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Vancouver, BC – A group of key executives from some of the City’s top companies in the green and creative sectors are set to participate in a business mission to London during the 2012 Olympic Games. The program, taking place August 3rd and 4th, will see a Vancouver business delegation travel with the Vancouver Economic Commission to participate in business development sessions and organized partnership meetings.

“Through similar business programs developed for both the 2008 and 2010 Olympic Games, we’ve seen great economic benefits and established our reputation as one of the most competitive cities for business,” says Lee Malleau, CEO, Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC). “The London 2012 Economic Trade Program is the next obvious step in this process. We’re bringing together Vancouver’s market leaders, our most cutting edge and innovative companies, and matching them with potential global partners - in order to establish new business partnerships, encourage investment and attract new talent to our area.”

Vancouver has targeted trade with key global regions such as the UK and EU as a vital part of the City’s Economic Action Strategy, released in September 2011. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who also serves as Chair of the VEC, will be joining the business mission.

“As an Olympic host city, we have a unique opportunity during the London Games to bolster Vancouver businesses looking to expand into the UK and EU market,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Our 2010 Olympic Business Program was extremely successful. We’re confident that by supporting the top-notch group of Vancouver businesses going to London, that they will come away with new opportunities for partnerships, talent recruitment, and investment.”

More than 25 local companies have signed on to be part of the delegation, with each paying their own travel and accommodation expenses. The VEC is partnering with the Government of Canada to save costs by using Canada House as a venue for business meetings and hosting events.

“The UK is a world leader in both the financial and cultural sectors. The co-production treaty Canada has with them opens critical doors to financing and a stellar talent pool for Canadian companies to compete in the international marketplace,” says Tom Rowe, Partner and Executive Director, Reunion Pictures, one of the companies participating in the Program. “Reunion Pictures and its principals have done a number of treaty co-productions and this business to business opportunity to expand our UK horizons will help us create more great jobs here at home.”

Vancouver is set to double its jobs in the green economy by 2020, and the digital creative sector, which has grown rapidly in the past two years, is expected to grow by another 10% in the next five years. “The competition for investment and growth is fierce however,” says Ms. Malleau. “These programs effectively showcase our City and the strength of our companies in the green and creative sectors to export markets in the UK and EU, and we are targeting companies that are interested in establishing a business presence in British Columbia.”

Andy Harris, Vice-President of Development for Waste to Energy Canada says, “This is a great initiative by VEC. It provides WTEC an opportunity to meet our UK finance and project management partners, who are participating in the Program because of the high calibre clean-tech companies that call Vancouver and Canada home. They already view Vancouver as a fine place to do business and we're certainly encouraging them to establish a presence here.”

Companies participating in the London 2012 Business Program include: Allscenes Media, Disney, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Brightlight Pictures, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, Corvus Energy, Fenix Energy, Waste to Energy Canada, Goldtooth Creative Agency, Incognito Software Inc., Layer 7 Technologies, Ostara, Overinteractive Media, PNI Digital Media, Recombo, Reunion Pictures, SMART Pics, StratusCore Inc., StructureCraft Builders Inc., TradableBits Media Inc., TSO Logic Inc., , Wyley Interactive, Xomo Digital, Fraser Milner Casgrain, LLP, Spectrum HR Law LLP.

Other BC-based organizations participating include: AdvantageBC, BC Film and Media, University of British Columbia (UBC), and the BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA).

Over 200 carefully targeted, leading corporate and UK executives will be participating in the Vancouver programs including: Thames Water, Energy Gap, BAE Systems, Pixomondo, Cinesite, Foster & Partners, Tim Ronalds Architects, and Beetle Capital Partners.

The Vancouver Economic Commission, an agency of the City of Vancouver, works to strengthen the city’s economic future by helping existing businesses, attracting investment, researching the business environment and making policy recommendations. www.vancouvereconomic.com.

Media Inquiries:
Rebecca Peters
Laura Ballance Media Group
604.637.6649 (direct)
604.762.2098 (cell)
Rebecca@LBMG.ca