2020 is the year that everything changed, and all the forecasts and models we had built had to be abandoned in the face of a global pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. With the world still in the second wave of that pandemic and many facts about the way it has affected our economy still coming to light, the 2020 Summit assesses where we are now, how we got there, and where we can go as we turn our thoughts to recovery and the future.
The first panel, held at 10 a.m. on November 10, will address the current economic picture in Canada, Ontario, and Niagara, as well as examining the uneven impact of the pandemic across different industries and demographic groups. Joining keynote speaker Pierre Cleroux, Chief Economist of the Businesses Development Bank of Canada (BDC) are the Honourable Perrin Beatty PC OC, President & CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Rocco Rossi, President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; Jim Bradley, Niagara Regional Chair; and Maya Roy, CEO of YWCA Canada. The panel will be moderated by Rashmi Biswas, Executive Vice-President at Lake & Associates.
Following this first dialogue, the second session of the series (November 17, 10:00-11:30 a.m.) will identify Niagara’s opportunities for smart and sustainable regrowth. The panelists will include Inna Breidburg, Senior Economics Analyst at CMHC; Brock Dickinson, Entrepreneur in Residence and an Adjunct Professor with the University of Waterloo; Doug Giles, Director Community and Long Range Planning, Niagara Region; and Karen Pastackia, Ontario Consulting Leader, Deloitte. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Suzanne Johnston, Strategic Advisor at the YMCA of Niagara and former President of Niagara Health.
The final session of the series (November 24, 10:00-11:30 a.m.) will speak to those sectors hit hardest by this pandemic and the strategies that can be put in place to speed up their recovery and ensure future growth. The panelists will include Anthony Annunziata, Tourism Partnership of Niagara President; Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and Great Lakes Chamber Coalition; Dan Paszkowski, President & CEO, Wine Growers Canada; and the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Executive Advisor, International at Deloitte. The moderator will be Janice Thomson, President & CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism.
To register for the first session or all three of them, click here. Registration is free. Attendees are able to submit questions for the panelists through registration, social media, or live chat during the event.
Watch the 2020 Niagara Economic Summit Series here: https://gncc.ca/nes
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in Niagara and the second-largest Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, with 1,600 members representing 50,000 employees. More information on the GNCC is available at gncc.ca.
For interviews, questions, and comments, contact:
Mishka Balsom, President & CEO of GNCC
Mishka@gncc.ca or 905-684-2361
