By Hayley Woodin
January 2016
Young professionals share ideas and help chart a course for the next five years
It's said that if you ask, it will be given. So when The Vancouver Board of Trade's President and CEO Iain Black asked a room full of young professionals "Where next?" dozens of innovative ideas were given on how the region's emerging leaders want to see their board of trade evolve.
The ideas were generated as part of a Leadership Café — a semi-annual event hosted by the Company of Young Professionals program, during which Members brainstorm ideas to help local organizations deal with challenges in their industry.
Past Leadership Café events have focused on organizations such as the United Way of the Lower Mainland, Great Canadian Gaming, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. This was the first time that a Leadership Café event had an inward focus, giving CYP Members the opportunity to discuss how The Vancouver Board of Trade could evolve and better support young professionals.
Having more opportunities for networking — both within a given profession and across different sectors — emerged as a theme throughout the evening, as did the need for mentorship, training and increased advocacy.
Members also expressed their desire to contribute ideas and broadcast the voice of young professionals, and as groups took to the podium and animated collaboration filled the ballroom, it was clear that CYP Members have a lot of valuable input they are happily willing to share.
It was an exciting night for CYP Members, and served as a great prelude to the eventful and energized year ahead. In terms of looking forward, the program's signature Peer Leadership Forums are preparing to launch a major new initiative on Jan. 28, at the first ever Takeoff.
Hosted two days after The Vancouver Board of Trade's highly anticipated Economic Outlook Forum, the Takeoff event will also focus on big regional ideas, including the launch of a community challenge to solve a key issue facing Greater Vancouver.
In February, CYP Members will be given the unique opportunity to share ideas and thoughts on regional transportation priorities at an exclusive Leadership Café with TransLink. And in March, the annual TED-inspired event, CYPx, will return with a series of thought-provoking presentations on innovation and growth.
For more on The Vancouver Board of Trade's under-35 program and how you can get involved, visit boardoftrade.com/CYP.
Hayley Woodin is a freelance journalist, and the media specialist at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She sits on the CYP advisory committee, and chairs the program's events committee.