The movers and shakers of the resource industry will descend on the city when the the 13th annual Premier's Natural Resource Forum kicks off Jan. 19.
The three-day event at the Civic Centre, hosted by Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris, gathers government leaders and representatives from a variety of sectors such as energy, minerals, mining, forestry, natural gas, tourism, trapping and finance.
"For industry leaders around the province, the Premier's B.C. Natural Resources Forum is the unofficial start of the New Year," Morris said in a press release. "The B.C. Natural Resources Forum is an opportunity for leaders in the various resource sectors to meet in Prince George and hear directly from First Nations, government, business and community leaders about where the resource sectors and major projects are going in the year to come."
During the run of the forum, there will be traditional events such as the Celebrating Natural Resources dinner, the already sold-out Ministers' Breakfast and keynote lunches and social events in the trade show area.
Newer events include a procurement match between small First Nation-owned businesses and larger corporations on Jan. 20 and 21 (hosted by the National Aboriginal Energy and Power Association) and a breakfast hosted by Junior Achievement B.C on Jan. 21 to celebrate the next generation of resource, community and business leaders.
The Prince George Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with its provincial counterpart to offer a business development forum on Jan. 19.
Running from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., the On the Ground forum at the Coast Inn of the North will feature industry experts speaking about current resource development projects, small business grants, navigating human resources trends and finding success in a changing economy.
"Small businesses are the economic drivers of our community and our goal is to provide local and regional small business access to information and ideas for easy implementation on current capital projects, and also provide insights on how to get a piece of them," said P.G. chamber CEO Christie Ray in a press release.
To register for the chamber event, visit pgchamber.chambermaster.com/events.
On Jan. 20, Northern Development will host a reception to commemorate its 10th anniversary, recognizing the investment in and success of a variety of grassroots, community-led projects. Space at the event is limited, so those interested in attending should contact NDIT at [email protected].
For more information on the Premier's B.C. Natural Resources Forum or to register, visit bcnaturalresourcesforum.com.
