People in the Vermilion area have a chance to hear from a multiple-time TEDx speaker. Corey Poirier will be talking about the power of communities at the Vermilion Small Business Awards this Saturday.
Poirier has been a professional speaker for 16 years and has been featured on several TV shows. He discusses 5 different topics including the power of communities based on interviews with some of the world’s top leaders. Poirier says it’s important to spread the knowledge he has because of how it can help others.
” People that really say “that you transformed my life” or “something you said resonated with me. I tried it in my life and now I’m having results from it”. To me, it’s about transformation and impact, that’s to me why I spread my knowledge and what I’ve learned from these interviews.”
Growing up on a small island in the Maritimes, Poirier wants people on Saturday to come away with the idea that you can have success no matter the size of your community.
“The timing couldn’t be better because people are seeing their peers win awards while they’re at the event. It’s a perfect time for me to follow with that message that we can be successful in small communities and you don’t have to move away.”
Business Manager for the Vermillion Chamber of Commerce Shannon Leonard says having Poirier speaking to entrepreneurs on the power of positive communities needs to be advertised.
“Any committee can benefit from hearing about the positive aspects and things that go on in the community.”
This Saturday at the Vermilion Business Awards, 56 total people and businesses are in nominations for 7 different categories including Business of the Year and Inspiring the Youth award.
The Vermilion community gathered to put in their votes on who they think is the best of the best. Leonard says the awards were originally a lunch event but was moved to the evening so that everyone can attend.
“It gives people the option to socialize and still network at the end of the evening instead of just “here’s your award, everybody leave”. We just want to give them the space to socialize and network as a business community.”
Leonard says a lot of people from out of town came to nominate the businesses they felt deserved awards.
“It was really cool to see because some of the faces I didn’t recognize at all. It’s not just your family and your friends thinking “hey, we think you’re great we’are going to nominate you”. It was actually people who visited these places and nominated.”
The event will take place this Saturday at 6 pm at the Vermilion Regional Centre. Currently, 25 tickets remain for the Vermilion Small Business Awards. The event will take place this Saturday at 6 pm at the Vermilion Regional Centre. Anyone who wants to purchase tickets can contact the Vermilion Chamber at 780-853-6593