TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday in Toronto, Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, and the Toronto Region Board of Trade teamed up to host “Growing Global,” an event focused on helping businesses grow outside Canada.
Jan De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade and Jez Frampton, Global CEO of Interbrand, spoke to a room full of senior leaders, all of whom are looking to grow their business globally. Interbrand’s global leadership team—representing 29 offices across Europe, South America, Asia and India— also participated in roundtable discussions with Canadian businesses seeking global growth.
“Growth is simply a permanent process of curiosity, learning, and developing,” said Jez Frampton, Global CEO, Interbrand. “It’s about being creative and constantly curious about what is possible in our market. It’s also about innovating, learning what works and what doesn’t, then developing from there.”
Kristina Partsinevelos, a business reporter at BNN, hosted a panel discussion that included three Canadian businesses from the Board’s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP): Paul Kalia, CEO, Hofmann Plastics – Europe & Latin America; Mary Whittle, Founder, Clear Lake Wineries; and Jahan Ali, CEO, MobileLIVE. The panelists discussed some of the challenges they faced expanding into global markets, and how the TAP GTA program helped them overcome those barriers and succeed in foreign markets.
“Going global can be a daunting challenge, but access to the right resources and a solid export strategy will enable more of our businesses to take advantage of global markets,” said Jan De Silva, President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade. “To give businesses the tools they need to activate, we launched TAP GTA in November. Our graduates tell us that they are seeing increased sales, gaining access to new markets, and creating new jobs within their companies.”
“Multiple new venture capital funds have launched in Canada within the past year, while U.S. funds are turning to Canada to invest in start-ups. We, as Canadians, are inspired, energized, and optimistic-and, here at Interbrand, we can’t wait to help emerging businesses take hold of that opportunity and grow both their brands and their businesses,” said Carolyn Ray, Managing Director, Interbrand Canada.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Frampton solidified Interbrand’s support for growing businesses by announcing that Interbrand, in partnership with Facebook, the New York Stock Exchange, and Ready Set Rocket, is launching a new Interbrand Breakthrough Brands report. The report will celebrate up-and-coming brands that Interbrand believes will have a significant impact on the market.
About Interbrand
Interbrand is the world’s leading brand consultancy, with a network of 29 offices in 22 countries. Since it opened for business in 1974, it has changed the way the world sees branding: from just another word for “logo”, to a business’s most valuable asset, to business strategy brought to life. Publisher of the highly influential annual Best Global Brands ranking and Webby Award-winning brandchannel, Interbrand believes that brands have the power to change the world—and helps its clients achieve this goal every day. Interbrand’s combination of strategy, creativity, and technology delivers fresh ideas and insights, deep brand intelligence, clear business opportunities, and compelling brand experiences. Interbrand is part of the Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) network of agencies. For more information, please visit us at Interbrand.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About the Toronto Region Board of Trade (www.bot.com):
Founded in 1845, Toronto Region Board of Trade is the chamber of commerce for Canada's largest urban centre, connecting more than 12,000 members and 250,000 business professionals and influencers throughout the Toronto region. The Board fuels the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the entire Toronto region by fostering powerful collaborations among business, government, thought leaders, and community-builders. Toronto Region Board of Trade plays a vital role in elevating the quality of life and global competitiveness of Canada's largest urban centre. NYLearn more at www.bot.com and follow us at @TorontoRBOT. The Toronto Region Board of Trade.