Speed dating for business!  What a concept! From beginning to end, Centrallia 2010 was an event that I will not soon forget. 

Imagine 500+ organizations all gathered under one roof for the purpose of identifying new opportunities and forging business relationships… 14 half-hour meetings arranged for you, based on your profile and your top 20 picks, countless networking opportunities, all neatly presented in the very heart of North America… right here in Winnipeg.  What an incredible opportunity! 

I had the pleasure of meeting MANY great people.  Not all of them are necessarily potential customers or vendors but they were all very nice meet, and I would consider them all friends.  For example, I met the President of Botanical Paperworks while getting a coffee at one of our breaks.  They make paper that blooms into flowers: business cards, stationery, greeting cards and more!  Very cool stuff.  I also ran into some of my Winnipeg customers, like Precision Metalcraft, and Alphair Ventilation which was great to see  I also met with manufacturers of rubber products from India, a door hardware manufacturer from China, and a specialty brush manufacturer from Belgium! 

I was also very impressed at the level of government sponsorship of this event.  Provincial and federal government agencies were there to showcase their programs, initiatives, and support for small and medium-sized businesses. 

Now, the goal is to follow up with those contacts that I made and to build upon the initial meetings we had.  Having identified a handful of potential new suppliers, I have my work cut out for me!  Not only do I need to develop a marketing plan for some new lines, but it seems I have to work on my rusty French language skills.  There’s a hidden opportunity- I’m learning French again! 

Thanks to ANIM, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and all of the sponsors who worked hard to bring Centrallia to Winnipeg.  It was truly an excellent event, and I’m looking forward to the next one!  I’ll be there!

CLICK HERE for a link to an article on the Centrallia conference, published by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.