Earlier today we announced the mesh conference dates, format and speaker lineup for our 2020 event.
We also announced that we’re making Calgary the new host city of our national digital transformation event.
“Hosting the event in Calgary brings the opportunity to shed light on a place where large scale and rapid transformation is alive and well,” says Sheri Moore, co-founder of mesh. “We’ve had the opportunity to meet amazing, innovative people who are designing, making, building and expanding across many sectors. What is happening in Alberta is special and really interesting, making it a perfect destination to mesh.”
Alberta companies will spend $18.4 billion on digital transformation over the next two years in industries such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, health services, life sciences and creative industries.
“Calgary is in the midst of its own economic transformation and programs like mesh are an opportunity to reconsider our future, and invite others from across Canada to consider the opportunity that digital transformation will bring to our new economy,” says Alison Pidskalny, a member of mesh’s host advisory committee.
As a national event, the mesh conference aims to bring people from across the country to Calgary to share digital transformation insight.
“We take pride in bringing together local, national and international perspectives both on the stage and in the audience,” says Moore. “It’s part of the magic of mesh, no matter what city we are in. As we’ve planned this year’s event, we have seen first-hand a new kind of energy in Calgary that is really exciting for both new attendees and mesh alumni. Conversations and session spaces will have a familiar tone for a long-time mesh attendee, but the scale of transformation in Alberta and countless amazing leaders will bring new perspectives.”
Our host advisory committee is made up of seasoned executives who will act as a conduit into the region, helping shape mesh to be both national in scope and local in learning. They include:
Tracey Bodnarchuk, Chief Revenue Officer of Hopewell Residential and Chair of the mesh host advisory committee 
Colleen Pound, CEO of Pound Global 
Tyler Chisholm, CEO of clearmotive marketing and host of podcast Collisions YYC 
Alison Pidskalny, a Calgary-based strategist, connector and community builder
“Calgary has always been known as a hub for entrepreneurial spirit,” says Colleen Pound. “It’s in our DNA to be a host, and we welcome the opportunity to host industry leaders in a dynamic dialogue about how we can come together and learn from one another. This type of collaboration paves the way for exponential economic transformation for every single attendee, organization, and ultimately, the YYC economy.”
According to fDi American Cities of the Future 2017/18, Calgary ranked third out of the top 10 large North American Cities of the Future for business friendliness.
Key facts about Calgary:
- Alberta companies will spend $18.4 billion across all industrial sectors by 2022, according to research conducted by IDC Canada for Calgary Economic Development.
- Calgary has the highest head office concentration per capita in Canada.
- Calgary has the second highest small business concentration of major cities in Canada.
- Calgary ranked in the global Top 10 Most Attractive Cities for Workers, according to AIRINC, Global 150 Scorecard.
- ICTC forecasts Alberta will see demand for nearly 9,000 digital jobs by 2023.
- Calgary has the highest proportion of STEM graduates of major Canadian cities, according to the latest Statistics Canada census.
- Calgary has the highest concentration of high-tech workers of Canadian cities, according to Who Are Canada’s Tech Workers from the Brookfield Institute.
- Calgary has the highest labour force productivity and labour force participation of major Canadian cities, according to The Conference Board of Canada and Statistics Canada.
- Calgary is the 5th most liveable city in the world and it’s Canada’s sunniest city, with 333 average sunshine days per year.
- Alberta is the only province in Canada without a sales tax.
- More than 28.1% of the population are immigrants, which ranks Calgary just behind Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver as the first choice for newcomers to Canada.
The mesh conference will take place April 27-28 at TELUS Spark and tickets are on sale now.
To stay up to date on mesh announcements, follow the mesh blog or ongoing coverage from our media partner, the DX Journal.
