BC Seafood Business Accelerator Showcase @ VIU's Nanaimo Campus

Actions Panel

BC Seafood Business Accelerator Showcase @ VIU's Nanaimo Campus

Join us to celebrate with Spring 2023 Seafood Business Accelerator graduates as they showcase their plans for sustainable business success

By Centre for Seafood Innovation

Date and time

Thu, May 4, 2023 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM PDT

Location

Vancouver Island University

900 Fifth Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5 Canada

About this event

Join us on VIU’s Nanaimo Campus (B108) on May 4th 2023 from 1 pm to 4 pm for an afternoon of seafood innovation! Learn about the Seafood Business Accelerator and the Innovation Plans developed by a diverse group of BC small-scale seafood entrepreneurs over the course of the SBA program. Then network with SBA participants as they show off their prototype products and services in a tradeshow format.

This is your opportunity to connect with a cross section of small-scale fishers, farmers and processors and contribute to their success as they seek innovative ways to capture more value for their harvests.

SBA participants include wild harvest and farmed fish, shellfish, and seaweed entrepreneurs from Indigenous and Non-Indigenous coastal and remote communities. Small-scale harvesters (SSH) have considerable socio-economic importance in BC coastal communities and their inability to compete has led to a declining number of harvesters which in turn has a major impact on coastal communities. The SBA was designed to help SSH become sustainable, self-sufficient businesses or community food providers - your participation is part of the program!

Light seafood snacks made with participants’ products and non-alcoholic beverages will be served.

Ticket information (What’s included?)

This event is by invite only. Please reserve a ticket for this event. Tickets are free and include entry to the event, samples, and participation in the activities. If you have suggestions for other invitees, please email names and contact information to seafood.innovation@viu.ca

Schedule

12:50 pm – Doors open

1:05 pm – Welcome

1:15 pm – Introductions (SBA + Panel)

1:30 pm – Participant Presentations

2:15 pm – Networking & Seafood Samples

Parking & Location

Location: VIU Nanaimo Campus, B108 Trades Discover Centre

Paid parking is available on the Nanaimo campus. Please see the campus parking map on VIU’s website here. We suggest you park in the lowest economy lot (Lot A).

What is the SBA?

The Seafood Business Accelerator (SBA) is a BC-based program to help local small-scale fishers and farmers develop more sustainable, profitable seafood businesses. The program provides food industry training, coaching, business advice and implementation services. It was designed for seafood entrepreneurs looking to better manage their businesses, distinguish their catch, add value to their harvest or bypass lengthy supply chains — but who don’t know where to start. The SBA taps seafood experts in market research, business and financial planning, product development, social media, grant writing and project planning to deliver webinars and workshops to participants. It also offers Experts in Residence to help participants work on their individual projects.

The Centre for Seafood Innovation

The Centre for Seafood Innovation (CSI) is an innovation hub that helps BC seafood companies extract more value from sustainable seafood harvests. As part of the Vancouver Island University ecosystem, CSI connects industry to researchers and students to capture opportunities and solve problems.

Visit our website to learn more about our work.

The SBA was developed by the Centre for Seafood Innovation at Vancouver Island University in partnership with the BC Commercial Fishing Caucus. The program is funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Island Coastal Economic Trust, the Food Processing Skills Canada’s Student Work Placement Program, and the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation. Generous in-kind contributions came from Vancouver Island University and the BC Commercial Fishing Caucus. The Native Fishing Association, BC Young Fishermen’s Network, BC Shellfish Growers Association, and the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association provided letters of support for the SBA.

Organized by

We rely on donations and grants to undertake projects and programs that benefit students, industry, and consumers like you.

The Centre for Seafood Innovation (CSI) is a new innovation hub dedicated to supporting sustainable seafood production and strengthening food security. We provide experiential learning opportunities to students to help them understand the value of food and contribute to food production.

Sales Ended