former Mayor of City of Victoria, in support of Colourful Business.
“We can provide support for multi-culturally-run businesses by providing a forum where the people of Victoria can learn about and experience what they offer and by celebrating the diversity they bring to our region.”
In the morning, the participating businesses are invited to take part in a series of skill-building workshops to increase their capacity to run successful businesses. The workshops will be led by procurement, finance and marketing experts from the government and business community.
On the day of, scheduled performers include popular hip hop band Paint the Town Red, the sounds and splendour of Mariachi Tabasko, the brilliance and energy of West African dancer Sinbad, the happening Brazilian music of Pedro M. Siqueira, the captivating voices of the Anishinaabe Mitchell Sisters, and the amazing Afro-Cuban rhythms of the Pablo
Cárdenas Trio.
“Black, Indigenous and multiculturally-run businesses add wonderful energy and glamour to Greater Victoria,” says Silvia Mangue, President of Kulea Culture Society, one of the principal sponsors of Colourful Business.
“This totally free event will let the public experience their magnetism and enjoy equally colourful live entertainment. It’s a festival, celebration and exposition not to be missed.”
Colourful Business 2022 is a project of Kulea Culture Society, Songhees Development Corp., BC Black History Awareness Society, REP Here In Canada (Here Magazine) and the City of Victoria.
Funding is provided by the Victoria Foundation, Vancity Credit Union, the City of Victoria and generous public donations.
To celebrate this new event, we’ve partnered with Colourful Business to give away $100 VISA gift cards to THREE lucky winners, to spend at their BIPOC business of their choice!
CONTEST
For a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card (we’re giving away 3!), please do one or more of the following:
- LIKE Colourful Business on Facebook and comment below telling us once you have. (1 entry)
- FOLLOW Colourful Business on Instagram and comment below telling us once you have. (1 entry)
- SHARE this post on Facebook and/or Twitter and leave a comment below telling us once you have. (1 entry)
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. on November 21st. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter.
Colourful Business 2022
- Where: Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street
- When: Saturday, November 26th – open to the public from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Admission: Free!
