March is Women’s History month, and the Consulate General of Canada in Denver was proud was proud to mark the occasion by participating in the 2024 Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Annual Conference and supporting a delegation of Canadian Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) keen to expand into the U.S. market. The weeklong program at the Gaylord Rockies Convention Center in Denver, CO provided the Canadian delegation access to top-tier executives from Fortune 500 companies and U.S. Government officials. The conference was anchored by a bustling Expo of over 300 exhibitors, allowing delegates to showcase their business and collect leads for potential contracts.
Canadian WBEs also engaged in meet-and-greets to help them forge meaningful connections, attended thought-provoking lectures and presentations providing inspiration and empowered them to wrap up each day with vibrant networking receptions.
The Consulate General organized a prep session to arm the delegates with the necessary tools for a successful conference. The program consisted of webinars & coaching sessions from experienced and highly qualified coaches affiliated with WBENC, which included: detailed information on how to prepare the company’s pitch to corporate buyers, developing an effective capability statement and how to follow up with business leads made during the conference. An information session was also delivered to delegates on Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), to explain the benefits for Canadian women-owned businesses.
The Consulate General had a prominent booth on the expo floor to promote the capabilities, products, and services of Canadian WBEs and the government’s Trade Commissioner Service. Canadian delegates also had the chance to use the booth as a meeting space for a substantial number of B2B meetings. In addition, a directory of the participating Canadian companies was made available at the booth for all interested attendees of the conference and to the delegates.
To kick off the conference, the Consulate General hosted a welcome breakfast event on the morning of March 19th, providing the delegates with a unique opportunity to meet with local partners and Canadian associations in a smaller setting. The event allowed for longer one-on-one conversations as well as to connect with the Colorado business community. The delegation’s participation at WBENC provided an outstanding opportunity to connect, learn, and scale their businesses in the U.S.!