MAKING AN IMPACT WITH ARTS AND CULTURE Confederation Centre of the Arts SHARED CONVICTIONS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW BUSINESS IS BOOMNG IN BERLIN Town of Berlin, Connecticut BUSINESSINFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM JUL Y 2 02 3 2804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 12804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 13/15/23 9:25 AM3/15/23 9:25 AM 2804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 12804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 13/15/23 9:25 AM3/15/23 9:25 AMEDITOR’S CORNER 2804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 12804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 13/15/23 9:25 AM3/15/23 9:25 AM 2804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 12804 Business in Focus Full page Ad.indd 13/15/23 9:25 AM3/15/23 9:25 AM 3 Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: I’ve always enjoyed eating outdoors—perhaps in part because the opportunity to do so was rare for me, between the temperature, the mosquitos, or just the availability of a patio at a given restaurant. There was certainly something appeal- ing to it, however, when the con- ditions were right. But as that alignment of conditions was always more difficult to achieve in North America (especially so the further north one was), many restau- rants never bothered to invest in outdoor spaces for dining the way so many European cities did. Who would have thought that a global pandemic could be the spur needed to motivate a trend of patio dining? With regu- lations on distancing and the number of customers in indoor spaces during the various waves of COVID, having an outdoor dining space became a big advantage, and many restaurants invested in that direction, much to my delight! So have a drink and a bite to eat in the fresh air, and check out Margaret Eaton’s latest piece that looks into this trend in more detail in this issue’s Dining Al Fresco – The Growth of Patio Dining in North America. Tim Hocken Editor EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Ferlaino | Claire Suttles Allison Dempsey | Margaret Eaton | Pauline Müller Nate Hendley | Robert Hoshowsky DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett OPERATIONS MANAGER Severina Gachparova SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS Scott Forbes | Aaron Ferguson CONTENT DEVELOPERS Wendy Hood-Morris | Logan Neil Lily Mitchell | Dean Lucas SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper | Dean Lucas GRAPHIC DESIGN TEAM LEAD Laura Pratt GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ashley Dowling | Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen IT ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Sanford CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “With regulations on distancing and the number of customers in indoor spaces, having an outdoor dining space became a big advantage, and many restaurants invested in that direction.”INSIDE JULY 06 INDUSTRY EVENTS07 INDUSTRY NEWS AGRICULTURE CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS 4 The Growth of Patio Dining in North America A cappuccino at a table for two in St. Mark’s Square in Venice? Café au lait and a croissant at a sidewalk café in Paris? So exotic. So je ne sais quoi. 5 BUSINESS IN FOCUS STARTUPFEST 2023 12 – 14 July, Montreal, QC Startupfest is not only Canada’s original startup event, but widely regarded as one of the world’s must-attend startup conferences. This is the annual gathering at which entrepreneurs, investors, makers, large enterprises, industry veterans, and startup communities chart the course of technology entrepreneurship in a one-of-a-kind festival atmosphere. This year’s conference will see AI infused into the content and unique interactions to make your experience even more exciting, while doubling down on creating genuine, human connections—which is what Startupfest is all about. For more information FARM PROGRESS SHOW – 70TH ANNIVERSARY 29 – 31 August, Decatur, IL For 70 years, the Farm Progress Show has connected farmers from across the globe with agriculture’s leading companies. With hundreds of exhibitors, there’s no better place to engage with the latest farm products and the specialists who developed, tested, and designed them. Whether you are looking to innovate with the latest ag-technology, learn from industry experts, or share your farming legacy with your family, the Farm Progress Show has it all. For more information FRANCHISE EXPO SOUTH 8 – 9 September, Fort Lauderdale, FL Meet face-to-face with more than 200 of the hottest franchise brands at every investment level and industry. Connect with experienced finan- cial advisors, business mentors, and industry experts in the franchising community. Gain knowledge and skills through over 25 educational seminars and workshops, and build relationships with industry leaders and like-minded entrepreneurs. Franchise Expo South has everything you need to launch your franchise in one place. For more information NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO EAST 20 – 23 September, Philadelphia, PA With a focus on innovation and what’s new in natural and organic, Natural Products Expo East is the event to attend if you wish to discover emerging brands, products, ideas, and markets. Enjoy educational content, networking opportunities, exciting exhibits, the Harvest Festival on Sept. 20, and the newly co-located Innovation Experience on Sept. 22, featuring innovative exhibits, experiential education, networking, and discussion. For more information MARKETING ANALYTICS & DATA SCIENCE (MADS) 26 – 28 September, Washington, DC Join the premier event for marketing insights, analytics, and data science professionals. If you’re responsible for the data-driven insights critical to improving marketing ROI, there’s no better place to find new tools, ideas, and thought leadership. At the Marketing Analytics & Data Science (MADS) conference, you’ll uncover inspiration to think more strategically, better understand customer sentiment, and advance marketing effectiveness for your organization. For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Business Industry? To get your event listed in Business in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS BELL SLASHES 1,300 POSITIONS, CLOSING, SELLING STATIONS Telecommunications and mass media giant Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE Inc.) recently announced it is cutting 1,300 jobs and closing or selling nine radio stations. Both unionized and non-union workers will be affected, and the job losses include a six percent cut at Bell Media, including management. According to an internal memo distrib- uted to staff, the cuts come as Bell is “moving to a single newsroom approach across brands, allowing for greater col- laboration and efficiency.” Executives at the company stated Bell’s media arm cannot continue operating with its brands independent of each other, including local stations, CP24, CTV National News, and BNN. As a result of the change, stations set to close include Winnipeg’s Funny 1290, Vancouver’s BNN Bloomberg Radio 1410, London’s NewsTalk 1290, and others. MEATLESS POPULARITY SLIPPING Despite a promising start, the popularity of plant-based ‘meat’ products is dwindling. Touted as healthy, cruelty-free alterna- tives to animal proteins, the popularity of products like chicken-free strips, vegan bacon, eggless eggs, and meat-free sausages and burgers soon spread to fast food restaurants like A&W and Burger King with its ‘Impossible Whopper’. Others like McDonald’s briefly trialed the McPlant in select American loca- tions, soon scrubbing it from the menu. Investors in companies like Beyond Meat saw share prices tumble, with headlines like ‘Fake Meat Companies Are Failing as Money Dries Up and Demand Slows’ making the rounds. The latest casualty: European vegan brand Meatless Farm. Recently hiring a restructuring firm, the UK-based company was forced to lay off most of its workers. All is not yet lost, as another company, Vegan Fried Chick*n (VFC), announced it is securing the acquisition of Meatless Farm. “The acquisition of Meatless Farm marks a crucial milestone in VFC’s growth Some stations to be sold include AM 580 in Windsor, and AM Radio 1150 and AM 820, both in Hamilton. “To succeed in today's challenging economic, regulatory and competitive environment and be ready for what comes next, we need to accelerate our shift away from how telecom and media companies have operated in the past,” stated Bell Canada’s President and CEO Mirko Bibic in an open letter. strategy and its mission to provide more vegan products across retail and food- service, with the aim to remove animals from the food chain,” stated VCF on its website. David Sparrow, CEO of VFC Foods, added: “Meatless Farm has built strong consumer awareness, which aligns with our core values, and their exciting product portfolio enhances our existing range. By integrating both brands, we can utilize numerous synergies with valued customers and suppliers, thus driving innovation and extending customer choice.” 7INDUSTRY NEWS HOW ABOUT THOSE APPLES? For companies great and small, few things are as important as branding. Fast food juggernaut McDonald’s has the Golden Arches, Nike has the ‘swoosh,’ and Starbucks has its distinc- tive two-tailed mermaid. And multinational technology giant Apple has the, well… apple. Be it rainbow-coloured, black, white, or grey, the company fiercely protects its ‘apple with a bite out of it’ logo. In one of those ‘too weird to be true’ stories, it appears Apple wants more than a mouthful. A bizarre trademark battle is seeing one of Europe’s oldest organizations concerned it might have to change its logo. For decades, Switzerland’s Fruit Union Suisse has used a red apple with a white cross logo, resembling the nation’s flag. It now appears Apple—the company, not the fruit—is seeking intellectual property rights over apples. And as odd as the claim is, it isn’t the first. Records reveal Apple has made similar requests “to dozens of IP authorities around the world, with varying degrees of success,” according to WIRED. beeboys / shutterstock.com 8INDUSTRY NEWS WILL THAT BE CHARGE, DEBIT OR NEITHER? With interest rates climbing, prices for gas and groceries soaring, and inflation at its highest peak in 40 years, many of us are trimming the fat wherever possible. During COVID, using ‘dirty money’ for purchases became an alien concept, as credit cards and tap-and-go debit usage increased. In a surprising about-face, Generation Z (Zoomers)—those born between 1997 and 2012—are emulating considerably older Baby Boomers, abandoning credit cards, and going back to cash. According to the latest research from Credit Karma, cash usage among Gen-Z adults is up a whopping 69 percent compared to just a year ago. The reason? Using cash instead of credit to manage personal budgeting makes more sense than adopting a ‘pay it later’ mindset and getting walloped with interest charges. According to Jade Warshaw, co-host of the popular Ramsey Show podcast, Gen Z-ers are “looking at the state of personal finance right now, and they’re seeing it as a hot trash mess.” Many younger persons are adopting old-school ‘cash stuffing,’ TELUS QUIETLY SCRAPS SURCHARGE Many cash-strapped Canadian consumers were up in arms last October when it was announced companies could charge them an extra 1.5 percent if paying by credit card. At the time, over two in five customers stated they’d spend their money elsewhere if a business made them pay the additional cost. For years, credit card companies have charged businesses pro- cessing fees ranging from 1.4 percent to 2.4 percent. Now retail- ers can these pass these fees on to buyers. Last December, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a statement rejecting communications giant Telus’ request to charge a credit card processing fee for regulated home phone services, and cautioned telecommunications companies against the practice. Last October, Telus started charging a 1.5 percent fee to customers “paying by credit card in areas where services are not regulated by the CRTC, which includes its wireless and Internet customers outside of Quebec,” stated the Commission, adding, “this practice impacts the most vulner- able customers.” where they take monthly income minus their expenses, and allocate cash into different categorized envelopes. The recent study from Credit Karma also found over a third of Gen Z and Millennials (36 percent) “have a friend who drives them to overspend, leading to a cycle of debt.” In some cases, younger men and women are ending or considering ending friend- ships because of this cycle. Recently, Telus did an about-face on charging clients the extra fee if paying by credit card. In a statement, the company said it has removed the credit card fee on bill payments after a review. “We want our customers to know that we heard their concerns, and we thank them for sharing their feedback,” stated Telus. 9Next >