Calgary - November 6-8, 2024
BECOME A CONFERENCE SPONSOR!
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Conference Background
The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Haskayne School of Business and the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary are pleased to invite you to the 42nd Annual Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE) conference, which will take place from November 6-8, 2024. The sessions on Nov. 6, 2024, will be delivered virtually while the sessions on Nov. 7-8, 2024, will be in-person at the University of Calgary.
The conference theme is “Technological Convergence: Bringing a new energy to SMEs and entrepreneurship.” This theme is intended to focus our attention on the convergence of multiple platform technologies (e.g., AI, quantum, synthetic biology, nanotech, blockchain, etc.) that offer unprecedented opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs, educators and policy makers.
The University of Calgary’s vision is to be Canada’s most entrepreneurial university in a most enterprising city, a global intellectual and economic hub, and a destination of choice for entrepreneurs and innovators. The University of Calgary’s Strategic Plan, Ahead of Tomorrow, is built upon a foundation of entrepreneurial thinking and the City of Calgary is deeply entrepreneurial and long been an economic engine of Canada. This provides the ideal inspiration for the 2024 CCSBE conference!
The University of Calgary excels in entrepreneurship education through entrepreneurship course offerings across campus and in providing unparalleled experiential learning opportunities. The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking is the campus-wide hub for activities that support entrepreneurial student experiences, enable faculty to lead in innovation, and expand a growing community of entrepreneurial and innovative thinkers. Within the Haskayne School of Business, the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides services for faculty, students, staff and the broader community to foster entrepreneurship and innovation within the business school.
Conference Tracks
Research papers, workshops, and panel sessions showcasing technological convergence related to entrepreneurship and SMEs are highly encouraged.
Researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, administrators, students, policy makers and anyone interested in advancing entrepreneurship and small business are invited to participate in this amazing gathering. We invite proposals for academic papers, professional workshop sessions, and panel discussions in all aspects related to entrepreneurship. The conference is especially interested in the following topics:
- AI, quantum, synthetic biology, nanotech, blockchain and other technology-based ventures.
- Legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges arising from emerging technology platforms.
- Opportunities and challenges faced by health, biotech, or life-sciences related ventures.
- The decline of entrepreneurship and the productivity challenges in Canada.
- The future of entrepreneurship and innovation in the natural resource industries.
- The role of government in promoting SMEs and entrepreneurship.
- Supporting and growing small businesses, the role of franchises, and succession planning.
- Fostering inclusive ecosystems that support diversity and inclusion within entrepreneurship (e.g., women, newcomers, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, differently abled individuals, youth and older entrepreneurs).
- Policy-related issues in advancing small business and entrepreneurship.
- Social innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Comparing entrepreneurship across regions, nations, low income, or emerging markets.
- The influence of national and sub-national cultures on entrepreneurship.
- Inter-provincial, international, and transnational entrepreneurship.
- Impact of incubators, accelerators, and special economic zones on economic development.
- Entrepreneurship focused on solving UN sustainable development goals.
- University based new ventures, spinouts, and student engagement in entrepreneurship.
- Innovative entrepreneurship curriculum, education and pedagogy, especially as it relates to any of the above topics.
- Case studies on entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Learning from the experts – panel discussions with experts related to entrepreneurship, small business development, policy and skills or any of the above are welcomed.
While we are particularly interested in submissions that relate to the above topics, papers and workshop proposals on any aspect of entrepreneurship and small business are welcomed. Additional tracks will be developed based upon the submissions received. Incomplete manuscripts or working papers are welcomed.
Critical Dates
- Paper abstracts, workshop or panel proposals due October 7, 2024.
- Full papers, final abstracts, or final workshop proposals due October 17, 2024.
October 7, 2024 – Academic papers, workshop sessions, and panel discussions proposal due
Deadline for submission of abstracts for academic papers, proposals for professional workshop sessions, or panel discussions, in English or French, is October 7, 2024.
Each submission should be two pages, using Times New Roman 12 pt in PDF format: the first page should include the title, names of the authors, whether they are students or regular participants, and contact details for the author(s); the second page should include the contents in 250 words or less and 5 keywords, adhering to the following requirements:
| Proposal Submission | Format | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
|
Academic Papers |
Abstract |
Abstracts should clearly state the purpose, methods, and expected
findings of study in 250 words or less. |
|
Workshop Sessions |
Summary |
Summaries should describe the format and content of workshop in 250
words or less. |
|
Panel Discussions |
Summary |
Summaries should describe the theme, identify the panel speakers, and
their sub-topic areas in 250 words or less. |
October 17, 2024 – Full papers or final versions of abstract or workshop proposals due
Deadline for submission of full papers or final version of abstracts, or final workshop proposals, in English or
French, is October 17, 2024. The text should be submitted in PDF format and should not be more than 20 pages including the cover page, diagrams, tables and references. The format should be single-spaced, Times New Roman 12pts (attribute normal for text, bold for titles and subtitles), margin top, bottom, right and left 2.5 cm (1 inch), headings numbered as 1., 1.1.,1.1.1, etc. All references should be at the end of the document. In the text, the authors’ names should be referenced in brackets followed by the year of publication, for example: (Tremblay, 2009).
Abstract and Workshop Proposal Submission – Please submit abstracts and workshop proposals using the CCSBE conference submission system:
Conference registration is now open. Early bird registration fees in effect until October 10, 2024.
| Until October 10, 2024* | After October 10, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Student** |
Regular*** |
|
Student** |
Regular*** |
|
|
Online Only |
$275 |
$400 |
|
$300 |
$450 |
|
|
In-Person |
$425 |
$800 |
|
$475 |
$850 |
|
* A limited number of 50% discounted conference fee bursaries are available for individuals with demonstrated financial need. You will be asked if you qualify for this bursary as part of the submission process.
** For student attendees, the CCSBE student annual membership fee (a $75 value) is included in the conference registration.
*** For regular attendees, the CCSBE regular annual membership fee (a $200 value) is included in the conference registration.
Haskayne School of Business – This is the main conference venue location
Zone 1 – On campus, or very near campus, within walking distance or short Uber ride to conference venues
Zone 2 – Near campus with slightly longer walk or moderate Uber ride with no C-Train access to conference venues
Zone 3 – Downtown Calgary with full C-Train access or moderate Uber ride
Below are sample hotels in each zone. Download full list of hotel options in all zones here.
| Zone | Name | Starting Rate | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Alt Hotel Calgary, University District |
$149 |
|
|
2 |
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Calgary |
$153 |
|
|
3 |
Delta Hotels, Calgary Downtown |
$253 |
Best Papers Awards – Best papers awards will be selected from those papers of the highest quality that best align with the conference theme. Three best paper awards are available: (1) Student Best Paper, (2) Regular Submission Best Paper, and (3) International Entrepreneurship Best Paper. Only full papers will be considered for best paper awards.
Publication – Selected papers will be invited to submit their articles for consideration for publication in the official journal of the CCSBE, Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (JSBE).
International Attendees – The CCSBE conference organizers are aware of potential challenges in obtaining the required visa in time to attend the conference. If you think you might need additional time for visa processing, please select the option on the submission system to request an expedited review and documentation from the conference organizers to support your visa application. You will be contacted for additional details for the forms.
Other Recognition Awards
Two recognition awards are also available this year. The first award recognizes a university or college that has demonstrated extraordinary achievements in innovative entrepreneurship education. The second award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary achievements and leadership in innovative entrepreneurship education. The individual award is named in honour of the late Dr. Mary A. Kilfoil, in recognition of her significant contributions to CCSBE.
Additional details on the awards and the application process are available here.
Submissions
Initial submissions will be reviewed and those accepted to the conference will be invited to submit their final papers or proposals by October 17, 2024.
Conference Chair
Dr. Chad Saunders, Associate Professor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary ([email protected]).
CCSBE 2024 Conference Scientific Committee
- Chair: Chad Saunders (University of Calgary)
- Howard X. Lin (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Elie Chrysostome (Western University)
- Joseph Felix Zogning Nguimeya (University of Sherbrooke)
- Charlene Nicholls-Nixon (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Christopher Holt (University of Waterloo)
- Étienne St-Jean (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)
- Taoting Li (University of Calgary)
- Philip Piercey (University of Calgary)
- Mehrsa Ehsani (University of Calgary)
- Roger Thompson (University of Calgary)
- Pano Xinos (University of Calgary)
- Yuanyuan Wu (Lakehead University)
- Abdoulkadre Ado (University of Ottawa)
- Robert Anderson (University of Regina)
- Malcolm D’Souza (George Brown College)
- Ken Grant (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Michael Henry (Thompson River University)
- Kalinga Jagoda (University of Guelph)
- Quan Jin (Shanghai University of International Business & Economics, China)
- Gerry Kerr (University of Windsor)
- Joyline Makani (Dalhousie University)
- Amon Simba (Nottingham Business School, UK)
- Zhan Su (Laval University)
- Dhirendra Shukla (University of New Brunswick)
- Vanessa Ratten (La Trobe University, Australia)
- Shikui Wu (Lakehead University)
For inquiries, please contact
Dr. Chad Saunders at [email protected].
- Wednesday, November 6th – Online conference
- Thursday, November 7th-Friday, November 8th – In-person conference.
The preliminary conference schedule will be available by early October.