Past events
Winning with Angels with Mike Volker on November 26, 2009
World Usability Day on November 12
What Do Customers Do On Your Web Site?
World Usability Day in Kelowna
Where: Habitat 248 Leon Ave., Kelowna BC 250.763.9614
When: November 12, 11AM-1PM
How: Register in advance at http://www.enquiro.com/wud2009 or phone 250.861.5252 for more information
Businesses are spending more time, effort and money building their presence online for a lot of reasons, but the best reason for a robust online presence is because that's where the customers are going to find information and make purchasing decisions. But putting a company's web site out there for all to see and then hoping for the best is not a wise investment. Once customers visit a web site, that company web site needs to meet their audience's expectations and make it easy to do business with them. In other words, the site's usability is critical.
Enquiro Search Solutions is highlighting World Usability Day, Nov. 12, with a special lunch time event at The Habitat. Register online at www.enquiro.com/wud2009/ for a two-hour clinic on web site usability testing and user-centered design, and take away ideas that can be incorporated into creating web sites that people will love to interact with. For $10 you'll get lunch and whole lot more:
• Usability 101 – an introduction to usability and user-centered design.
o What is usability/user-centered design?
o Why should you use it?
o How does it work?
o What will you get out of it?
• Case Studies
o Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre
o Local business guerilla usability testing
• On-site clinic
o Attendees will be invited to show their sites
o Floor will be open to commentary from other attendees
o Enquiro's staff will review the sites live
To register online go to www.enquiro.com/wud2009, or phone 250.861.5252. Limited seating available.
What is World Usability Day?
World Usability Day is an initiative started in 2005 by the Usability Professionals' Association with the mandate of "Making Life Easy". The primary goal is to raise public awareness about the development of technology that serves people first. For the last 4 years, the second Thursday of November has seen over 200 events in 43 different countries geared toward making technology easier to use.
Innovation Plaza Event on Wednesday November 4 starting at 17:00.
This event in the "Innovation Plaza" series will be dedicated to announcing the growing relationship between our community and local law firm, Pushor Mitchell LLP ( http://www.pushormitchell.com ), which has been appointed a "Knowledge Partner" of ORIC in the legal field.
Pushor Mitchell is the largest full service law firm in the interior of BC. Their team of thirty-one lawyers provides a full range of legal services, including in a number of specialty areas such as securities, corporate finance, intellectual property, technology, employment and tax law.
This event is by invitation only.Second Okanagan Gaming Cluster Meetup on Tuesday October 27 at 10:00 at ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre. Special guest: Jerome Kashetsky NRC-IRAP from Vancouver.Please RSVP to peter@oric.ca or kathryn@oric.ca
Invitation to the South Okanagan High-Tech Roundtable Event at Penticton Chamber of Commerce Board Room
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 16:00-18:00
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to join us for a South Okanagan High-Tech Roundtable Event at 555 Railway Street, Penticton BC, V2A 8S3. Hosted by Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre (ORIC) and Okanagan Science & Technology Council (OSTEC).
Commencing at 16:00 in the Penticton Chamber of Commerce Board Room, the Event will start with short presentations by Peter Haubrich, President of Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre and Donna Lomas, Dean of Okanagan College. Followed by a roundtable session allowing each high-tech company to showcase their ideas or learn from other high-tech companies. We hope to bring your unique companies together to help strengthen the high-tech community in the South Okanagan. This will give you the opportunity to build connections and relationships with other high-tech and support companies like yours. Light snacks refreshments will be served.
The Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre (ORIC) manages high-tech business incubators aimed primarily at nurturing the development and sustainability of start-up and existing high growth technology companies; the creation of which is vital to the growth of a strong and competitive economy in the Okanagan.
ORIC is headquartered south of Penticton in the Nation Research Council (NRC-DRAO) building. From the knowledge and experience gained at this location, ORIC has expanded to share their expertise and success creating a new location Downtown Kelowna. The next expansion is to have a location in The Centre of Excellence at Okanagan College here in Penticton.
OSTEC is a membership driven organization which fosters an environment that supports science and technology initiatives by acting as a representative and advocate for the interests of members and the business community as a whole. We are a conduit that brings people together, partnering with industry, agencies and government. OSTEC's Mission Statement is to lead the development of thriving technology-driven sectors in the Okanagan.
Please RSVP to Erin Ponech at ORIC at telephone number 250 497 7916 ext 411 or erin@oric.ca. Please follow updates to this event at www.oric.ca or www.ostec.ca. Announcing the Next Event in ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre's New Program for Okanagan Entrepreneurs on Thursday September 24 from 9:00 to 10:30
"Face Time" with Barbara Davis
As you may know, we recently held an explosive, "sold out" launch of ORIC's new series: "Face Time", which we launched with a partner from within our own community: Pamela Carey Nelson of Carey Management Corp.
The "Face Time" series was created as a direct result of community feedback, which indicated the need for a focused and engaging learning-format program designed specifically to enhance the skills of early-stage entrepreneurs.
As a technology business incubator, the ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre is focussed on nurturing the development and sustainability of start-up, high growth technology companies. And accelerated skills acquisition clearly remains a key component of ORIC's mission to "transform ideas into business success".
It was for this reason that we launched our new program, "Face Time", which is designed as a series of intimate, interactive workshops* – all with the specific goal of supporting the growth ambitions of innovators and entrepreneurs.
For this - the follow-up workshop in this series - I am thrilled to have secured the support of another member of the ORIC community: Barbara A. Davis, President of E2 Consulting Inc. (www.e2consultinginc.com). Barbara joins ORIC in her commitment to assisting entrepreneurs achieve their potential.
Barbara has been a successful business management consultant for the past nine years. She has worked with companies like ICBC, Safeway, Capital Group, HEB, DHL, UPS, Costco, Drugstore.com and UST Global. She is known for her innovative approaches, problem solving ability and diverse knowledge of both industry and all avenues of business practices.
Accordingly, I would like to invite you to participate in "Face Time" with Barbara Davis which will take place next Thursday, September 24 at 9am (until 10h30) in the Boardroom at ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre at 201-1405 St. Paul Street, Kelowna. I know this is early for some of you – but strong coffee and "goodies" will be served!
Emerging as a theme from the previous session, Competitive Advantage will be the central focus of this particular workshop: especially "how to capture and capitalize on competitive advantage in order to realize success earlier". Barbara will address the topic: "Competitive Advantage: Have you got what it takes?"
Barbara will help you understand what kind of business you want to have, and how that is key to understanding what will make your business stand out from all the others in your industry. In other words, what is your edge over the competition?
Barbara argues that "we all grew up hearing we shouldn't brag", but if you're an entrepreneur or small business owner, you have to! The survival and growth of your business depends on it. "Knowing, living, and yes, even bragging about your competitive advantage, will mean the difference between success and failure".
Participants will engage in a number of hands-on activities, group dialogue and case studies.
As a member of the ORIC community, there is no fee to attend (the "entrance fee" to this event is just your business card)!
However, in keeping with the format of the program, participation will be limited strictly to a maximum number of 12.
I encourage all current and aspiring entrepreneurs to take full advantage of this great developmental and business networking opportunity.
If you would like to attend this "Competitive Advantage: Have you got what it takes?" workshop, please RSVP to Kathryn at: kathryn@oric.ca - but please do respond early as capacity is limited to just 12, and all replies will be processed strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Innovation Plaza event with Dr. Vincent Crabtree of Dialog Devices on July 2nd 2009. Press article in the Daily Courier on July 10th.
Basil Peters will talk about his new book: "Early Exits" - Exit Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors
on Thursday June 18 at ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre.
More information about Basil is here.
Watch the HD video taken at the talk
More on Early Exits is here.
Over 50 people joined the exciting event. Article in the Okanagan about the event is here
Instructor: Bernard Schilles
Course: Winning Critical Contracts
Leading an organization to decide in your favor
Whether you're in a profit or in a non-profit business, this recession is an opportunity to realize that moving out of your legacy space is mandatory if you want to 1) maintain your profitability 2) shift to a higher level of competitiveness. It is time to stop exhausting your resources with deadly chases after all rabbits wandering within your familiar market boundaries. 2009 invites you to secure your development expectations by targeting big revenue sources: big contracts, big funds and big alliances. Going for big is your golden path to emerge stronger after 2009!
And stop thinking that this is corporations reserved domain! Stuck into merging-reorganization confusion, internal silo rivalries or gigantic bureaucracy, they let tons of opportunities go by every day and thus allow small competitors win in their place.
Small and medium businesses will make a tremendous profit out of this advanced seminar by learning how to avoid spending time with power holder pretenders, how to map the entire network of stakeholders and how to use cleverly limited amount of resources to deal with the parallel decision making process that any organization runs behind the scene. In addition, participants will have a unique occasion to analyse one of their current key opportunities and thus to design a relevant competitive action plan that will secure their victory.
Over 1,000 participants have acquired a totally new perspective on how to lead an organization to decide in their favour during this seminar conducted by Bernard Schilles. Bernard is an international consultant who has over 14 years experience advising executives and senior managers from over 30 technology, energy, engineering and professional services corporations, among which: Microsoft, SNC Lavalin, Dell, 3M, Lucent Technology.
This seminar is intended for:
Small Businesses Executives involved in:
- Selling services, equipment, solutions requiring long sales cycles, multiple decision makers, and stiff competition
- Establishing partnerships with major / corporate companies.
Entrepreneurs willing to:
- Establish partnerships with major / corporate companies.
- Sell their business to a major / corporate company
- Raise funds from the Government
Non-Profit Organization Executives willing to raise funds from organizations such as the Government or major / corporate companies.
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Location: Okanagan College 1000 KLO Road Kelowna, BC
Date: May 21, 2009 - May 22, 2009
Time: 8:30:00 AM - 5:00:00 PM
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For more information visit or contact Okanagan College Continuing Studies Office by phone at 250.862-5480 .
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Download Brochure here. Our first "Innovation Plaza" business networking cocktail evening, which is being held exclusively for members of the ORIC community and will take place on Thursday, 26 February 2009 from 17:00.
To deliver on ORIC's mission of providing residents companies - and associated companies in the broader community - with unique services that contribute to their growth and sustainability, we are building an influential and supportive value-adding network which includes a range of participants: including seasoned business professionals, providers of professional services, experienced mentors, angel investors, VCs, academics, creators, inventors and entrepreneurs, and all other like-minded individuals.
- OSTEC Networking in the Silicon Vineyard Penticton
Location Penticton Campus, Okanagan College 583 Duncan Avenue W. Sunoka Building, Room C16 Penticton, BC
Date May 29, 2007
Time 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
OSTEC Member Price $0.00
Non Member Price $5.00
Presentation by Peter Haubrich, Executive Director, Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre, (ORIC) Penticton
Topic:
Creating Exciting Business Opportunities through ORIC
Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre, Penticton
Hosted by:
Community Futures Development Corp. of Okanagan Similkameen
Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre
Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
Penticton Campus, Okanagan College
Okanagan Science and Technology Council
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