With OCE Discovery just a week away, it’s not too late to make plans to attend. Healthcare leaders and innovators from across Ontario are looking forward to two days full of knowledge sharing and networking. Hosted by Ontario Centres of Excellence, OCE Discovery is an annual conference held in Toronto. The conference brings together investors, members from the health industry and government, along with entrepreneurs and students to foster collaboration opportunities. In 2017, the conference had over 3600 attendees and 540 exhibitors. This year, you can expect a showcase of emerging technologies, an impressive roster of keynote speakers, and to gain some new perspectives and knowledge. Running April 30th & May 1st, there will be something for everyone who is enthusiastic about health tech at this conference. If you are looking for a reason to attend, keep reading.
1. See unique, new innovations before anyone else
OCE Discovery attendees range from new entrepreneurs to successful healthcare leaders. When you fill 200,000 square feet with passionate innovators and ideas, you are bound to find something different that interests you. Many of these innovations are in their early stages so you will get to see them before many others. In fact, if you are attending this year, you will be the first group of people in Canada to see Sophia the Robot in “person”. Sophia and her creator, Dr. David Hanson, will be on hand and speaking about the future of human-robot relations .
2. An opportunity to collaborate and brainstorm with others
If you are looking for a chance to get outside opinions and talk to others in health tech, this is it. OCE Discovery offers “Meet an Investor/Ask an Expert” sessions which gives attendees the chance to sit down with experienced investors and entrepreneurs for one-on-one meetings. These ten minute sessions are available to anyone attending the conference and can be extremely helpful for getting a professional’s view on your idea, solution, or company. Another exciting opportunity for young entrepreneurs is to be named one of 20 finalists who will get to pitch their ideas to a live audience and a judging panel of professionals. Similarly, small/medium sized enterprises will have the chance to pitch their ideas to large corporations at the Business-to-Business (B2B) session. The Discovery Showcase floor is open later in the afternoon for exhibitors to showcase their innovations and connect with other exhibitors and attendees.
3. Build awareness for your brand
It’s no surprise that one of the main reasons people choose to exhibit or attend conferences is to strengthen awareness of their brand. OCE Discovery is the perfect place to learn from other brands and get the word out about yours. Sessions like the Business-to-Government sessions provide high-growth technology companies with a platform to showcase their innovations directly to government representatives. Attendees can also get involved with healthcare professionals and investors easily at this conference. Of course, exhibiting or speaking is the best way to put your brand on display, but attending panels and asking questions or introducing yourself can be just as effective. There are many chances for connecting and meeting professionals in your industry so it’s important to find ways to stay remembered.
4. Walk away with new knowledge and perspectives
From when OCE Discovery kick offs on April 30 to the wrap up on May 1, attendees are treated to a full schedule of renowned keynote speakers. Hanson Robotics, shift7, and Ontario Genomics are just some of the many companies speaking, participating in interactive panels, and of course making compelling presentations. From topics like Supply Chain Excellence to Innovation and Climate Change Excellence, you are guaranteed to learn something new. The evening networking session is a perfect time to meet some of the other 3600 attendees. Everyone is attending for similar reasons as you, so taking the time to chat with some of them is a great chance to get new perspectives on your work.
If you find any of these reasons appealing, this might be the conference for you. Everyone who attends can benefit from something, whether it’s leaving with 10 new contacts or learning new techniques from a company you admire. Hearing from so many innovators and entrepreneurs is enough to get anyone inspired and motivated.
Ontario Centres of Excellence does remarkable work for entrepreneurs and innovators, including our company. We were very grateful for the OCE and their assistance in pursuing the Health Technology Fund last year, a project supporting the development and evaluation of new technology in the Ontario Health system. A distinct differentiator of the OCE is that they are continually and pro-actively working with companies like Aetonix to open doors, introduce us to opportunities and key influencers, and are genuinely engaged in our growth and success.
Aetonix’s CEO, Michel Paquet, is excited to have been invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Discovery Event on April 30th at 4PM in the NEXT theatre, called Better Care Closer to Home. We hope to see you there!
Feature image courtesy of StartupNorth.
