What to put on your business agenda in June

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

 DIALOGUE 

ABORIGINAL OPPORTUNITIES FORUM, June 16
This annual Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event explores the critical role that indigenous peoples play in B.C.’s economic development and the business community’s part in reconciliation. This year’s theme centres on closing the gaps in aboriginal achievement and providing tangible takeaways for business leaders. Keynote speaker is federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould (right).
Westin Bayshore hotel
$179 individuals (members), $1,718 table of eight (members), $229 individuals (non-members), $2,198 table of eight (non-members)

 CELEBRATE 

TOP 40 OVER 40, June 21
Why should young people always get the attention? Come out and honour the winners of this new competition, intended to showcase the mentors, champions and role models of the community, hosted by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.
Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna
Tickets are $20 and include two drinks, appetizers and admission to the after party at Oak + Cru Social Kitchen & Wine Bar. Pre-registration is required

 CONNECT 

THE TOP 100, June 29
This popular BCBusiness event is a companion to our annual ranking of the province’s top 100 companies by revenue, which appears in the July/August issue. Following a networking luncheon, Canada Wide Media Ltd. chairman and CEO Peter Legge will interview David Foster, a Victoria native who has become one of the world’s most prolific and best-known music producers.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
$149 luncheon and speaker, $79 speaker only 

 DIGITIZE 

UNBOUNCE CALL TO ACTION CONFERENCE, June 25 to 27
CTAConf, hosted by Vancouver-based digital marketing software firm Unbounce, started in 2014 with 300 attendees and has grown to host more than 1,000. Speakers including Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith and author Scott Stratten will cover a wide array of topics such as conversion optimization, email marketing, copywriting, landing pages, pay-per-click analytics and content marketing.
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
$849 (Unbounce customers), $999 (general), $799 (groups of two or more)

 DISCUSS 

THE WALRUS TALKS SUCCESS IN THE WEST, June 8
Six speakers have seven minutes each to discuss why the West is the key to Canadian economic success, and how the region will be won through business, technology, resources, community and more. Speakers include: Stewart Beck, president and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Presented by law firm MLT Aikins and produced by the Walrus Foundation.
Vancouver Art Gallery
$15, $10 (students)

 READ 

A Brief History of Entrepreneurship: The Pioneers, Profiteers and Racketeers Who Shaped Our World
As a business valuation consultant, San Diego–based Joe Carlen noticed that many of the entrepreneurs he met were driven by ambitions beyond making money. Carlen began to research the bigger picture of entrepreneurship, and he ended up with a book on how the pursuit of profit by private individuals has been a prime mover in revolutionizing civilization.
Columbia University Press $34.71 (hardcover);
value-guards.com

 READ 

Vij: A Chef’s One-Way Ticket to Canada With Indian Spices in His Suitcase
This autobiography by world-renowned chef and restaurateur Vikram Vij tells the story of his journey from northern India to fine restaurants in Europe and on to Vancouver, where he opened Vij’s Restaurant with his wife, Meeru Dhalwala. He opens up about his struggles with prejudice, his mentors’ lasting lessons and the painful demise of his marriage—the successes and failures that shaped him as he sought to build his Indian-food empire.
Penguin Random House $32 (hardcover);
penguinrandomhouse.ca