Business building at Penticton First Nations event

PENTICTON – First Nations business groups from all over Western Canada are in Penticton this week to do business.

The Penticton Indian Band is hosting their third Aboriginal Business Match at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.

“This is an opportunity for us to showcase our developments, to show others what we’re doing and inspire others,” Penticton Indian Band Chief Jonathan Kruger says. “Other nations are coming to us for business expertise — companies are coming to us, noticing the bridge, saying they want to invest."

He says in the past two years the band hosted the event $60 million in business deals have been generated through the trade show.

“It’s one of the most successful in Canada. Instead of listening to a keynote speaker, we’ve got government agencies, developers and other businesses represented. People spend 20 minute intervals interacting, networking and making business deals,” Kruger says, noting First Nations groups came from Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.

"This event has been growing. It’s a fresh new idea and we are proud to be part of it. The Penticton Indian Band is honoured to host such an event on our own territory,” Kruger says.

Aboriginal Business Match West is in its fourth year. Prince George played host city to the inaugural event, but since then it has been hosted by the Penticton Indian Band at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.

More than 100 aboriginal and non-aboriginal companies and government agencies are being represented at the event, which began Monday, May 11. The show runs through Wednesday, May 13.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.