Reversing the business network

A unique trade show held recently in Cranbrook flipped around the art of networking

Rick Jensen, CEO of Panorama Mountain Village, was one of the keynote speakers at the Reverse Trade Show. — Kris Lindblad

Businesses recently gathered at the Cranbrook Prestige Inn for the Reverse Trade Show to address one central issue: How can we do business together?

The show was first of its kind in the Kootenays, which reversed the typical formula by putting a wide cross-section of companies interested in buying products or services behind the booths to network with attendees who could potentially offer something.

The event was organized by the Kootenay Rockies Regional Economic Alliance (KRREA) and Keith Powell, chair of the board of directors, said the event was a big success.

"One of the mandates at KRREA is to encourage connections between businesses in the Kootenays and that is exactly what the Reverse Trade Show accomplished," said Powell. "I saw more people exchanging business cards, talking business and shaking hands than I've seen in a long time. People didn't want to leave, they wanted to talk to everyone."

Government groups such as the city of Cranbrook and Kimberley and the Regional District of East Kootenay shared booth space with businesses ranging from Shadow Mountain and Panorama Mountain VIllage to the Kootenay Aboriginal Business Advocates Society and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Allan Pusey, a trades employment specialist with the B.C. Construction Association, came all the way from Nelson to see what the show had to offer.

“This turned into a really great opportunity to network with possible trades employers and other people in the community,” Pusey said. “One of my biggest pieces of advice to my clients is to consult with your network when you’re in need—tell everybody what you need, what you have and what you’re looking for.”

Keynote speakers for the trade show were Fred Mehl, director of marketing at Shadow Mountain and Rick Jensen, CEO of Panorama Mountain Village—both offering varying views of the current economic climate.

Mehl gave a candid presentation on the effects of the economic downturn on Shadow Mountain’s real estate and railed against the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), charging that the policy is driving away business.

Property contracts signed by investors before the implementation of the HST are being arbitrarily impacted with the tax increase, Mehl said.

“They (clients) had an expectation of what they were going to pay and obviously now the cost is significantly higher.”

He also raised the issue of municipal taxes and said city governments should collaborate more closely with the development industry over tax policy.

“Right now, they need to work with developers, because taxes are scaring our investors away,” Mehl added.

Jensen followed Mehl’s presentation by encouraging business owners to identify what customers want and give it to them.

Business success comes from seizing opportunities when faced with them and Jensen shared his experience as the head of New Dawn Developments Ltd. while purchasing Panorama Mountain Village as an example.

“So now we’ve got this new business (and) we don’t know how to run a resort. But we quickly realized it isn’t just a ski resort; it’s a number of small businesses,” he said. “There’s retail, food and beverage, lodging, rental, a ski operation, a golf course—and one thing we are really good at is running small businesses and when you start looking at it from that perspective, it all starts coming together.”

People lean towards what they feel and business owners need to plan for what could be, instead of what is, Jensen said.

“We should be focusing on dreams, we should be focusing on imagination that creates the future we want within our companies, within our families, within our communities and region—and we all have that same power.”