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 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. Business 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.
Toronto Events
If you are looking to get your feet wet when it comes to programming, then this is the workshop for you. HTML and CSS are the backbone of all websites, and knowledge of them is a necessity if you are interested in things like web development, creating marketing emails, or even blogging!
Event: HTML & CSS for Beginners
When: May 2, 2015, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: The Lab, 483 Queen Street West, 3rd Floor, Toronto
Price: $55.00
Enterprise Toronto
Enterprise Toronto is a one-stop source to start and grow your small business. Their team of small business advisors can help you make the right decisions during your business start-up and help develop your management capabilities as your business venture grows.
Event: Taking Your Business to the Cloud: Tools for Building Your Business
When: May 6, 2015, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St., Lower Level, Council Chambers
Price: $25.00
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: Lifecycle Funding: Leveraging Grants & Government Incentives in your Business
When: May 6, 2015, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Where: Toronto Region Board of Trade Downtown Centre, 77 Adelaide Street West Entrance, Toronto
Price: Free for Members
Camp Tech is a tech skills training hub. They provide half- and full-day in-person workshops for adults who want to learn web and digital skills. They create a welcoming environment for those who are hesitant around technology, and we emphasize skills that can be put into practice right away. Camp Tech was founded in August 2012. Offering approximately 75 workshops a year in Toronto, and have recently expanded into Ottawa, Hamilton, and Kitchener/Waterloo.
Event: Business Blogging & Content Marketing
When: May 6, 2015, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Price: $85.00
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: Entrepreneur’s Toolkit Workshops – Summer Intensive Program
Session 1 – Starting Lean: Value Proposition
Preparing to leave the building
When: May 13, 2015 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Determining your value proposition
When: May 20, 2015 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Session 2 – Starting Lean: Business Model
Designing your business model
When: May 27, 2015 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Validating your business model
When: June 3, 2015 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Where: MaRS Centre, 101 College Street, Toronto
Price: $300.00
Find out how to use all the products of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform to transform how you connect with your customers. Get hands-on with the newest products, ask questions from our teams of product experts, and get all the answers and inspiration you need.
When: May 14, 2015, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Allstream Centre, 105 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto
Price: Free
This great informal social event in Toronto is perfect for anyone interested in web development. People in the industry, as well as interested recruits are able to gather in Toronto’s exciting web development and start up community.
Event: Toronto Rails Pub Night
When: May 18, 2015, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: The Rhino, 1249 Queen Street West (Queen & Dufferin), Toronto
Price: Free
Unbounce was developed after experiencing first hand the frustration of trying to get effective landing pages launched for our own online marketing campaigns. It’s important to get things done quickly in marketing, a task made more difficult when you have to rely upon I.T. resources who have their own priorities and processes. We also realized that I.T. doesn’t relish the idea of having to drop everything to develop a landing page. By giving marketers control over their landing pages, everybody wins.
Event: Unbounce Conversion Road Trip – Toronto
When: June 3, 2015, 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto
Price: Price: $149.00
Waterloo Region Events
Waterloo Region Small Business Centre
The Waterloo Region Small Business Centre encourages and contributes to the enterprising spirit and economic vitality of our commmunity by assisting entrepreneurs with the development of new or existing businesses.
Event: Marketing 101
When: May 5, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
Where: 200 King ST W., Kitchener
Price: $20.00
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: Tech Leadership Conference 2015
Tech Leadership Conference is the largest annual all-day gathering of tech decision makers in Waterloo Region. It’s about creating market expectations and establishing the region as the best place on the planet for tech companies to start, grow and succeed.
When: May 28, 2015, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: 425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener
Price: $175.00
Halton Events
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 has 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: Build Your Site for Maximum Conversion
When: May 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: 136 Church Street, Oakville
HalTech is the leading source of support and personal service for tech and advanced manufacturing entrepreneurs in Halton. They assist Halton’s entrepreneurs and technology companies with developing their ideas, commercializing their products/services and establishing and expanding their businesses.
Event: WordPress 102
When: May 19, 2015, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Ron Joyce Centre, 4350 South Service Road, Burlington
Price: Free
Hamilton Events
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.
Event: Sales Peer2Peer – Sales Objections: Turning a No into a Yes
When: May 6, 2015, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: 175 Longwood Rd S, Hamilton
Price: Free
Software Hamilton covers the Hamilton, Ontario technology and startup community.
Event: Coder Camp
When: May 20, 2015, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Pheasant Plucker, 20 Augusta St., Hamilton
Price: Free
Niagara Events
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Businesses in Niagara are looking for leadership to address the real issues that are facing businesses and communities in Niagara. After extensive discussion and research the decision was made by a group of business people to create the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. The goal is that this organization can bring together business leaders who are ready to help position Niagara’s economy for the 21st Century.
Event: Business Breakfast Before Nine-Where the Speaker is YOU!
When: May 20, 2015, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Where: The Host, 106 Lakeport Rd., St. Catharines
Price: $25.00
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.
When: May 27, 2015 at 7pm
Where: Mahtay Cafe, 241 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines
Price: Free
Are we missing any startup or small business events? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
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