ocriblogs.com » Corporate Programs

HOCKEY? on a work day? For sure.

kcunningham — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:56:18 +0000

Set aside some time on Wednesday February 24 and Thursday February 25 so that you can play in this year’s 5th Annual Bell Sensplex OCRI TECHNOLOGY Hockey Challenge presented by 580 CFRA. This one-of-a-kind annual hockey tournament provides Ottawa’s technology sector with a unique chance to get together for good times on AND off the ice.

It’s easy and tons of fun – register your team online (you can make up your own team – ringers, good skaters, bad skaters, top scorers, no scrappers please). 22 hand picked teams get to play a minimum of three games and more if you actually can function as a team! You will also get: certificates for Stanley’s Restaurant & Bar to ensure your team has a good time after the on-ice action is over; a tournament souvenir; and entry into the Wednesday night tournament banquet.

This event is held at THE best facility in the nation’s capital, and put on professionally by a group with an incredible reputation for THE best hockey tournaments anywhere! The Bell Sensplex has 4 arenas (3 NHL, 1 International), a sports bar & restaurant and wireless high speed internet throughout the building!

Everyone is encouraged to come – bring family, friends and co-workers to cheer your team on. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.

Hard to think of a better reason to re-work your day to fit in a hockey game or two….If you’ve played in this tournament before – post details of your favourite play, winning game, most hilarious moment…

More information here: http://www.bellsensplex.ca/tournament-adult-details.php?tID=316

Brutal Optimism in the face of Harsh Reality…lessons from a bigshot at TEB this morning

kcunningham — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:33:56 +0000

Bernie Ashe was so proud as he introduced his little brother, Rob, to the Technology Executive Breakfast (TEB) crowd this morning. Introductions can so often be bland and a direct steal from the speaker’s bio but Bernie’s humour, personal stories and insight provided the audience with much deeper appreciation for Rob the person, and what’s driven him to such success as a globally respected business leader.

Not long ago, we all gasped as Cognos was seemingly gobbled up by IBM. One of our biggest and best success stories was no longer “ours.” Rob, who is fiercely loyal, with over 25 years at Cognos walked us through the highs and lows teaching us some important lessons that can enable all of us to be ready and able to adapt to change – regardless of what it is. Undoubtedly, shift happens and there’s nothing we can do about it other than be on the upside of the transition. How? 1) strategically be prepared to run as a stand alone 2) talk to everyone! be connected and know who to call when you need information or advice 3) make sure your board is aware and informed 4) have up to date projections and 5) continuous strategic planning is mandatory. Being prepared is the key – a great example of this was the way that Cognos ran simulated takeovers which allowed them to practice reacting, responding and managing all kinds of acquisition scenarios. By including the board, management, bankers, lawyers in the dry runs, they were able to develop a very high level of readiness. It was an invaluable tool for the company and meant that when Rob received the call from IBM, he knew it was not a CEO’s decision but a board responsibility and the process began, as planned!

IBM’s commitment to building a Smarter Planet in which new intelligence is one of the key pillars, drives a global commitment to improving how the world collects, analyzes and use information. Cognos is a “pearl” in the IBM necklace which includes some of the best people, technologies and services in the world and the Ottawa team is seen as the centre of IBM’s Analytics expertise.

Takeaways from today:

innovation will pay off
you need to follow the shifts
be prepared
there are huge opportunities if you follow the right areas including: analytics, social networks, cloud, and mobile with its world changing applications.

You know it was a good event when after the closing remarks and applause, nobody wants to leave.

Looking forward to Peter Allen of DragonWave who kicks of 2010 on January 28!

It’s all about the chemistry according to Pat DiPietro at this morning’s TEB

kcunningham — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:11:54 +0000

Taking questions from a somewhat surprised audience before he began his presentation, Pat DiPietro, Managing General Partner of Vengrowth Capital Partners, aimed to set the stage for his talk and ensure that he was speaking about what the audience wanted to hear. That was clever but putting Mary, a local high school student who was there to demo her team’s robotic entry for a regional competition, on the spot to ask a question in front of a room filled with senior execs seemed a bit uncomfortable for a moment. But when Pat exclaimed that Mary’s question was the best one of the day and he was going to stop the questions there, the room errupted in applause. Mary could breathe again and the presentation started to really roll. Mary’s question? “What are some tips to handle conflicts in a team? Ahhh. It’s all about the chemistry – according the Pat… and so we begin.

A few other questions were also on point such as “what are the top 2 things a start-up needs to know to really succeed” and “what’s more critical – getting a product out that may have a few glitches or waiting and polishing it to near perfection before you take it to your client.” Pat addressed all these and more in his 45 minute presentation at OCRI’s Technology Executive Breakfast (TEB) this morning. With eight start-ups in as many years under his belt and dozens more in his repretoire, it was sure to be a very informative and entertaining morning.

There are five things that must happen for any company– start-up or not — to be successful.

First of all, you must become a “category of one” in the mind of your customers. This entails effective marketing, value positioning, and doing everything you can to win the crucial “bake-off” – especially if you know you deserve to win. Pat used a great variety of examples that we could all relate to when he explained value positioning and the case of present mode of ops vs future mode of ops (PMO vs FMO). Citing his favourite business book and the evolution of the cable excavator to the back hoe as well as the FIDO phone that makes calls and sends texts to the I-Phone with 9,500 apps he demonstrated that the value of your product must meet and exceed the expectations of the target customer base. Winning the ever critical technology “bake-off” is a make or break it opportunity for your company. Pat’s experience with BelAir clearly showed how important it is to know your value and position it correctly and then how to rally the team to go back and fight to win.

Adapt and adapt again. Be prepared to fine tune and adjust your approach to make your interface work and increase the impact in order to produce a real solution for your customers.

Simplify the confusing functionality of your technology. Very few people need to know all the bells and whistles that make it work. The black box does more than you think – it can simplify the way you operate, simplify the installation of the application, present the solution to your customers in simple way, and transform into what everyone likes and appreciates – an easy button.

Scalability is key. Being a small company, a start-up or a company with a product but no scale inhibits your ability to compete on a global scale. There are ways around this. Find a strategic partner or a number of them that can increase your output in order to meet client demands or entice a big brother to take you on. It may takes some coaxing and baiting with evidence of business and significant returns because big brothers (or companies with scale but no product) don’t typically search out little brothers but the results can be big. Just ask BTI who teamed up with Fujistu in order to deploy massive quantities of product.

Execute. All great plans must be executed well if they are going to make a difference. First, the team must be in total alignment and then all efforts must be focussed. If the team can’t work together – they can never be aligned. You need agreement to align at all stages of the process which has three parts 1) Vision (where are we going), 2) Current Reality (where are we now) and 3) The Plan (how do we get there). It’s a tough job, but it is the CEO’s responsibility to get everyone to buy-into the alignment concept including the board, the team, the investors and the partners. Once you’ve established that everyone is on the same path, all your efforts, tactics, approaches must be in clear focus to be effective and efficient. Pat recalled his SiGe experience which showed how important it can be to have a leader with excellent technological skills coupled with fantastic people skills in order to rally the team and align the efforts. Product lines may need to change, approaches may be tweaked but when the alignment and focus is bang on and the chemistry among the players is solid you can pretty much count on improved performance. Just look at SiGe whose revenues increased from around $67 M in 2007 to almost $100 M in 2008.

As Pat wrapped up, he explained that he’s learned many more lessons than he could ever cover in a short presentation and that there is always more learning to do. No matter what business you’re in or what customer you are after, his five key pointers can always apply but admitted there could be more that work. Teamwork, alignment, chemistry, flexibility, he certainly covered all the bases and in direct response to Mary’s question he added that sometimes you just need to fire someone.

Great presentation! Looking forward to the next TEB.

Donald Trump event next week – agenda now available!

Terry D'Angelo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:17:07 +0000

Here is the speaking order for the Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase featuring Brett Wilson of CBC’s Dragons Den and Donald Trump. This will take place next week on Thursday September 24, 2009 at the Ottawa Civic Centre http://www.ocri.ca/showcase/assets_2009/agenda.pdf – it starts at 12:30 pm and ends at 5:00 pm.

Tickets are still available through Ticket Master http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100042658B706626

In addition to the Presentations, there is a tradeshow that is open to the public at no charge from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm happening in the Civic Centre Salons – check out the list of companies that will be at the tradeshow http://www.ocri.ca/showcase/exhibitors.asp

Hope to see you there. Read More

Brett Wilson of Dragons’ Den added to Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase

Terry D'Angelo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:56:55 +0000

Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase has added Brett Wilson of CBC’s Dragons’ Den to the already great lineup….. check out the updated speaker lineup…… Going to be amazing…. http://easternontarioshowcase.com/

Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase with Donald Trump

Terry D'Angelo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:52:45 +0000

BOOK NOW! Don’t wait too long to register as an exhibitor for this event. We’d hate for you to be disappointed when all the prime spots are gone. Register now, get a great location and use the summer wisely to plan your space. Think creatively, constructively and strategically to catch the eye of the media, the public and Mr. Trump himself!

We are getting so many phone calls about the event – but I think folks are already in vacation mode and believe that September 24 is far enough away. Well, in some aspects it is – it is after summer vacation – it is another school year…. but it is only 3 months away and 2 of those are July and August! This is a great event with an amazing lineup and Donald Trump will actually be here in Ottawa talking to the business community. Those that have booked are calling us to ask how they should set themselves up, what is the most strategic place to be on the floor etc! They are very keen and have jump-started their organization to be ready for September 24!

One connection made between you and another exhibitor at the “water cooler” on the tradeshow floor can transform a business. Just like this story….

Earlier this year, a potential development partner backed out of a deal because of the economic downturn (they didn’t understand the unprecedented and continued growth happening in the Kemptville area). Westerra Homes approached a local business lawyer earlier this year to see if he had any contacts that would assist with the land development. He was referred to a contractor in Embrun who was a recent acquaintance of the lawyer. The contact knew of Kemptville and believed in the project. A partnership was formed which allowed the infrastructure and servicing to begin for Phase I. The municipality required security worth several hundred thousand dollars to support the land servicing work. Westerra’s commercial banker referred them to an existing developer located just 30 minutes west of Kemptville to assist in this regard. A partnership was formed and the project is now underway.

The power of multi-jurisdictional networking within the region resulted in two separate partnerships that enabled the start of a development that will generate more than $20 million in economic activity for Eastern Ontario and recurring property tax revenue of ~$200,000/year for the municipality of North Grenville.

Remember – just one new contact or one new piece of information can make a difference for a business and its community.

See you in September!

OCRI 2009 Golf tournament

Terry D'Angelo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:28:49 +0000

Well the rains stayed away for us yesterday!!! As part of the organizing team – this was a great relief! The day started overcast and cool but by the shotgun at 12:30 pm – the sun was peeking through and the 146 golfers were ready to start their engines! This was our first members only tournament and it had sold out by the end of May! We move the tournament from Club Links Greyhawk course in Cumberland out to Eagle Creek in Dunrobin. Not being a golfer myself , I had no appreciation for Eagle Creek – but as I later found out – this was a big deal!!! As I drove around the course yesterday one could see how beautiful it is! It took most of the golfers a good 6 hours to golf. A couple of backlogs on some holes – especially at 18 – it was a long par 5 with lots of water and lots of sand!

After a great day of golf – we had cocktails and dinner. Our MC was Kurt Stoodley of the A Channel. He was terrific. I must say the best MC we have had so far. I would like to congratulate the golfers from Fraser Milner Casgrain who had the winning foursome and the group from Atria who won the most “honest” foursome. Great job gang – until next year!

Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase featuring Donald Trump

terrydangelo — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:24:55 +0000

Yes “The Donald” in Ottawa – live and in person – on September 24, 2009 at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Join Donald J. Trump and other industry and political leaders for this exclusive business development event.

Learn of existing economic development and partnership opportunities in Eastern Ontario. Gain valuable insight from renowned experts on: Accessing Capital, Innovation, Strategy and Managing Change.

Meet and learn from Donald J. Trump, one of the world’s most recognized and successful entrepreneurs. Mr. Trump will deliver a motivational and inspiring address on what it takes to be a leader and achieve goals in business and in life.

Be one of only 90 community and business exhibitors at this prestigious and exclusive business development event. Develop strategic partnerships, examine potential commercialization links and network with the best and brightest in Eastern Ontario.

Visit www.ocri.ca/showcase for more info.

Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase featuring Donald Trump

terrydangelo — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:24:55 +0000

Yes “The Donald” in Ottawa – live and in person – on September 24, 2009 at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Join Donald J. Trump and other industry and political leaders for this exclusive business development event.

Learn of existing economic development and partnership opportunities in Eastern Ontario. Gain valuable insight from renowned experts on: Accessing Capital, Innovation, Strategy and Managing Change.

Visit www.ocri.ca/showcase for more info.

Face-to-Face

terrydangelo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:55:30 +0000

Well I must say that I enjoy doing the Face-to-Face event…. It is so different form the day to day issues of planning events…. Locked away in a quiet office, it took me the better part of 5 full days to set some 500 plus appointments for the post secondary students to meet over a 4 hour period with 20 employers. Each student submits 5 appointment request with companies that are seeking students to match the current job openings. It all gets loaded into an excel spreadsheet. Going through each request one at a time setting up the “speed dating” job interviews for each student. Once complete I then search for appointment conflicts for each student…. after finding some 50 conflicts and resolving them – we then sort the spreadsheet in various ways to extract each of the 20 companies set of appointments – most companies are sending 2 sets of staff to run simulatneous interviews – 2 sets of appointments for most companies. This is followed by sending out 114 emails to all of the students confirming their 5 appointments. It all works like clockwork until we arrive on site at Tudor Hall to find out that some of the students that had to cancel etc due to illness or conflicts. I proceed to update all of the company appointments with the students cancellations - only to find that some student names were not appearing on company appointment lists…..How can this be? I used the 1 master spreadsheet for all confirmations — in total I found 4 names that were confirmed appointments that somehow were not on the company lists… I was very stressed — the event was about to start in 30 minutes… how many more students would show up that had conflicts? Again how could this happen? The event starts and I wait to see how it unfolds…first set of appointments no problem, second set fine… but we get to the third round and here comes the first conflict — the conflict is resolve — and so when is the next one, how many more am I going to face in the next 3.5 hours……. NONE!!!

The rest of the afternoon for all students and companies went off great!!!

What a great and unique way to do a “job fair” – we set appointments and match students to employers…. We even had a student there this year helping with the interviews who was a student at Face-to-Face 2007 — he was hired and now he his back doing the hiring!!!