The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase (IPSS) is back in Vancouver this November for its sixth year. As Western Canada’s premier event for Indigenous and business partnerships, IPSS 2025 will build on that with a full-day program that builds on the themes of past years.
IPSS 2025 will take place on November 13 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Registration is open and tickets can be secured here.
It will bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from business, government, finance and civil society for a day of learning, open discussion and building real partnerships. The goal is to do more than just share information, but to inspire people to take action and create opportunities.
Four parts make up IPSS 2025: the full-day Executive Leadership Summit, the Indigenous-led Partnership Rooms, The Gathering and the evening Gala Dinner and Shared Prosperity Awards. Each part is curated for a different group but they are all united by a commitment to working together in a way that is based on trust and mutual benefit.
About 180 high-level delegates will come together at the Summit for panels and networking focused on transformative Indigenous and business partnerships. Stu McNish will hold a special Live segment at the Summit titled “IPSS Conversations Live”.
The Indigenous-led Partnership Rooms run at the same time as the other events. They give First Nations communities a place to talk privately and values-driven with investors, policy-makers and project developers.
The Gathering is for those further along in their reconciliation journey to learn, think and improve their skills. This stream can hold up to 300 people and is open to new leaders, government workers and businesspeople who want to apply Indigenous partnership principles in their work. Workshops, stories and case studies from the region are great ways to get people to take action.
The Gala Dinner and Shared Prosperity Awards are the last events of the night. They recognize the achievements of Indigenous leaders and their partners. Past ceremonies have recognized people like Senator Larry Campbell and Wendy Grant-John for their decades of work bringing people from different cultures together and promoting economic reconciliation.
The 2025 Gala will have a plated dinner, live performances and a room full of people making a difference in their communities – all in one place. IPSS is different from other business conferences because it’s more than just a business meeting.
There will also be a special LIVE segment at the
Founder Stewart Muir calls it a “business-to-Canadians” conference instead. It’s a movement that wants to change people’s attitudes, the economy and give Indigenous businesses the respect they deserve. It shows how reconciliation can work in the real world through partnerships that make money, support community goals and help the country as a whole.
The Showcase was inspired by British Columbia’s adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and later by the federal government’s support of UNDRIP. IPSS has been promoting equity-based partnerships since 2020.
These partnerships go beyond just talking to each other and include co-ownership, benefit-sharing and self-determined success. Last year’s event saw attendees’ close deals worth over $2 billion, that’s what happens when talk turns into action.
IPSS is not the only group doing this. The same kind of events are happening all over British Columbia, like the Nation2Nation Forum in Kitimat. Nation2Nation is in its ninth year and brings together communities, developers and thought leaders to talk about Indigenous economic strategies, energy, mining, forestry and new ideas.
Nation2Nation adds to IPSS by giving Indigenous people a place to talk about the future of Canada’s economy. The themes include “Stronger Economies” and a focus on sovereignty, resilience and Indigenous-led growth.
Things like IPSS and Nation2Nation are changing the conversation and the results speak for themselves. As IPSS 2025 gets closer it’s more important than ever for leaders in both the public and private sectors to not only attend but also get involved, sponsor and support this important work.
You can now register and become a sponsor. There are many ways to help from being a Title Partner to working in a community-focused support role. IPSS 2025 is a one-of-a-kind chance to be part of reconciliation in action whether you’re an executive trying to make new connections, a policymaker trying to figure out how to implement UNDRIP or an entrepreneur looking for ideas.
Want to learn more? Connect with us at IPSS@resourceworks.com.
