Secure your spot at some of the upcoming events and webinars designed to inform, inspire, and connect the business community. These upcoming sessions offer opportunities to learn, stay engaged, and network with fellow industry and community members.
Women in Skilled Trades BC Roadshow
The Kelowna Symposium 2025, in partnership with SICA (Southern Interior Construction Association) and BCCA (British Columbia Construction Association), will feature leadership training, networking opportunities, industry insights, and mental health support to help women navigate and thrive in skilled trades careers. The event will take place on September 22 at the Kelowna Events Centre. Visit Eventbrite to learn more and to purchase tickets.
What’s Working, What’s Next – A Conversation with Women Shaping Our Collective Future
On September 24, the Women in Leadership (WiL) Foundation will facilitate a cross-sector conversation that will explore what’s working in leadership today, and what’s needed next to shape a more stable, inclusive, and thriving future. The event will take place at the Kelowna Innovation Centre from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets through the WiL website.
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed on September 30, offering visitors and residents an opportunity to honour residential school survivors and those who never made it home, along with their families and communities.
- Indigenous Tourism BC is hosting From Awareness to Action: Indigenous Experience Learning Series, a three-part series offering a pathway for individuals and organizations to evolve their roles from observers to allies to changemakers. It is a progressive, layered journey to grow from cultural awareness to cultural safety. All sessions run weekly on Wednesdays live on Zoom:
- September 24: Cultural Awareness: Laying the Groundwork for Understanding and Allyship
- October 1: Cultural Sensitivity: From Awareness to Respectful Engagement
- October 8: Cultural Safety: Creating Systems of Safety and Empowerment
- Register now to secure your spot.
- The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society will host a gathering from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 30, featuring drumming, speeches, and educational activities that promote awareness, healing, and connection among all people. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Okanagan Heritage Museum will host Reflections on Truth & Reconciliation, where members of the Next Steps for Walking the Reconciliation Path working group will reflect on what Truth and Reconciliation means to individuals and the community.
- Sncewips Heritage Museum remains open on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, showcasing artwork from last year's event, x̌spuʔus sckʷul—Works of HeART, where survivors of residential schools, Indian day schools, and the Sixties Scoop created works that expressed how the experiences affected them and what truth and reconciliation mean to them.
On Truth and Reconciliation Day and beyond, we encourage visitors and locals to:
- Read the various reports available from the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
- Visit Sncewips Heritage Museum for a guided or self-guided tour to learn more about syilx culture and heritage.
- Discover the public art in Westbank First Nation, taste Indigenous-inspired flavours at Kekuli Cafe, and support Indigenous businesses in the area.
- Explore the Okanagan Heritage Museum's permanent gallery, which was transformed with guidance and support from the Sncewips Heritage Museum and contains Indigenous artifacts, including a traditional qʷćiʔ (Okanagan winter home).
Breaking New Ground
On Thursday, October 2, Breaking New Ground will bring together entrepreneurs, leaders, and visionaries for a night of powerful stories, meaningful connections, and unforgettable energy. The event will take place at the Laurel Packinghouse from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Visit Eventbrite for all the details and to purchase your ticket.
Upcoming Tourism Industry Events
- October 22-23, 2025: The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) AGM & Summit | KF Centre for Excellence, Kelowna, BC
- November 18-25, 2025: Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Tourism Congress | Hilton Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, QC,
- January 25-28, 2025: IMPACT Summit | Victoria, BC
- SAVE THE DATE | March 4-6, 2026: BC Tourism Industry Conference | Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna, BC
- SAVE THE DATE: February 17-10, 2026: International Indigenous Tourism Conference | Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), AB
Do you have an upcoming event or webinar that would interest those in the tourism industry? Please email us so we can include the information in our next roundup.
