Up Our Game Canada! Strategic Choices to Better Navigate New Reality

PURPOSE
The Up Our Game, Canada! program is designed to empower senior leadership teams of Canadian businesses to strategically respond to U.S. tariffs and related trade barriers.

The program offers a two-phase approach where participants will develop, refine, and validate a tailored strategic plan. The program’s success will be measured by:

The completion of an initial strategic plan draft
Targeted feedback supported by expert insights and AI-powered tools

Participating businesses will be supported through in-person workshops, online learning materials, and the follow-up opportunity to access company-specific research projects that address cross-border trade challenges.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The Ottawa Board of Trade (OBOT) is offering program access to Canadian businesses that:

Have more than five and fewer than 500 employees
Are active members of OBOT
Know a new strategic approach is required due to the changing economic environment

PROGRAM PLAN
Phase 1: Strategic Plan Development – April 11, 2025
Participants begin by drafting a customized cross-border trade strategy. This phase includes:

A 1.5-hour executive lecture introducing key concepts critical to trade resilience, including:
- Diversifying customer and supplier networks
- Investing in digital and physical infrastructure for seamless cross-border operations
- Collaborating effectively with stakeholders across jurisdictions
A 1.5-hour interactive workshop where participants apply these insights to create a preliminary draft of their strategic plan
Post-session instructions to advance and refine the draft strategic plan

Phase 2: Expert and AI-Enhanced Feedback – May 9, 2025
Participants craft stronger, more actionable cross-border trade strategies. This phase includes:

Feedback generated by AI tools that participants integrate into their strategic plan
- Companies submit their revised plans before 11:59 PM on April 25
- Feedback generated by AI tools will be provided before 11:59 PM on May 2
- Companies incorporate this feedback and prepare for in-person presentations

Expert review panels assembled to produce high-quality and unbiased feedback on the strategic plans through in-person presentations delivered in private rooms
Only company representatives and expert panel members are permitted entry; all other individuals are not allowed

Event Sponsors

Date and Time

Friday Apr 11, 2025
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Location

VENUES
Phase 1 – CU@Kanata, 350 Legget Drive
Phase 2 – Carleton University’s Nicol Building, 1125 Colonel By Drive

Fees/Admission

Registration fee of $150 per participant

*fee covers participation in both sessions