Business events and books to check out in July

Things to do and read this month to nourish the corporate mind and soul

CANNABIS HEMP CONFERENCE
The Prince and Princess of Pot, Marc and Jodie Emery, will speak at this Cambridge House International conference, along with fellow activist Dana Larsen; keynote speaker Lumir Hanus, who discovered the endocannabinoid system; Smoke Signals author Martin A. Lee; and scientist Paul Hornby, who has profiled more than 15,000 cannabis strains. Look for exhibits, live demos and panel discussions on cannabis topics including medicinal use; sacred/ceremonial/historical use; cultivation; hemp solutions (fuel, industrial use, nutrition, and textiles); and environmental protection and sustainability.
Westin Bayshore; July 9 and 10 $67.41, student $50.73

IEEE WORLD CONGRESS ON COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Based in NYC, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is the world’s largest association of professional engineers with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Its objectives are the educational and technical advancement of electrical and electronic engineering, telecommunications, computer engineering and related disciplines. This year’s congress in Vancouver includes a public lecture by David B. Fogel, president of Natural Selection Inc., on Fun and Games with Artificial Intelligence.
Vancouver Convention Centre; July 24 to 29 Member $845, non-member $975, student or life member $420, student non-member $485

ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE CONFERENCE
Along with networking, trade exhibits and the ever-popular wine and cheese event and vine disease clinic, this year’s conference and tradeshow includes workshops and presentations on topics that include new technologies for vineyard mechanization, Cabernet Franc in B.C. and Washington State, and protecting young vine transplants from winter cold damage. Members of the BC Wine Grape Council, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre and UBC faculty can also enjoy a sensory tasting.
Penticton Trade and Convention Centre; July 18 to 19 Members of BCWGC, PARC, UBC faculty $158 one day, $281 two days; $40 tasting; non-members $193 one day, $347 two days; discounts for 4+ from one winery/vineyard

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IMAGINATION AND EDUCATION
School’s out for summer—but educators are still learning. SFU’s Imaginative Education Research Group invites teachers, academics, policymakers and other professionals from around the globe to share their knowledge and perspectives on improving education by paying attention to the imaginations of students and teachers. Following the keynote speakers, workshops and information sessions, there is a first-night wine and cheese reception and a last-night dinner cruise to view Vancouver’s scenery, waterfront homes, privately owned islands, wildlife and more.
SFU Harbour Centre; July 6 to 8 $395, teacher $225, student $125

Three books to get you thinking about how—and how not—to work

DISRUPTED
From the outside, tech companies sound like great places to work. From the inside, not so much, according to author Dan Lyons. When he was
laid off from Newsweek, the 50-year-old writer got a job as a “marketing fellow” at a Boston tech startup called Hubspot. Then he left and wrote Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-up Bubble about the company where “the office vibe was frat house meets cult compound” and workers weren’t fired but “graduated” to new opportunities.
Hachette $32.50 hardcover hachettebookgroup.com

THE POWER OF THE OTHER
It’s not enough for leaders to build their skills and knowledge and close performance gaps, says leadership expert, psychologist and New York Times bestselling author Henry Cloud. The best performers draw on personal and professional relationships. Cloud argues that outstanding performance depends on having the right kind of connections to fuel personal growth and minimize toxic associations and their effects, showing readers how to get more from themselves by drawing on the strength and expertise of others.
HarperCollins Canada $34.99 hardcover

BORN FOR THIS
Chris Guillebeau’s latest book, Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do, tells how to hack your dream job in a traditional organization by making it work for you.
Crown Business $35 hardcover