Conference opening – Conference Chair Gymnasium

Greetings from NWT Chamber President, Don Yamkowy

Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, City of Yellowknife

Your Big Idea: Sourcing capital for your next project

Up to six presenters will pitch their northern business ideas to a panel of financial experts led by Sean Wise. Winning projects will be submitted as potential entries to Dragon’s Den (if it proceeds with a third season) and will have an opportunity to meet individually with panel members.

Panel Members:

Sean Wise

John Laratta - Partner - Mackay LLP

Gerald Crick – Acting Manager, Alberta, NWT – Aboriginal Business Canada

Chris Taylor, NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation.

Buffet Lunch, Shorty Brown arena – sponsored by Enbridge Pipelines

Speaker - James K. Gowans, De Beers Canada - Snap Lake, The Next Big Thing

Trade show opens
Concurrent Breakout sessions (one hour)

A: The First Big Thing in Northern Business Development: Securing and retaining human resources - Second floor meeting room

Linda Wilderman, Service Canada, Foreign Worker Program

Grant Douziech, Acting Manager HR, HR Superintendent, BHP Billiton - Download presentation

Lorraine Phaneuf, Status of Woman Council of the NWT

Monique Robert, Manager, Marketing & Communications, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council - Download presentation

B: Could Hydropower be the Next Big Thing to Power the North? - Gymnasium
Taltson Hydro Expansion to serve the diamond mines.
Dan Grabke and Don Balsillie, Deze Energy Corporation. - Download presentation

True Northern Experience – Shorty Brown arena
Dinner and entertainment northern style.

Featuring Juno winner Leela Gilday and local favourites Rick and the Relics.

Speculating on The Next Big Mineral Rush - The Next Big Thing in Northern Mining

Over the years, the North has moved from gold to lead/zinc to diamonds. Exploration for all these products continues, but there are some new mining plays in the wings. Senior representatives from companies involved in gold, zinc and diamonds, as well as uranium, coal, iron ore and rare earth metals, will make their case for the next big northern mining play, and delegates will vote for the one they see as the next big thing.

Panel Chair: Mike Vaydik, GM, NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines

Robin Goad, President and CEO, Fortune Minerals (gold, bismuth, cobalt) - Download presentation

Dave Nickerson, Director of Canadian Zinc, Canadian Zinc Corporation

Don Bubar, President, Avalon Ventures Ltd. (rare earth metals) - Download presentation

Tom Hoefer, Diavik

The Next Big Thing in Northern Oil and Gas: When Will Gas From The North Flow South?

With costs rising and potential construction start dates extending farther into the future, can the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline be a reality, or is there a different Big Thing in the oil and gas industry? A panel of oil industry experts will present their plans for advancing the northern oil and gas sector, and again, delegates will vote for the plan they think is most effective.

Panelists:
Randy Ottenbreit, Imperial Oil - Download presentation

Gary Bunio, MGM Energy - Download presentation

Dennis Bevington, MP, NDP Energy Critic - Download Presentation

Lunch, Shorty Brown arena

Franchising as the Next Big Business Idea – Exploring the Possibilities

Speaker: Daniel Zalmanowitz, Witten LLP

Trade Show opens, Olympic arena
Trade show continues until 5:30 p.m.
Open to the business public, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Ongoing activity and events on trade show floor

Concurrent Breakout sessions
A. Is technology our Next Big Thing? Second floor meeting room

Ryan Walker, SSI Micro - Download presentation

Tom Zubko, Ice Wireless

Mark Walker, NorthwesTel

B. Transportation and the Next Big Thing - Gymnasium
Charlie Lyall, Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project

Erik Madsen, Director of Winter Road Operations, Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road Joint Venture - Download presentation

Greg Cousineau, GNWT Department of Transportation