What We Learned Attending British Columbia’s Largest Government Event.
Hos Movahedi — Estrada Consulting Inc.
The annual Union of BC Municipalities Event took place in the prestigious Vancouver Convention Center this last week and as is custom ECI Consultants and Business Developers were in attendance.
The UBCM is an organization of all the BC Municipalities. The trade show which is open to the public is explained as:
“The trade show was originally created to satisfy UBCM members’ requests for a time-efficient and cost-effect way to make new business contacts while attending their annual meeting. Today, the UBCM Trade Show provides a unique opportunity for suppliers, service providers, agencies and associations to promote and reconnect with a myriad of municipal, local government and regional district representatives — all in one locale!” — UBCM Website
The theme: Resiliency and Change
“Big or small, rural or urban, our communities are experiencing change at an unprecedented rate. From climate change to economic pressures, local governments are on the front lines managing the local impact of complex issues. Across the province local government leaders are working to alleviate chronic social stresses, to respond to more frequent shocks, and to anticipate and adapt to changing social and economic trends.
The magnitude of the changes that our province and communities are facing extend beyond the capacity of any one group to address. In an uncertain future, local leaders have a duty to learn from each other and from the past and to find new approaches to plan and thrive.” — UBCM Website
What we learned:
- Attendance Matters
Like most even reading from a second hand account of what happened will never replace talking to members face to face, and looking through what they have to offer with the opportunity to ask questions.
In the UBCM event, it appeared as though merely being there getting to know about the accomplishments of the BC Government across the board, served as a major factor in onboarding your company and or cause in the region.
- British Columbia ripe with opportunity and desperate for solutions
For companies looking to enter the BC tech market, both domestically and internationally, the time is right now! British Columbia is looking to be the forefront of tech in Canada, it is also blessed with one of the most educated workforces in the world; partnered with government boosts and the demand from its population growth, BC does not have a slow down in mind when it comes to progress.
- Politics Vs. Business
During the events multiple government and civilian organizations had the chance to make their voices heard, time was allotted to them in the form of speeches, protests and even celebrations.
- They put on a show
This year the UBCM event went all out, with multiple showings thanks in part by some of the more creative protests, such as the BC Truckers who locked down the city with close to a hundred heavy trucks blasting their horns across town, or the airshow staged by the Royal Army Airforce which was intentionally planned to coincide.
- What about Technology?
British Columbia is definitely a big proponent for the technology industry, it is no secret to anyone that the Government Infrastructure could use modernization across many of its sectors; the good news is that both the Government and the Residents understand the need and are supportive of legislation and contracting opportunities that would move more of how they interact together online.
- Resolutions.
For a comprehensive list of all of the resolutions made at the UBCM event follow the link below:
- Resolutions on Technology.
“Information Technology/Information Management UBCM continues to implement the UBCM IT/IM Strategy, looking at cost effective ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining best practices in managing information and technology internal and externally to UBCM membership. 2018 activities have included improvements to interconnectivity between the two (2) UBCM offices, and development and implementation of IT/IM policies. As part of the overall UBCM IT/IM Strategy, the Project Information Management System (PIMS) was launched in 2017. The system was originally developed to manage Federal Gas Tax Fund project and financial reporting requirements, including: annual expenditure reporting; outcomes and asset management reporting; management of funding contracts; and submission of grant applications. Operation and maintenance activities continue to ensure the system is working smoothly. Further, in 2018, initial planning and costing was completed to develop a strategy to incorporate Local Government Program Services information into PIMS, in order to create a ‘one-stop’ system for all of UBCM program information. “— UBCM Website
Conclusion:
The UBCM event was a highly successful event that is important for the public to follow, but at the same time for companies and organization that exist or would like to attend the event it is very important to be present and show face.
