The Ontario Government continues to support Ontario companies to recover and/or further develop their interprovincial and international markets as a means to get back to business. This includes 1-on-1 export advice, webinars focused on market/sector intelligence, and facilitation of international/interprovincial business connections. In this edition (details after my signature):
· December 10: ExportON!: Pitch Preparation Workshop
Financial help and resources for exporters
November 16-26: “Road 2 Web Summit” Ontario virtual program in partnership with Global Affairs Canada
Web Summit 2020 is expecting to attract more than 100,000 participants in its first completely virtual edition. Top CEOs and founders from the world’s largest companies, influential investors, journalists, policy makers, and most promising startups will be “taking center stage” online. The event has gained international recognition as one of the world’s top Tech conferences. This year, in preparation and ahead of Web Summit, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service along with Ontario and other partners will be supporting Canadian companies by putting together a free virtual “Road 2 Web Summit” program for Canadian companies to set-up meetings, listen to Canadian and international speakers and reach out to Trade Commissioners from different markets. The program will be delivered using a dedicated mobile app with meetings and events taking place starting November 16 until November 26, 2020. Please note that the participation at Web Summit is separate from the virtual “Road 2 Web Summit” program and involves registration fees with the Web Summit organizers (details on Web Summit ticket pricing: here). If you are interested participating in the program, please complete the application form here. For questions, please contact philipp.kornitzky@ontario.ca or (416) 428-2569
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November 17 –19: Virtual AI Roadshow organised by the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (B-W).
Focused on AI in Health, AI in Robotics, and AI in Autonomous Driving, the virtual AI Roadshow is a trilateral three-day (3 hr per day) conference and B2B matchmaking event.
Located in the southwest of Germany, the state of B-W is similar to Ontario in size and economic power with a strong focus on automotive and manufacturing including capabilities in high-tech and AI. B-W is the home of the headquarters of Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, SAP, and a multitude of universities and research organisations like the Fraunhofer, Max Planck, and Leibniz institutes. The first two days of the conference program will focus on Pennsylvania and B-W with the Ontario and Quebec focused event taking place on Thursday November 19th. To participate, you can register on the event platform here. For questions, please contact patrick.barry@ontario.ca (Health and Autonomous Driving) or philipp.kornitzky@ontario.ca (Robotics)
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Nov. 26: Reverse Pitch Webinar and B2B meetings with Largest Japanese Trading Companies (Itochu, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Marubeni, Sojitz, Sumitomo and Toyota Tsusho)
Japanese general trading companies play an important role in the country’s economy as they have extremely diversified business lines, equipped with extensive risk management capabilities and large scale inhouse market information. In many cases, they also provide capital and investment funds using the information and human resources generated from their trading activities. Ontario is supporting Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to invite the largest seven Japanese trading companies to participate in a reverse pitch webinar on November 19 to present their innovation needs ranging from Energy Technology, Smart city and Mobility, Logistic Tech, Retail Tech, AI & Industry IoT, Mining Tech, Forest Tech, and Building, AgriTech, FoodTech, to AutoTech and life sciences. Ontario companies can also apply 1:1 pre-arranged virtual business meetings with them between November 26 and December 2. Free events. Please check https://www.jetro.go.jp/canada/events/generatinginnovationwithjapan_ontario20.html or contact Wenbo.Pan@ontario.ca (416-433-4992) for program details.
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November 30: Canadian EdTech Accelerator Initiative
The Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles has launched the EdTech accelerator initiative partnering with StartEd’s Hyper Accelerator to provide a cohort of 5 qualified Canadian companies in the EdTEch sector access to connections, capital, and customers in the US market. With a specific lens on the Southern California market, this intensive one-week virtual program will run from December 14th-17th and cover a wide variety of elements to help prep Canadian companies to overcome barriers to entry and find success in a pivotal market. This program will include SoCal and National EdTech Market Overview, Overview of Local and National Sources of Investment Capital for the EdTech Sector, Mentor Matchmaking, Pitch Deck Review, Functional Specialist Session, Pitch Session/Demo Day. The recruitment is happening on a rolling basis and the deadline is November 30th. Details with Isabella.Schilpp@international.gc.ca
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December 8-10: Ontario Virtual Export Business Mission to India Mobile Congress
The Ontario government is organizing a virtual export business mission to India Mobile Congress for export-ready Ontario companies providing technology and equipment to the telecom sector. The trade show is organized by the Cellular Operators Association of India and the Department of Telecommunications in India. India Mobile Congress will provide an overview of the opportunities in the Indian telecom sector for companies interested in entering the market. The forum aims to be a platform for industry, regulators and policy makers to discuss and deliberate on critical issues affecting the growth and proliferation of the telecom and technology sectors. Innovations in virtual reality, mobile health, smart wearables, smart home technologies, AI, drones, robotics, smart energy, IoT, blockchain, machine vision, cloud computing and holography have been showcased in the past. The trade show will feature 10 partner countries, 100-plus global speakers, 300-plus exhibitors and 50,000-plus visitors. Ontario companies participating in the mission will receive targeted assistance including: Space at the government virtual booth; B2B meetings and group interactions with Indian companies; market intelligence/conference session access; networking opportunities; and potential speaking opportunities during the associated conference. To apply, please visit: https://forms.medi-library.com/missions/index.php?lang=en&pid=134
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December 10: ExportON!: Pitch Preparation Workshop
Ontario remains committed to creating opportunities for our business community to help them remain strong and get back up and running during these unprecedented times. As a part of this commitment, the Government of Ontario is offering a series of free webinars to help reboot your export business. In this workshop designed to help you develop the all important “pitch presentation”, we begin with what is most important to your customers and business partners – focussing on how you communicate your features, benefits and value. We will build up your presentation and then break that down into a 15 second elevator pitch and a two minute coffee pitch. You can expect to leave with all the tools you need to make a lasting impression and differentiate yourself from the crowd. The webinar will cover topics such as: Differentiation and Unique Selling Proposition, Identifying Your Brand Essence, Developing Multiple Pitch Formats. To sign up and further details, visit www.ontario.ca/tradecalendar/exporton-pitch-preparation-workshop-0 For questions, contact Steven.Karpenko@ontario.ca
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January: Opportunities in India’s eCommerce Market
The Ontario government is holding a webinar on the Indian e-commerce market, local e-marketplaces and enabling services, which will assist Ontario companies to make informed decisions, formulate a market-entry approach and mitigate risks. India is the fastest growing e-commerce market in the world and is expected to grow at 1,200 percent by 2026. The Indian e-commerce market is predicted to reach U.S.$84 billion by 2021 and U.S.$200 billion by 2026. An increase in Internet and smartphone penetration, 4G networks and rising consumer wealth are fueling e-commerce in the country. The most popular segments include electronics; apparel; home and furnishings; baby, beauty and personal care products; and books. Currently, India sees 1 million to 1.2 million transactions per day in online retailing. As a follow-up to the webinar, the Ontario government will organize B2B meetings between selected Ontario and Indian companies. For details, contact Fawzia.sheikh@ontario.ca.
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January 11-14, 2021: Ontario tech mission to CES – Deadline to apply is Nov. 13
The Ontario government is planning its participation at CES in partnership with the Federal Government, Trade Commissioners, Quebec, and the West provinces. Ontario tech firms are invited to express interest in our program to connect with ~150K+ global investors, buyers, top-media and industry professionals. Benefits would include the opportunity to build your customizable digital presence, digital listing in CES exhibitor showcase (logo and key contact info), live link to your social media channels, three 90-second videos and ten brochures/collateral, five topics for keyword search to help attendees and media find you. You can also engage with your target audience, network and hold live meetings with your audience during event days and 30 days after CES, capture contacts from your digital activation visits, schedule appointments with show attendees and media. Finally, you would receive ten complimentary CES 2021 registrations for your company personnel (USD $1,490 value), and participate in a B2B program with international buyers. Extra fees would apply for an optional B2B program. Total price for this Ontario tech mission to CES is approximately CAD $1,000 per company. Deadline to apply is Nov. 13. For details, contact Mauricio.Ospina@ontario.ca
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