MAPLE, the Canadian-U.S. Business Council of Southern California, had the pleasure this week of hosting a panel discussion on doing business with Canada at the inaugural Get Global Growth Conference in Los Angeles.
Our panelists included Mr. Timothy Liu, Senior Director of Commercial Strategy at Air Canada, Ms. Tina Shih, Consul & Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles and Mr. Robert Laplante, CEO of media representation firm, Media-Corps. Our moderator was Ms. Rachel Horning, Policy Manager at the LA County Business Federation. Here are some sound bites from a wide-ranging discussion on the advantages and opportunities to do business in and with Canada.
"In a population of 35 million people, you will find every type of talent you will need."
"Why Canada? Simply put, it makes business sense."
"Companies can save up to 40% when they operate in Canada."
"The quality of the universities in Canada is very high."
"You need to keep in mind that Canadians are value conscious."
"Canadians get Americans really well."
"Think bigger than just Canada's population of 35 million. Canada's trade agreements provide access to 480 million more people too."
"The luxury category of retail is doing very well in Canada."
"Canada as a brand cannot be underestimated."
"As a Canadian company we ask ourselves what it means to be truly Canadian."
"Progressive, friendly, open-minded and eco-conscious are some of the Canadian brand attributes we want to express when dealing with our guests."
Thank you to all our panelists and our moderator for an engaging and insightful discussion and to the Get Global conference team for an exceptional conference.
Stephen Armstrong is co-founder of MAPLE Business Council, a non-profit senior executive council promoting investment, trade and entrepreneurship between Canada and Southern California. Stephen is principal of The 360 Marketer, a marketing consultancy. For more information on MAPLE, please visit www.maplesocal.com.