Monday, May 25, 2026

7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Registration Open

7:00 - 8:00 a.m.          Breakfast (Salon D)

8:00 - 8:30 a.m.          Welcomes  (Salon D)

8:30  - 9:15 a.m.         Keynote Session   (Salon D)
 

9:15 - 10:30 a.m.        Breakout Sessions

1. Holding Space: The Role of Events in Community Vibrancy and How BIAs are Stepping Up
   Events do more than draw crowds - they build belonging, celebrate culture, and turn streets into shared community spaces. From intimate local gatherings to large-scale festivals, events act as the connective tissue of a city, linking people to place and to one another. Free and accessible programming in particular plays a critical role in ensuring public life is inclusive, welcoming, and reflective of the communities it serves.
   
   Yet across cities, many beloved events are disappearing as costs rise and public and private investment declines. In response, Business Improvement Areas are increasingly stepping up as producers, funders, advocates, and conveners, helping to sustain events that might otherwise be lost. This breakout session explores how BIAs can support free, accessible programming while maintaining community vibrancy, strengthening cultural identity, and delivering meaningful social and economic benefits at the neighbourhood level.
   
   Teri Smith, Executive Director, West End BIA
   Maureen O’Brien, Executive Director, ADBIA
   David Low, Executive Director, Victoria Park Business Improvement Area

2. AI for BIAs: Cut the Hype, Keep the Value (L)
   Walk away knowing exactly what today's AI tools — like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini — actually are, how they differ, and which one to use for what. We'll  focus on real, practical ways BIAs can use AI right now to save time on the everyday stuff: writing documents, summarizing meeting notes, building decks, creating design mockups, and a whole lot more.
   
   Dayton Turner, Executive Director, Yaletown BIA

10:30 - 10:50 a.m.      Tradeshow + Networking Break (Salon B/C)

10:30 - 12:00 p.m.       Mobile Tour (departs from main lobby)

1. The Blocks and Slack Alley
   Just two blocks from the Lakeside Resort, BIABC Conference attendees are invited to explore The Blocks—Penticton’s newly branded neighbourhood that has rapidly evolved into one of the city’s most creative and energetic districts. Once a bustling railway and warehouse corridor supporting Okanagan fruit shipments along the KVR line—and later the heart of Penticton’s car sales and repair scene—the area still carries the character of its industrial past through overhead doors, garage façades, and adaptable spaces. Over the last five years, however, a wave of passionate owner-operators has transformed The Blocks into a vibrant hub for food, drink, culture, and community. Early pioneers like Tratto Pizzeria, Wayne & Freda Coffee, and The Black Antler paved the way for celebrated newcomers Neighbourhood Brewing, Yellow Dog Brewing, Slow Current, and Soe Cafe, all of which sit alongside long-time anchors Fritz Shoes, Lee’s Overseas Delights, and The Bike Barn. The Downtown Penticton BIA undertook the branding of this neighbourhood to give locals and visitors a true sense of place—and during this walking tour, you’ll see firsthand how The Blocks has become a defining story of renewal and identity in Penticton. Your guides, DPBIA Executive Director Brett Turner and Jen Hawk, Owner of Wayne & Freda, will share insights into the district’s evolution, its businesses, and the spirit that makes The Blocks unlike anywhere else in the Okanagan

2. Downtown Planning Collaboration in Action
   This mobile workshop, led by Planning staff from the City of Penticton, explores how the 2013 Downtown Penticton Plan shaped revitalization through policy changes, strategic infrastructure investments, and collaboration. Participants will tour key sites, learn lessons from the past decade, and gain practical strategies for implementing downtown plans and partnerships. The session will also highlight considerations for Penticton as the community prepares for its next phase of transformation, as it starts the Downtown Plan renewal process.
    

10:50 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.    Breakout Sessions 

1. Placemaking through real estate development

2. Ec Dev with your municipality + what BIAs want from EcDev

12:05 - 1:05 p.m.        Lunch & Keynote  (Salon D)

 
12:05 - 1:05 p.m.        Tradeshow Open  (Salon B/C)

1:05 – 2:30 p.m.          Mobile Tours (depart from main lobby)

1.  Leading the Way: Penticton’s Public Safety Evolution
   Tour Downtown Penticton's successful camera program and hear from the local parties that work together to ensure its success. The tour includes a stop at The Standard, a new event and coworking space in Penticton, where attendees can join a Q&A session with our local safety leaders

2. The Brewing Business
   Get ready to dive into the heart of what makes Penticton truly special with our “The Beverage Business” walking tour — led by Pat Dyck of Cannery Brewing. Penticton isn’t just a scenic Okanagan town — it’s been crowned the “craft beer capital of Canada,” boasting more breweries per capita than any other Canadian city. Cannery Brewing, one of the founding breweries of the local scene, began in 2000 when brewing-enthusiast Brew Master Terry Schoffer teamed up with Ron and Patt Dyck — then operators of the long-running Country Squire Restaurant in Naramata — to transform a dream into reality. Their first batch of beer was proudly brewed in the old Aylmer Fruit and Vegetable Cannery on April 1, 2001. Over more than two decades, Cannery Brewing has grown and adapted — evolving from brewed-to-keg beginnings for local pubs and restaurants, into a full-featured downtown taproom opened in 2015. Today it boasts 12 taps, a rotating selection of beer (and often ciders or wines), live music, bar snacks, and a welcoming, community-centric vibe. But what makes this tour more than just a beer crawl is the story behind the business model. Pat Dyck will walk you through the challenges and triumphs — from founding through fires, market shifts, regulatory changes and global pandemics — and how Cannery Brewing (and other local breweries) have diversified. Many of the seven breweries in the Penticton Beer Blocks now operate full-service gastropubs, host art and music events, and in some cases expand into non-alcoholic beverages, ciders, or even spirits — reinforcing their role not just as beverage producers, but as community-driving cultural hubs. This tour offers you an immersive look into how craft brewing became a cornerstone of Penticton’s economy, culture, and identity. Whether you’re curious about production, marketing, community building, or simply want to enjoy a taste of locally crafted beer in its birthplace, “The Brewing Business” offers a rich, insider perspective on what it takes to build and maintain a successful, resilient beverage enterprise in a community that loves its beer.    

    

1:15 - 2:30 p.m.         Breakout Sessions 

1. Bylaw Renewals without the Panic: Practical strategies for BIAs of every size
   Bylaw renewal can feel daunting, especially when timelines, stakeholder expectations, and financial realities collide. This interactive breakout session is designed to demystify the bylaw renewal process and provide practical, proven strategies that Executive Directors can adapt to their own communities, regardless of levy size.
   
   Through a short presentation, facilitated small-group discussions, and a panel-style Q&A participants will hear directly from experienced Executive Directors who have led renewals at BIAs of varying sizes. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the renewal process, stronger engagement tactics, and tools to confidently articulate their BIA’s value proposition when it matters most.
   
   Maureen O’Brien, Executive Director, West Van BIA
   Teri Smith, Executive Director, West End BIA
   Brett Turner, Executive Director, Downtown Penticton
   Kerry Neil, Executive Director, Downtown Squamish

2.  Cybersecurity Beasts and How to Fix Them
   Cybersecurity is a complex topic, and it can seem overwhelming when it's not your day job. This session will address the cybersecurity topics that you need to know to run a small business, by looking at a variety of myths and misconceptions. For each topic, you'll get an idea of how to assess your risk in that area, and leave armed with some Go Do items to help improve your cybersecurity maturity right away, and develop a roadmap for ongoing improvement.

   Penny Longham, President, Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Western Canada Affiliate
    

2:30 - 3:00 p.m.        Tradeshow + Networking Break (Salon B/C)

3:00 - 4:15 p.m.        Breakout Sessions

1. The AI Curmudgeon Speaks: A Skeptic's walkthrough of the ridiculous hype, the astonishing possibilities, and the actual realities of using AI in your business.
   AI is part of our world, for good or ill and probably both. There is a sordid history behind the technology, and problems baked in to its very fabric, but it has the potential to radically change and improve the world as we know it, and our businesses and lives. 

   Whether you’re an wanna-be AI Ace, or reluctant AI Observer, come listen to a verified AI skeptic (and curmudgeon) who will help you understand the types of AI, and discuss the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of implementing AI in your business. The session will help you think about using AI in your work (which may not be how you think), and go into detail on the privacy and security issues that you must address. You'll leave the session with a new perspective on the perils and potential of AI, and the beginnings of a plan to harness it for your business.
   
   Penny Longham, President, Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Western Canada Affiliate
    

2. Supporting Commercial Affordability: Practical Tools to Protect Local Businesses in an Era of Rapid Development
   Rising land values, redevelopment pressures, property taxes, and financing requirements are increasingly displacing small and local businesses from the very communities they helped build. While housing supply expansion is urgently needed, intensified development often accelerates commercial displacement unless local businesses are specifically prioritized and affordability is intentionally addressed.
   
   This session will explore the findings from LOCO BC’s 2026 research report, Supporting Commercial Affordability and Local Businesses. Drawing from stakeholder interviews, an environmental scan, and in-depth case studies, the research identifies practical strategies to preserve and expand affordable commercial space for local businesses.
   
   Participants will explore a framework of viable levers, including tax tools, permitting reforms, financial innovations, community ownership models, and developer-led stewardship practices. Real-world examples from British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. illustrate how coordinated action can stabilize small businesses, protect cultural identity, and strengthen economic resilience. Attendees will leave with actionable tools, models, and strategies applicable to their own communities.
   
   Amy Robinson, Executive Director, LOCO BC
   Kristina Egyed, Executive Director, Point Grey Village, LOCO Board Director
    

4:15 - 5:00 p.m.        Tradeshow Cocktail Reception (Salon B/C)

6:00 p.m.                  Dine Around Groups - depart from lobby

See Tuesday's Program Details

Registration Information