5 key takeaways from Collision

For the second year in a row, the Calgary Chamber represented our great city at Collision, one of the largest tech conferences in the world, in Toronto this June.

Over 36,000 attended Collision this year, representing 118 countries and over 1,700 startups. The conference is estimated to have brought $77 million to the local economy, while sparking countless deals and founding new connections that will create significant economic impact across the country for years to come.

Our Chamber team was able to chat with hundreds from across Canada and beyond, repping the Calgary business community and championing the blossoming tech scene.

Here are our top 5 takeaways from a fantastic, busy Collision week.

Cohesive Community

In Calgary, we know how strong the business community is in supporting one another in an authentic, meaningful way. This could not have been truer than at Collision, where founders and leaders in the space met, mingled and made invaluable connections. With prominent representation at the University of Calgary booth, from dozens of Calgary-based startups, by our mayor roaming the conference boasting our great city, and on several panels regarding the emergence of Calgary and Alberta as a hub for new technology, Collision heard loud and clear that the Calgary community is one of the strongest, most supportive in the country.

World-Class Ideas

The Calgary tech ecosystem is flourishing in recent years, with new programs popping up to support the many startups and scaleups growing in the city and province, and rising stars making a splash well outside the city limits.

This year, Calgary-based entrepreneur Azrah Manji-Savin won the conference’s PITCH competition, beating out over 1,700 companies with her startup Syzl. The company connects food producers and restauranteurs with underutilized commercial kitchen spaces, allowing them to service their communities without leasing or purchasing their own kitchens. The app already has over 1,000 users and 70 kitchens available and, with this win, they’ll be able to take Canada by storm.

Syzl is just one illustration of the exemplary startups coming out of Calgary. Our policy team attended Collision last year and wrote a comprehensive look at the Calgary tech scene, including all the big wins and the reasons Calgary is the perfect place for tech to thrive.

Building Skills

The conference offers attendees hundreds of sessions over three days, so when you’re not networking, you’re able to have a seat and listen to subject-matter experts in every field.

Our standout sessions included the business case for inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, by the team at Ernst & Young, who have built their careers around effecting positive change and instilling those policies into their work. We also heard activist Deray McKesson speak about the power of your voice and working to create a real impact.

Overall, the takeaways of only a few sessions helps to create a stronger team, so we encourage our local business community to continue to learn and grow from one another. We all have expertise to offer, and so much more to learn.

Celebrate Calgary!

Calgary knows how to bring the party. Hitting above our weight on the Canadian stage—with so many wins over the last few years—are cause for celebration. Over 500 folks in and near the Calgary tech scene met at Goodlawyer’s annual Collision yacht party, cheering each other on and building plans for the future, in a way only Calgarians know how.

Positive Outlook

The future looks bright for tech and small business in Calgary. Between 2021 and 2024, the province and partner organizations are set to spend a record $20 billion on the new tech infrastructure in Alberta, to boost Calgary as the predominant destination for tech talent. Organizations continue to choose Calgary as their headquarters, such as the Eventcombo announcement last week, which will employ 250+ in tech.

We’re more inspired than ever that Calgary is becoming a city of opportunity for entrepreneurs, and we can’t wait to represent Calgary again next year, to celebrate what we all have to offer.