Masks are off and conferences are on. The summer events season is well underway, and June will once again play host to Collision: the biggest tech conference in Canada, and one of the largest in the world. This year boasting more than 33,000 attendees from more than 140 countries, the four-day summit will see Toronto open its doors to the tech community.

Vancouver’s Frontier Collective, however, is quick to point out that the conference is not just about the 6ix. Toronto might be the centre of the universe, but B.C. has its own gravity. Gathering together the West Coast community, the Collective will host its own Vancouver Frontier Takeover on the evening of June 21 to spotlight the many B.C. speakers, attendees, and tech leaders enriching Collision.

For Frontier Collective CEO and co-founder Dan Burgar, throwing the “night summit” is vital to promote and unify the B.C. community. While several other provinces have an official presence, Burgar notes that Vancouver and British Columbia lack support from institutional bodies. The grassroots event is the Collective’s way to break down silos and connect leaders in different industries, as well as throw a great party.

“One of the key focuses of the Frontier Collective is really about pounding our chests and celebrating the incredible innovators, creators, and disruptors in Vancouver,” Burgar tells Vancouver Tech Journal. “Vancouver has a lot to be proud of and we must promote our ecosystem to global audiences. Collision is a perfect venue to continue to tell that global story. In 2019, it was one of the first years of Collision in Canada, and there was no official Vancouver or B.C. presence. P.E.I. had a presence, and most other provinces did too. That's embarrassing. We're a leader in many facets, especially frontier technology, and it's important that we're representing.”

The VIP event aims to introduce Vancouver trailblazers to investors, speakers, government officials, big brands, and partners. All Collision attendees are welcome to mix, mingle, and pick the brains of the Vancouver delegation — made up of more than 50 companies the Frontier Collective has organized — to spur investment opportunities and partnerships. The night summit is the final event in a calendar of activities the Collective has put together to help local companies connect with business leaders.

“The Vancouver tech scene is on fire, and some of our entrepreneurs and companies who are building it are leading the world,” Burgar says. “As Collision is bringing the top people in tech together, we want to promote our Vancouver leaders and amplify them. We also wanted to give other Vancouverites a platform to promote and to be showcased. People ask me, ‘Who's doing cool shit in Vancouver?’ Many of them will be attending.” 

Vancouver and British Columbia have a large collection of tech innovators who will be present at Collision. Among others, the conference will host executives Shahrzad Rafati, CEO of Broadband TV; Miranda Lievers, co-founder and COO of Thinkific; Steve Munford, CEO of Trulioo; and Felicia Bochicchio, CEO of Unbounce, as well as a myriad of representatives from B.C. companies. The Frontier Collective is collating a continuously-updated list of Vancouver-based panelists and their topics on its event website.

“As a community- and industry-led organization, we put it on ourselves to raise the sponsorship and garner support on our dime to pull this all together,” says Burgar. “We want to put our money where our mouth is [...] to build a program and delegation of Vancouver leaders to spur investment opportunities, partnerships, and key connections for our local entrepreneurs and innovators. It's time that we yell from the rooftops about this unique technological revolution happening in Vancouver.”

Vancouver Frontier Takeover is at Toronto’s The Fermenting Cellar (28 Distillery Lane) on June 21 at 7 p.m.

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