Burnaby Board of Trade Directory

MeSSaGe from the CEO T paul holden The goal of any board of trade or chamber of commerce is to grow so that it might better serve its local business community and ever increase the value of membership. over the last couple of years, I'm proud to say that the Burnaby Board of Trade has indeed grown, and so too have our program, event, service and benefit offerings. This year we have leveraged new partnerships to offer more member benefits, such as a free full-year subscription to Business in Vancouver magazine, and lower transaction costs with first data Canada. We have also expanded our efforts to remain relevant in an increasingly diverse business community by offering new events designed to appeal to individuals from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. of course, relevance applies not only in our appeal to a multicultural business community, but also in our ability to engage with the young professionals representing tomorrow's business leaders and entrepreneurs. our access: Student Career development Program, first launched one year ago, has put us in a unique position to help a new generation make the transition into their professional life. as we embark upon our second year of the program, we will welcome even greater numbers of eager post-secondary students ready to soak up all the wisdom our Connectors, speakers, and leaders have to offer. I am also very proud of what our board of trade has managed to accomplish on behalf of our membership in the areas of social and environmental sustainability. Through our partnership with the City of Burnaby, we are heavily involved in the implementation of Burnaby's Social Sustainability Strategy and in the formation of the forthcoming environmental Sustainability Strategy. In addition, our recently launched Pledge for a Sustainable Community web resource continues to grow, and already over one hundred businesses from across the Lower Mainland have pledged to reduce their environmental impact, share successes and serve as role models. our goal now is to expand the Pledge, We rely on our membership to carry out our role as the city's economic development agency, and to lend a united voice in advocating on matters of importance to the Burnaby business community. increase our numbers and engage businesses not only locally, but across B.C. and beyond. ultimately, a strong board of trade is one that has the full support of its members. We rely on our membership to carry out our role as the city's economic development agency, and to lend a united voice in advocating on matters of importance to the Burnaby business community. Together we ensure that the BBoT can continue to offer great value for the programs, services and benefits that allow businesses to succeed. Some of you may have noticed that this year's team photo features the same people as last year. a key reason we have been able to develop and execute the many events, member benefit partnerships and new programs this past year is the continuity, knowledge and commitment provided by the BBoT team. I would like to express my sincere thanks to each of them for their hard work and determination to deliver the very best value to our members and for helping make the BBoT a leader and innovator in the business community. Thank you all for your continued support. paul holden, President & Ceo Burnaby Board of Trade BurnaBy Board of Trade 2013/2014 • MeMbership & resource Directory 7 p06-07 CEOMsg2013.indd 7 13-10-09 10:38 AM

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