TransACTIONS looking at "the whole picture"

After the success of last year's first annual TransACTIONS conference in Yorkton, the Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) and the Saskatchewan East Enterprise Region (SEER) are back this fall with a bigger and better-rounded event.

TransACTIONS 2011-October 26 and 27 at the Gallagher Centre-is targeted at members of all of the different sectors which influence the province's economy.

"The focus behind the conference is to highlight the benefits of partnerships and working together with those different communities: municipal, industrial, political, and aboriginal," says Michelle Andrews, economic development officer for SEER.

This year's summit has an increased focus on practical applications and implementations of the concepts up for discussion.

"We're trying to give them the whole picture this year: talk about how we need to think a little bit differently and start partnering and working together with everyone; give them some success stories of where that's actually worked; and then also provide some unique tools that they can use in their own day-to-day."

Small business owners may be particular interested in presentations by Michael Furdyk, Derek Murray, Jim Greenwood, and Randy Goulden.

Furdyk, formerly one of Teen People's "20 teens that will change the world," will speak on youth engagement, technology trends, and social media as it applies to businesses and non-profits. Derek Murray, a consultant hired by SEER, will give an early preview of the contents of a commissioned study on business opportunities related to potash exploration in the region. Jim Greenwood will discuss accessing business incubation programs. Randy Goulden of Tourism Yorkton will speak on local success stories.

Other speakers of note include lawyer Bernd Christmas (Aboriginal Business: Lessons Learned), former Lieutenant Governor Dr. Lynda Haverstock (Tourism Opportunities), and first Canadian female astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar (Creativity and Innovation).

The conference's ability to attract speakers of this caliber and the audience to hear them is a sign of the region's rising prominence, says Michelle Andrews.

TransACTIONS is organized with the intent of drawing attendees from across Saskatchewan and beyond, both to foster the east-central region's role as a leader and innovator and to address some of its economic weaknesses.

"This region has definitely seen a lot of activity, but we're a little bit removed,"

Andrews says. "We don't have the large cities right next door. We need everyone to work together to maintain our sustainability."