Red carpet rolled out for business VIP’s
Posted Oct 13, 2010 05:15:02 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canada’s Technology Triangle (CTT) is spending the next two days touring potential investors around Waterloo Region. The annual Oktoberfest “Passport to Success” kicked off today at the Waterloo Inn.
Now into its 16th year, Passport to Success is a partnership between K-W Oktoberfest Inc., the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and CTT.
Vice-president of Business Development, Bill Elliot, says the event has been just that — a success.
“We can actually point to some direct investments in real estate and, as a matter of fact, companies investing in our region as a result of their exposure to this area through Oktoberfest,” Elliot says.
Visitors tend to come primarily from other parts of the province and from American states that border Ontario but Elliot says European delegations have attended in the past, including one from Germany.
The 17 VIPs signed up for this year’s Passport to Success will have a packed itinerary into tomorrow that includes tours of the LEED Gold certified city hall in Cambridge, the Waterloo Regional Museum, the new Communitech Hub in downtown Kitchener and an Oktoberfest dinner at the Concordia Club.
Elliot says feedback has consistently been positive.
“Wow, we didn’t realize everything that was going on in the region. Wow, it is only an hour away from Toronto. Yes, there are great investment opportunities here, real estate deals that make sense,” Elliot lists by way of example.
This year’s Passport to Success wraps up with a noon hour luncheon tomorrow and departure from the Waterloo Inn at 2pm.
