MEDIA ADVISORY: Facebook Canada teams up with BDC for Small Business Week 2017 launch

Official launch to be hosted at the new Facebook Toronto Partner Centre

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - On Monday, October 16, BDC and Facebook Canada will officially launch the 2017 edition of Small Business Week at the new Facebook Toronto Partner Centre, a new space for Facebook to collaborate with its Canadian partners. This year, Small Business Week runs under the theme: "Future-proof your business: Adapting to technology and demographic trends."

To celebrate the week, Facebook will release its "Economic Impact Report," which looks at how the power of mobile technology is bringing the world closer together, and helping Canadian businesses grow. To complement the report, Facebook will also launch a new online dashboard featuring success stories from Canadian small businesses. Meanwhile, BDC will publish a research study about emerging business trends, looking at the evolution of talent and the digitization of the economy.

Hon. Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, will moderate a discussion with three Canadian entrepreneurs about how they're adapting their business to tomorrow's trends. The discussion will feature Michele Romanow, co-founder of Clearbanc and Dragon on Dragon's Den, Joanna Griffiths, founder of Knixwear, and Steve Ballantyne, co-founder of Station Cold Brew. The event will be broadcast on Facebook Live here.

The collaboration with the bank also includes a series of free "Boost Your Business with Facebook" seminars throughout the week (Mississauga - 10/17; Ottawa - 10/18; Montreal - 10/19), which aim to provide business owners with the most up-to-date tools, insights, and best practices for achieving success on Facebook & Instagram.

WHAT: 
Official launch of BDC Small Business Week 2017 and the official opening celebration for Facebook's Toronto Partner Centre

WHO:

• Hon. Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism 
• John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
• Kevin Chan, Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada
• Andrea Van Leeuwen, Head of Business Marketing, Facebook Canada
• Michael Denham, President & CEO, BDC
• Michele Romanow, Co-Founder, Clearbanc and Dragon on Dragon's Den
• Joanna Griffiths, Founder, Knixwear
• Steve Ballantyne, Co-Founder, Station Cold Brew

Representatives plus local entrepreneurs will be available for interviews at the event.

WHEN AND WHERE: Toronto – Monday, October 16, 2017
Facebook Canada
661 University Avenue - MaRS Discovery District
West Tower, Suite 1201
Toronto, ON M5G 1L7
8:30am to 10:30am

*All media who wish to attend must RSVP by 5:00p.m. ET on Friday, October 13 to [email protected]

If you'd like a copy of Facebook's Economic Impact Report and the link to the new Canadian online dashboard once live, please reach out to [email protected].

About Facebook Canada
Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. More than 23 million Canadians use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them. Facebook^® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. All other brand or product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

About BDC
BDC is the only bank devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs. It promotes Canadian entrepreneurship with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses. With its 118 business centres from coast to coast, BDC provides businesses in all industries with financing and advisory services. Its investment arm, BDC Capital, offers equity, venture capital and flexible growth and transition capital solutions. To find out more, visit bdc.ca.

SOURCE Facebook® Canada

Alex Kucharski, [email protected], 647-638-6152