The 4Front Atlantic ConferenceExploring the Global Opportunities from Atlantic Canada

Oct 15, 2011

The 4Front Atlantic Conference is a forward-looking, business sector led, single thematic conference in three annual installments. The first conference was held on October 7 in Halifax, at Pier 21 Canadian Museum of Immigration. It assessed the risks and opportunities for Atlantic Canada in light of the changing global economy. The conference is about mobilizing for change and competing differently in order to be at the forefront of success in the new global economy.

Sherry Huang, Chief Executive officer of Study Abroad Canada College, Executive Vice President of Sunrise Group, presented in the panel ”Atlantic Canadians doing business globally: lessons learned’ . Sherry has been working on developing business connections between the Atlantic communities and business communities in Asian Countries. When asked about what sorts of problems still have in terms of creating identity for Atlantic Canada, she indicated that the first challenge she saw is the location. The suggestions she gave were branding the Atlantic as a whole and tying all the strengths together to go globally. Then she explained further for the question that what the other challenges are in terms of building an international business in base of Prince Edward Island. When facing with cultural shocks while doing business in other counties, she developed diverse products to make them flexible to fit into the targeted countries. Other suggestions from her were that do not be too eager to eat the whole pie at the first step and be well-prepared before you get into the new market. That was a stepping-stone to success in doing international business for Atlantic business.

The 4Front Atlantic Conference was seeking to develop strategies to help us seize the best opportunities for Atlantic Canadians in this changing world order. With a smart and focused effort, there’s no reason Atlantic Canada can’t find its way.