The Kootenay i-Tech Trade Show and Luncheon, organized by Kootenay Business, will be held in Nelson on Wednesday, May 23, at the Prestige Lakeside Resort, and Cranbrook Friday, May 25, at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort.

“We are presenting our second annual technology showcase event in the Kootenays and we are giving away a new Samsung Galaxy Tab—one of the world's hottest selling new tablets,” said Kootenay Business publisher, Keith Powell. “We are bringing together what’s new and exciting and innovative in technology and have a great lineup of speakers and panelists.”

A keynote speaker in Nelson will be Morgan Dehnel of Nelson's D-Pace (Dehnel Particle Accelerator Components and Engineering). Also, one of the Kootenays' leading high-technology companies, Teck Trail, is sending chemist and business development official, Keith Klimchuk. David Savage, founder of the new Kootenay Leadership Institute, will speak about leadership in today's competitive business climate at both events.

The keynote speaker in Cranbrook will be Dr. James Heilman, president of Wikimedia Canada—a division of Wikipedia—along with David Savage from the Kootenay Leadership Institute.

Each event will also feature an informative panel discussion about business trends, tips and insights on how technology is changing and how business entrepreneurs are keeping up with these trends.

“Morgan Dehnel will speak about how a high-tech company like his can thrive in the Kootenays,” said Powell, “He explains why his company is based in Nelson and how he can effectively do work all over the world. I think business people will find Morgan's success informative and inspiring.”

“Many entrepreneurs need business leadership skills,” said David Savage, “and our goal is to show how important  these essential skills are.”

Kootenay Business magazine publisher Keith Powell will also conduct interviews with a panel of entrepreneurs from the Nelson area, including Edmund Segbeaya of Ebesse Zozo Hot Sauce; digital publisher, Nelson Becker of the Nelson Express Update and video game developer, Elizabeth Boylan, founder of VectorBloom Technologies. 

In Cranbrook the panel discussion will be with Stephen Wik of Rocky Mountain Print Solutions, Tracey Buckley of the Kootenay Rockies Innovation Council and Lee Tengum, web professional and developer.

“For the price of a $25 lunch, there is a great lineup of high-profile speakers, great panelists and an opportunity to exchange ideas and network in business community," said Powell. "You will get to talk to lots of people in technology and hopefully come away with some ideas that will continue to spur growth in the Kootenays.”

In addition, the luncheon will be kicked off with special recognition to all the women nominated in the new Influential Women in Business Awards program hosted by Kootenay Business.

Everyone is invited to attend the 2nd Annual Kootenay i-Tech event, but keep in mind that seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kootenay i-Tech Trade Show and Luncheon: Nelson

• Wednesday, May 23, 2012
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prestige Lakeside Resort in Nelson, B.C.
• Lunch 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Kootenay i-Tech Trade Show and Luncheon: Cranbrook

• Friday, May 25, 2012
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort in Cranbrook, B.C.
• Lunch 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

To register, email Kristin Polier at Kootenay Business magazine, or call her direct at 250-426-7253 or 1-800-663-8555. The fee for lunch is $25.

ProCreative Design Lab is a stellar company in Castlegar, offering website design and development, hosting services, brand discovery and engineering, photography, content creation and editing. Wally Soukoroff started the business in 2009 with two other founding members.

"We’ve grown to five solid collaborators and we utilize other independent designers on projects for our clients," said Soukoroff. "We’re hoping to increase our brand recognition and our network of collaborators as we further develop our business model and extend our reach across the Kootenay/Boundary area of British Columbia and beyond."

One key addition to the team is April Cuffy, recently hired as the new director of communications and client relations. Her job is to expand the company's reach, and find the best ways to meet the needs of clients. She has a wealth of experience under her belt, having been editor at Visitor's Choice Publications and a long-time Kootenay resident.

Supply and demand

The main focus of ProCreative is to create a professional online presence for clients, and they cater to organizations of all sizes. The team boasts a concrete understanding of the local market, and customizes service to each individual client. They will also be delving into social media marketing in the near future.

The company takes a novel approach, far removed from more traditional business models.

"Everyone participating in our projects is relatively equal in roles and responsibilities and gets more than fairly compensated for their performance, participation and skills," said Soukoroff. "In our business model, if an individual has passion, talent and isn’t afraid to step outside their comfort zone and do the work, they will definitely be successful in working with us while fulfilling their career goals in this industry."

ProCreative Design Lab not only provides professional quality service, but it does so for a reasonable cost. Soukoroff and his colleagues also keep the doors open for new talent, and some of those seeking a career in media may be asked to join the company as collaborators.

Building on success

Soukoroff has learned a lot on his way to becoming the successful entrepreneur he is today. He described a supreme sense of satisfaction that he gains from creating websites and branding products that leave customers thoroughly impressed. He is pleased with his choice to become self-employed, and the freedom that comes with it.

"The proudest moment for me as an owner is not having a boss," he said, "making my own hours, working at my own pace and being able to call the things I love to do, work. Even though a lot of times it’s a struggle financially, having the freedom to do what I want and work how I like is pretty much priceless."

Soukoroff has discovered a very important lesson—that pursuing one's dreams and being open to new prospects is more integral to success than financial gain alone. He encourages other new entrepreneurs to balance their work and personal lives, and continually seek more education in their desired field.

"Entrepreneurs should always pick something they absolutely love to do, have tons of passion for and have definitive knowledge about," he said. "Don’t go into something only based on financial gain as there are many ways to define success that don’t have anything to do with money."

Social media and other Internet features are making more of an impression on the business world now than ever before. Marketing strategists are incorporating more online technology every day, and ProCreative is well equipped to accommodate its modern clients.

"Communicating your business to your clients and potential clients—in whatever genre of business you’re in—is best utilized through the Internet now, period," he said. "Get in touch with ProCreative Design Lab today and we can help you to put your best foot forward online."

Kuijt received her award and prize—which was a microscope from Clark Weber, P.Eng—at her school recently. Koltai recieved an ASUS Transformer Android Tablet Computer.

Kujit entered the draw for ages 0 to 13 during the East Kootenay Regional Science Fair held at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, B.C. on February 22 and 23, 2012.

The microscope is capable of 600x magnification and can be connected to a computer to display the images.

The prize was provided by the East Kootenay branch of the Assocation of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC) is the licensing and regulatory body responsible for B.C.’s more than 26,000 engineers and geoscientists.

March is national engineering and geoscience month in Canada.

Click here to register now!

Space is limited: Reserve your webinar seat today.

This Columbia River Treaty (CRT) webinar is for media in the Columbia Basin. We plan to discuss detailed information about the Columbia River Treaty, such as key dates, how the CRT works and the future of the CRT. We hope that this webinar will strengthen your understanding and support your continuing and future coverage about this important topic.

Title: Columbia River Treaty media webinar
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PST, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. MST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Learn more at www.cbt.org/crt.

If you have questions, please contact Rachel Lucas, CBT manager, communications, at 1-800-505-8998 or rlucas@cbt.org. 

Within the site, you can explore a wide range of investment information, from economic drivers to major employers to transportation and demographics. Or, link to the beautiful communities within the Lower Columbia Region and explore the tremendous lifestyles each community has to offer.

Visit the Lower Columbia Initiatives new website and sign up for our quarterly newsletter; see why the Lower Columbia Region is a great choice to live, work, play and invest.

The Lower Columbia Community Development Team is the result of a partnership between the five eastern municipalities; City of Rossland, City of Trail, Villages of Warfield, Montrose, Fruitvale and electoral areas A & B of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, The Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation (LCIC) was created in 2010 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lower Columbia Community Development Team (LCCDT).