5 incredible events, 1 week!
Small Business Week 2024 presented by Rogers Business was the biggest yet, with a series of events October 21–25. Among these events was the highly anticipated Calgary Small Business Awards Gala, where we honoured the trailblazers, innovators and community builders who make our city thrive.
The Small Business Award winners have been announced! Read the press release here, and check back this fall for profiles on all the winners.
Small businesses, making up 95% of Calgary’s enterprises, drive our economic growth, job creation, and vibrancy. However, they face challenges like affordability, labor shortages, and government regulations.
Read our latest report Go Big on Small Business, that outlines recommendations for all three levels of government to strengthen the investment climate and support small businesses in Calgary.
October 21, 2024
We kicked off Calgary Small Business Week with a bang at TELUS Spark Science Centre—a special edition of Business After Hours where innovation met connection. We celebrated the spirit of small businesses in an inspiring environment designed to spark creativity and forge new relationships.
October 22, 2024
Our panel of seasoned entrepreneurs shared their candid stories of failure and the invaluable lessons they learned along the way. This event delved into the realities of the entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how initial setbacks and missteps can become powerful catalysts for future achievements. Our small business founders discussed the emotional and psychological impact of failure and how they overcame it to become successful business leaders today.
October 23, 2024
In this workshop, members learned how the Chamber's policy team works with you—our business community—to understand what’s keeping you up at night and how the government can make it easier for you to start and scale your business. We discussed trends and discovered ways to traverse the political landscape, advocating to ensure your business priorities are understood and uncovered opportunities to strategically engage with all three levels of government.
October 24, 2024
We held an enlightening panel discussion exploring the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Indigenous small business owners. This event brought together a diverse group of Indigenous entrepreneurs, business leaders and advocates to share their experiences, insights and strategies for building and sustaining successful businesses.
October 25, 2024
More than 300 business leaders joined us for the grand finale of Small Business Week at the Calgary Small Business Awards Gala, where we honoured the trailblazers, innovators and community builders who make our city thrive. This is always more than just an awards night; it's a celebration of the movers and shakers, the dreamers and doers who make Calgary a vibrant place to live and work.