For those readers who aren’t familiar with the Collision Conference, this is Web Summit’s North American event. With a focus on technology and the startup space, it is part of their 5 location series of such focused events around the world. The other 4 are held each year in:
Politico calls these the "Olympics of Tech"; and Forbes labels Toronto’s event as "North America’s fastest growing tech conference".
GrowthMentor, a 4.8-Star (Trust Pilot) rated site that mentors start-ups, rates the conference as the #2 event (only behind, for obvious reasons) the Startup World Cup Grande Finale) for start-up-focused businesses to attend and pitch their plan. That's just the beginning of the value that Collision offers ambitious owners of growth-oriented businesses.
The attendance in 2023 was 36,000 delegates. It's the 2nd largest of the Web Summit-managed events by attendance, with aspirations of catching Lisbon itself for the #1 spot. Attendees come to hear and speak with inspirational speakers, see and meet promising startups, rub elbows with prominent multinationals, and, last but very definitely not least, speak and pitch to active investors, and other enthusiastic attendees.
Being from Western Canada, knowing bigger isn’t always better, (Toronto’s own NHL franchise is an obvious example), I’m the first not to simply accept that, because it’s in Toronto, it must be the best. Yes, Collision is large and glitzy, and its parent Web Summit does drive a hard bargain and has a bit of a reputation for “love-em and leave-em” after a 3-year term with its host cities. This almost happened last year, but a 1-year extension was granted.
Personally I’d be sad to see Collision leave Canada in 2025, as I suspect it would never be back north of the 40th parallel if that were to happen. Vancouver is very keen to be the host City, and frankly, if it were to outbid Toronto, I’d be fine with that as it would be staying in Canada.
It’s a great conference, one which can continue to grow and benefit its attendees for years to come. Like CES is to the USA, Collision is to Canada. It gives Canadian businesses, like Savvy-CFO, an edge that we should work hard not to lose.
The 2024 event (June 17 - 20 2024) promises to be all it has been and then some. As a CFO by profession, I look at things from an ROI perspective. This is one that, with the right amount of time invested, and a relatively small $ investment, the returns will be immense, coming from multiple directions.
First, this 3-day event will immerse every attendee in and expose them to cutting-edge technologies and trends that can benefit any business.
The venue, the Enercare Centre at ExPlace in Toronto is very well laid out and easy to move around in. Guided by the very effective "Collision APP", you can maximize your time by attending many workshops and sessions to gain new skills and knowledge. I count over 200 such sessions at this year's event.
You can learn from select industry experts. They aren't just pretty faces with a name. They are experienced yes, but also relatable and full of tips and advice that are immediately value-added and worth the price of admission alone.
You'll hear the phrase "Competitive Edge" from me time and again. Collision is a place to gain this in many ways. Something that you'll remember for months and years to come. We all know we're in the midst of a "next step" moment in the Digital Age and how business is done, right up there with the Internet itself, the "Cloud" and its Applications, and now AI. This will help you stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
In the end, this is what Collision really is, a place for Startups to learn, thrive, and for some, get financed. Be sure to be part of the action, lots to learn and gain here. Be sure to check out the Startup program at Collision. If you're not in it this year, plan on doing so next event.
As with any industry "trade" show, done professionally, exposure of who you are and what your business is always a good thing, with a lasting impact on those who cross your path. No question, you'll increase your company's visibility in the tech and startup ecosystem, maybe even start, or enhance your position as a thought leader in your industry.
Make sure you get lots of rest in the week(s) before Collision. You should plan on taking advantage of the captive audience of like-minded delegates with experiences, knowledge and wisdom that are much different from, yet on the other hand aligned with your needs to succeed. Here you can connect with potential clients, investors, partners, advisors, vendors, employees - the list goes on.
Although the team at Savvy-CFO already has over 20 years of providing fractional financial services to businesses in Canada, it is, by definition, a startup. This is because we are the first in our profession to combine our deep and broad technical knowledge with our extensive business experience and we focus our service delivery solely on easing our buyers' journeys. We measure our success on how much of an advocate for us that they become over time. We are born in the cloud, not some hybrid version of a compliance-oriented CPA firm. We are tech-savvy, and our platform ensures that our entrepreneurial finance professionals deliver exemplary value-for-money services for our clients.
These services include scoping and implementing business systems, establishing processes for operating and managing a business through the 5 stages of the Buyer's Journey, establishing KPIs and ensuring reporting is timely, accurate, relevant and understandable. This helps our clients grow, manage risks, plan successions, and even prepare for sale.
Ambitious business owners will be thrilled with our contribution to their success. They will gain a competitive advantage when they sign up for our services. Savvy financial professionals will be equally thrilled by their experience working as a Savvy-CFO Associate, first and foremost, due to the stimulating work that they get to deliver alongside appreciative clients. No more big firm business models, with inequitable distribution of compensation.
If you haven't already signed up, I encourage you to do so and invest the time and energy in these 3 days. It will pay back with dividends. If you have already committed then we look forward to seeing you around. We will share the exact location of the booth on our website closer to the event.
Stay tuned for our LinkedIn posts where we will be covering all Collision-related related. See you all on the Conference Floor!