Join us at the Business Incubation Boot Camp on Sunday, September 30, and learn from the pros about incubation program development – from idea to opening day.

The day will focus on best practices and is designed to provide you with ideas, resources and a network of support to help you develop a successful business incubation program. Hear from seasoned incubator professionals about their time in the trenches, and gain tips and insights from our hot topic discussion on building, renovating or expanding; fundraising/financing; programming and outreach and partnership.

The boot camp will also focus on the progression from idea to opening day. Hear from PCL, the largest construction company in Canada and one of the largest in the United States, about the considerations in new construction and renovations that could affect your incubator. Also hear from several Canadian incubators about their journey to opening day.

Workshop Goals

At the end of the boot camp, you will:

• Have a greater understanding of incubation and the importance it plays in our community
• Understand what is involved in developing an incubation program
• Have tips and best practices that you can implement immediately
• Understand what is involved in new construction and renovation
• Have a network of incubation professionals that you can call upon for advice
• Have a resource flash drive filled with examples of documents and templates that reflect today's Canadian best practices (note that this flash drive is only available to boot camp participants and is not sold outside of this session)

The day will focus on best practices and is designed to provide you with ideas, resources and a network of support to help you develop a successful business incubation program. Hear from seasoned incubator professionals about their time in the trenches, and gain tips and insights from our hot topic discussion on building, renovating or expanding; fundraising/financing; programming and outreach and partnership.

Who Should Attend?

Those interested in exploring, planning or launching a business incubation program in the community, on a university or college campus, or in a science park. This session will also be of interest to experienced incubator managers looking for new ideas and those wanting to contribute to the growth of industry.

What did past boot camp participants say?

Here's some feedback from last year's boot camp:

• Great opportunity to speak with incubator veterans and diverse speakers
• Great hearing the evolution of the building process.
• Valuable information, networking, best practice exchange.
• Great networking, exchange of ideas, successes, struggles.
• Good information and speakers who accommodate questions in their speaking format.
• Great job! Lots of info and sharing with others of like mind.