Events

Events by Date & Time:

Pitching Kamloops. Destination Golf. Destination Profits.
March 3rd, 2011 (7PM – 10PM)
Pitching Business on The Green
March 4th, 2011 (12 Noon – 2PM)
The Art of the Pitch with Dianne Buckner (Host of CBC’s Hit Show the Dragons’ Den)
March 4th, 2011 (7PM – 9PM)
Business Unplugged Mentorship Breakfast (pitchers & expert judging panel)
March 5th, 2011 (8 AM – 10AM)
Business Fast Pitch Competition (Dianne Buckner, Bob de Wit, Tom Matzen, & Allen Bonk)
March 5th, 2011 (12 Noon – 4PM)

To download the promotional material (pdf doc – 1.5MB) for these events please click here.

Fast Tube by Casper

The Art of the Pitch.

Presented by Dianne Buckner

Host of CBC’s Hit Show the Dragons’ Den

Friday, March 4th, 2011: 7PM – 9 PM (1 hour keynote with Q&A – Evening)

Click here to register and buy tickets.

In this entertaining presentation Dianne shares what she’s observed about those who are successful, and those who aren’t. Featuring video excerpts from her television programs, participants will come away with new skills for getting their way – at work and at home.

Dianne Buckner is best-known as the host Canada’s #1 Reality show, “Dragons’ Den”, where eager entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a group of self-made Canadian millionaire investors.

In addition to her role on Dragons’ Den, Ms. Buckner is a member of the Business Team at CBC News. She writes a weekly column about small business for cbc.ca – the number one site for news in Canada. She also appears regularly on CBC’s local newscasts, reporting on the top business stories of the day.

In the course of her work, Ms. Buckner has spoken with prime ministers, celebrity CEOs such as Jack Welch and super investor Warren Buffet, and has traveled extensively to countries such as Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Iceland in pursuit of stories for CBC viewers. Her perspective on the world, and on the world of business, is unique.

Dianne’s Keynote address, entitled The Art of the Pitch promises to be an entertaining presentation where she shares what she’s observed about those who are successful in business and those who are not. Featuring video excerpts from her television programs, participants will come away with new skills for getting their way at work, and at home.

Venue: Thompson Rivers University
Grand Hall
Speaker: Dianne Buckner
Capacity: 250
Ticket Cost: $50
*$10 Facebook Fans Discount
*$10 Early Bird Discount before February 17.
Sponsored by: TBD

Business Fast Pitch Competition.

Saturday March 5th, 2011: 12 Noon – 4PM (3-4 hours – Afternoon)

Click here to register and buy tickets.

Kamloops’ entrepreneurs (including some Race to a Million team members) have just 5 minutes to pitch their business ideas to an expert panel of judges for helpful advice, potential investment, and a cash prize to the winning pitch. This event will be held in the centre court of Aberdeen Mall with a live studio audience. Our expert Panel of judges include Dianne Buckner of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, Tom Matzen and Allen Bonk from Quantum Business Golf, and Bob de Wit from the Green Angel Energy Fund and New Ventures BC. Only 60 tickets for studio audience seating are available. Casual shoppers within the mall will also be part of the live audience but will not have seating available.

If you are an enthusiastic entrepreneur that would like to have the opportunity to pitch your business or business idea in this competition please click here to download the Business Fast Pitch Application and email it to info@racetoamillion.ca

Venue: Aberdeen Mall, Centre Court
Speaker(s): Dianne Buckner, Tom Matzen, Allen Bonk, and Bob Dewitt
Capacity: 60 seats – all other audience members must stand.
Ticket Cost: $40
*$10 Facebook Fans Discount
*$10 Early Bird Discount before February 17.
Sponsored by: The Thompson Rivers University School of Business & Economics

Pitching Business on the Green.

How to Double Your Income and …

Triple Your Number of Golf Games in 2011

Friday, March 4th, 2011: 12 Noon – 2 PM (2 hours – Mid-Day)

Click here to register and buy tickets.

Once more Tom Matzen and Allen Bonk take you by the hand and together you’ll build the foundation for your own business strategy using golf as the platform. More than just the practical do’s and don’ts of doing business golf, this workshops covers the secrets of how to build lasting and profitable relationships on the golf course. Whatever your comfort level you’ll learn how to use golf as a powerful relationship and business building tool. It doesn’t matter what your handicap is, or even whether you know what a handicap is. It also doesn’t matter what products and services you currently sell. This interactive workshop gives you proven business golf success techniques that will enable you to play with anyone, anywhere, of any skill level. All in a super easy-to-understand step-by-step seminar.

Venue: Aberdeen Mall, Centre Centre Court
Speaker(s): Tom Matzen, Allen Bonk
Capacity: 40 participants (seats) – standing area for audience viewing at mall location
Ticket Cost: $50
*$10 Facebook Fans Discount
*$10 Early Bird Discount before February 17.
Sponsored by: TBA

*participants must sign a waiver, as this event will be filmed and made avaiable in the future as a digital video learning series product.

Pitching Kamloops

Destination Golf. Destination Profits.

Masterminding the most successful golf tournaments

Thursday March 3rd, 2011: 7PM – 10PM (3 hours – Evening)

Please contact the Race to a Million for invitation and tickets.

With years of successful business experience on and off the green, Tom Matzen and Allen Bonk take Kamloops golf tournament organizers (for profit and not-for-profit) through an interactive mastermind workshop to get the most out of hosting and running a golf tournament. This workshop will identify the top challenges in organizing world class golf tournament events and create “outside-the-box” solutions positioning Kamloops’ tournaments and their hosts as the leaders in 2011.

Venue: Thompson Rivers University, Campus Activity Centre – Room 130
Speaker(s): Tom Matzen, Allen Bonk
Capacity: 24 participants
Ticket Cost: free, however, this event is by invitation only, please contact info@racetoamillion.ca for more information.
Sponsored by: TBA

*participants must sign a waiver, as this event will be filmed and participants will be supplied with access to the footage for future reference.

Business Unplugged.

Intimate & Interactive Mentorship Breakfast with the Speakers

Saturday March 5th, 2011: 8AM – 10AM (2 hours – Morning)

Please contact the Race to a Million for invitation and password.

This is a mentorship opportunity for Race to a Million entrepreneurs in the “Business Fast Pitch Competition” to connect with event speakers over breakfast for advanced advice and mentorship in addition to an opportunity to get to know our experts on a more personal basis.

Venue: Thompson Rivers University, Campus Activity Centre, Room 130
Continental breakfast will be served
Speaker(s): Tom Matzen, Allen Bonk (BIO), Bob DeWitt, others, tbd
Capacity: 40 participants
Ticket Cost: free, however, this event is by invitation only, please contact info@racetoamillion.ca for more information.
Sponsored by: TBD

*participants must sign waiver, will be filmed

Additional Speakers Bios:

Bob de Wit is a Vancouver based investor, mentor, director and consultant to growth-stage technology companies. He expresses his passion for entrepreneurship as Executive Director of New Ventures BC, Director of GreenAngel Energy Corp, and as an active member of the VANTEC angel network and the WUTIF angel fund. Annually, he mentors or reviews the best of the new technology ventures coming out of British Columbia each year. As a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, Bob draws upon his executive experience in corporate development (M&A strategy and execution), corporate finance (raising equity capital) and competitive market intelligence to audiences ranging from entrepreneurial CEOs, angel investors to graduate students. Holding degrees in marketing (BBA) and economics (MA) from Simon Fraser University, Bob has built his fifteen year career around starting or nurturing technology start-ups. In addition to working for companies, he has consulted to Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and the University of California at Los Angeles where he has worked with university faculty members to develop effective technology commercialization strategies.

Tom Matzen is the founder of the Vancouver-based consulting firm, Entrepreneur Coach Inc. – a company that specializes in strategic joint ventures with socially responsible businesses. After launching Entrepreneur Coach Inc. in 1995, Tom’s first joint venture was with Puckmasters. The growth in the golf industry led Tom and the founding team from hockey to golf, and in 1999 the concept of Parmasters was born. Parmasters sold 187 franchises and did sales of 4.3 million before Tom and his team took the company public in January of 2010 (symbol AIM.V on the TSX-Venture Exchange). Over the past two decades Tom has helped more than 200 entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, and has launched some thirty-seven businesses of his own – some spectacular successes, some spectacular failures, and many falling somewhere in between. In addition, Tom and his team have raised more than sixteen million dollars from individual investors for various ventures. An international speaker, best-selling author, and strategic thinker Tom Matzen is considered by many to be an inspirational motivator and a strong force in the push towards ethics in our modern business world.

Allen Bonk is a very creative and goal oriented professional with extensive senior level & executive management, sales & marketing experience. He has worked in many large global companies, including Motorola and GE. Allen has also trained extensively in numerous technology and management programs ranging from Systems Integration & Project Management to Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Allen’s twenty plus years of experience, combined with international large project and business knowledge, led him to fully refine the art and science of great “business golf”. As author, creator and President of Quantum Business Golf, Allen is currently responsible for the development, launch, sales and coordination of marketing and training for the Quantum Business Golf program. A well rounded and varied background in business and a ‘never quit’ work ethic, combined with a commitment to excellence in all areas undertaken, provides Allen with incredible business diversity. His recent accomplishments include a 5-year term with Aegis Investment Management Inc., a publicly traded franchise company where he held the position of Vice President, Franchise Sales & Marketing.