Startup and Small Business Events You Don’t Want to Miss in March 2014

Startup and Small Business events

Every month our team compiles a list of startup and small business events in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario that we’re interested in attending and we think will be useful to the startup and small business community.

Some of these events may fill up fast, so if you’re interested in attending please register quickly. Events are generally free of charge, unless a price is listed. If you’re hosting an event or come across one that you think should be included here, feel free to contact us with your suggestion.

Communitech

Founded by a group of dedicated entrepreneurs in 1997, Communitech is Waterloo Region’s hub for the commercialization of innovative technologies. Over the years, they have supported and helped build a tech cluster of nearly 1,000 companies that now generates more than $30 billion in revenue.

Event: Upstart Breakfast Series
When: March 19, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Where: Waterloo Inn, Regent Room, 475 King Street, Waterloo, Ontario
Price: Free for Communitech Network members, $40 for non-members

Innovation Factory

Innovation Factory helps advance Hamilton’s innovation community and serves as an inspiring, expert resource for entrepreneurs that fosters connections across the community and accelerates growth. VA Partners’s own Mark Elliott is regularly involved in planning the Innovation Factory Sales Peer-to-Peer events. The event is a great opportunity for business professionals from all industries and companies to interact with each other, share best practices, and network with peers.

Event: Sales Peer2Peer: Taking Advantage of 2014 Social Media Trends
When: March 5, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: McMaster Innovation Park, 175 Longwood Rd South, Hamilton, Ontario

Startup Drinks

Startup Drinks provides an open space for entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect and share ideas. The event includes a handful of pitches from local startups, and opportunities to meet and network with attendees. This is a great event for meeting up-and-coming people in the startup community. These events are held regularly in a number of locations, including Toronto, Hamilton, and Waterloo.

Event: Startup Drinks Toronto
When: March 26, 2014, 6:00 p.m. – late, startup pitches at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Hotel Ocho, 195 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

Event: Startup Drinks Waterloo
When: March 4, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Chainsaw, 28 King Street North, Waterloo

Event: Startup Drinks Hamilton
When: March 12, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Pheasant Plucker, 20 Augusta Street, Hamilton

Silicon Halton

Silicon Halton organizes a number of events throughout the year in the region Halton which including Burlington, Oakville, and Milton. Their monthly meetups and Peer2Peer include three main components; a key notes presentation, a get to know a member presentation, and time set out for networking. These events are catered to anyone at a startup – especially in the tech industry – that want to learn more about business best practices.

Event: Silicon Halton Workshop Day @ Burlington Hive (VA Partners’ Mark Elliott will be presenting a workshop on Startup Sales Tactics)
When: March 25, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Burlington Hive, 429 Elizabeth St Burlington, ON L7R 2L8

Event: Meetup #53 – Enemy at the Gate (Cyber Security)
When: March 18, 2014, 7:00 p.m.
Where: O’Finn’s Irish Temper, The Whiskey Lounge, 136 Church St. Oakville, Ontario

Toronto Business Development Centre

TBDC is an independent non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to nurturing the growth of new and emerging businesses. The Centre has been recognized at home and internationally for achievements in the field of business incubation. Over the past twenty plus years, TBDC has helped more than 4500 businesses through our various programs.

Event: Marketing & Operations: How to Get and Keep Customers (Start A Business Seminar Series)
When: March 18, 2014
Where: Visit the TBDC website for more information
Price: $60

Toronto Board of Trade

The Toronto Board of Trade facilitates opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking, business development, and city building. It is the authoritative voice of Canada’s most prominent business community.

Event: The Changing Face of Retail: Adapting to Consumer Technology Trends
When: March 6, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: 1st Canadian Place, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON
Price: $79 – $99

Inbound Marketing Toronto

Inbound Marketing Toronto is a monthly meetup group that focuses its discussion on hot topics within the world of Inbound Marketing. It brings together Digital Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Content Marketing, Media Relations, Start-up Founders, and Online Business Development professionals.

Event: #InboundTO 14: BIG brands, BIG time SEO results (panel discussion)
When: March 20, 2014, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: BNOTIONS Office, 106 Front Street East Suite 200, Toronto

Rails Pub Night

This great informal social event in Toronto is perfect for anyone interesting in web development. People in the industry are able to gather along with both recruits as people in the web development start up community.

Event: Toronto Rails Pub Night
When: March 17, 2014, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: The Rhino, 1249 Queen Street West (Queen & Dufferin), Toronto, ON

MaRS Discovery District

MaRS is where entrepreneurs get the help they need, where all kinds of people meet to spark new ideas, and where a global reputation for innovation is being earned, one success story at a time.The often-free events at MaRS are ideal for start-ups, science, technology and social entrepreneurs looking to make connections and learn more about a particular aspect of business.

Event:Entrepreneurship 101
When: March 5, 19 and 26, 6:00 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District, 101 College Street, Toronto

Event: Demystifying SRED and Other Tax Tips for Entrepreneurs
When: March 20, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: MaRS Discovery District, CR-3, 101 College Street, Toronto
Price: $15

Startup Weekend GTA

Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities.

Event: Startup Weekend Toronto EDU
When: March 28 – 30, 2014, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Mozilla Toronto, 366 Adelaide St. W. Suite 500, Toronto
Price: $100

Software Niagara

Software Niagara was started in 2012 with the goal of organizing technology and startup events to build a community that fostered innovation and excellence in the Niagara region.

Event: DemoCamp Niagara 5
When: March 4, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Fresco’s Restaurant and Bar, 100 Fourth Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario

Event: Coffee & Code – Coworking
When: Mondays, except the third Monday of the month, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Where: FueledMinds, One St. Paul Street, Suite 303A, St. Catharines, Ontario

Software Hamilton

Software Hamilton was created with the aim of uniting the Greater Hamilton software community. Software Hamilton organizes several monthly events including DemoCamp Hamilton and Startup Drinks. They operate under the belief that software development is a creative skill which can provide relatively clean, high-paying jobs with work that can make the world a better place to live.

Event: Hacker Saturdays
When: March 1, 15 and 29, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Radius Cafe, 151 James Street South Hamilton, ON

Did we forget your event or an event you are attending? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list!

For further information about any of these events contact our team. Sign up for VA Partners’ monthly newsletter for more events around the GTA.

Startup and Small Business Events You Don’t Want to Miss in March 2014