A company based in Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation is taking the lead in helping BC first nations forge new partnerships with corporate Canada.
In 2013, Raven Events and Communications helped facilitate business deals of nearly $30 million. Partners in the company, former Tla’amin chief L. Maynard Harry and Katrin Harry, see this as just the start.
The company was formally established only last year, but it has grown out of Katrin and Maynard’s work with their other company, Ayjoomixw Concepts, which they have been running since 1997.
“Raven Events is essentially a refinement of what we had been doing for over a decade,” said Katrin. “We’re a full service events planning company that does everything from designing events to fundraising and the production and financial reporting.”
With Ayjoomixw Concepts, Maynard and Katrin worked primarily with aboriginal non-profit organizations and aboriginal communities on social and economic development projects as well, but without such a sharp focus on event management.
“Ayjoomixw Concepts was set up to assist first nations and the private sector to create relationships, whatever they may look like,” said Maynard. “That relationship-building always has an event component to it.”
Over the years of organizing events for the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and BC First Nations Community Economic Development Practitioners Forum, Maynard and Katrin have become known for their event management prowess.
“Event management really came to the forefront as something that market was looking for,” said Katrin, “so we created another brand called Raven Events.”
While Ayjoomixw Concepts still exists, neither Maynard nor Katrin have much time to put into it. Over the past few years they have seen explosive growth managing events.
“We’re growing so fast that we’re having trouble keeping up,” said Katrin. “The need for administrative infrastructure is through the roof and we’re buying new technology.”
The company has offices at Tla’amin and Tsleil-Waututh in North Vancouver and is looking to expand.
“At the core of Raven Events’ approach is the realization that the vast economic opportunities for aboriginal communities and their growing networks are still largely untapped,” said Katrin. “Though we’re not the kind of company that’s interested in doing product launches for a new car or something like that.”
That’s why their key event is the Aboriginal Business Match (ABM), which Katrin said is helping to redefine aboriginal communities as a place open for business. The event is designed to build connections between corporations and aboriginal business leaders.
They organized the first ABM last year in Prince George. It brought together 100 BC first nations and 100 corporations. Approximately $10 million of business was conducted over the three days of the event.
The business match, which is something akin to speed dating, takes a trade show format where participants meet for scheduled appointments to discuss opportunities. Participants are prescreened by a steering committee and post their profiles online prior to the event. Companies and first nations essentially create a custom trade show with the parties that match up with their goals.
These match ups are designed for companies that do business on a provincial scale and may have dealings with several of the roughly 150 first nations that currently attend the trade show.
Corporations involved range from companies involved in developing resorts to companies looking to develop sustainable power projects.
“We’re looking for the companies that are bringing aboriginal economic goals forward,” Katrin said. “We wouldn’t be interested in having a company there who was looking to develop an open pit mine.”
In February 2013, Raven Events hosted the second ABM, this time in Penticton and saw an across the board increase in the numbers of first nations and companies participating as well as the amount of business deals being signed.
Katrin estimates that a minimum of $30 million worth of business deals were negotiated at the event with over 4,500 appointments during the conference.
Shane Jackson, a Sechelt artist who works in Squamish territory, was one of the participants at the Penticton event. He has developed ready-made longhouses that can be used as carving sheds or as places for community get-togethers.
“I know at ABM he sold 10 longhouses and they’re worth $30,000 each,” said Katrin.
The Saskatchewan government attended the Penticton ABM and invited Raven Events to put on an similar event next year in Saskatoon, Katrin said.
“We’re expanding,” she said. In addition to the Saskatoon event planned for June 2014, Katrin said they are also planning to host another event in Penticton next February.
In 2015 Katrin said she hopes to organize five business match events.
“Aboriginal communities are on the upswing,” she said. “The quality of corporate leaders coming out of aboriginal communities is incredible because they not only understand how to do business, but also how to do sustainable business because of their connection to the land.”
Katrin explained that a good example of this trend is the Tsleil-Waututh Nation which recently voiced its concerns about the Kinder Morgan pipeline, but owns its own wind power company TWN Wind Power Inc.
In addition to the work that Raven Events does with economic development they are also involved with organizing cultural festivals, golf tournaments and fundraisers.