Download the interview with Robert Kulhawy (Commerx) in mp3 format (4.1MB) - November 14, 2006

9:00 – 9:15

Introduction

9:15 – 10:15

Values & Trends

Who’s buying? Who’s selling? What are they paying and what terms are the buyers insisting on? In this session, a panel of 3 experts comes out of the trenches just long enough to tell you what’s really going on out there.

After the individual presentations, the panel will field questions from the audience.

Panel:
Glenn Ballman – Genesis Exchange (Global Perspective)
Trevor Lwin – BMO (Investment Banking Focus Perspective)
Chima Nkemdirim - Fraser Milner Casgrain (Resource Perspective)

10:15 – 10:45

Coffee Break

10:45 – 11:00

Value Overview: A quick primer on how company value is set

John McDonald will give a brief overview of Price Discovery & Comparables and their impact on setting Company values.

Speaker: John McDonald, President, Rampworth Capital Services Inc.

11:00 – 12:00

What’s Your Company Worth?

Putting a price on the business is one of the hardest things that a business owner can do, yet a realistic understanding of the company value can make or break the deal. As if that weren’t enough, the “right” price is different depending who you are selling to (a Competitor vs. a Strategic Buyer or an Insider vs. a professional investor). In this session, panelists take the mystery out of putting the “right price on your company, by providing a simple (plain English) explanation of the most common methods of establishing a fair market value.

Three common scenarios will be specifically addressed:
1. Selling to Competitors or Strategic Buyers
2. Selling to Insiders (management or staff)
3. Raising money from professional investors (Venture Capitalists)

After the individual presentations, the panel will field questions from the audience.

Panel:
Shawn Abbott – Springbank TechVentures (Venture Perspective)
Bob Embury – Strategic West (Advisory Perspective)
Paul Sharp – PWC (CBV - Chartered Business Valuator Perspective)

12:00 – 12:15

Financial Tools for Reducing Risk (and reducing Vendor Take-back)

Speaker:
Brenda Wall, Manager, Subordinate Financing, BDC

12:15 – 12:45

Lunch (on the exposition floor) www.buildexcalgary.com

12:45 – 1:00

Perfect Pitch: Crash Course on the essential elements of an Investor Centric pitch

You’re on an elevator to a meeting on the 45th floor. You run into the perfect prospect to buy your company. You’ve got 2 minutes to get him excited…it’s called an elevator pitch, and every seller needs one.

In this session you’ll be introduced to the proven “Perfect Pitch” model for crafting your own compelling elevator pitch, and you’ll get some practical tips for making that first meeting.

Speaker: John McDonald, President, Rampworth Capital Services Inc.

1:00 – 2:00

Marketing the Deal

How would you market a new product if you had to keep it a secret? How would you promote it to prospective buyers, while at the same time keeping your competitors and customers from finding out? These problems and more are faced everyday when business owners market their company to investors and strategic buyers, yet some people do a masterful job while others flounder.

In this session, our panel of experts share some of the proven secrets for, among other things, finding the right prospects, promoting under the radar, and managing the complexity of a confidential offering.

Panel:
Glenn Ballman – Genesis Exchange (Private Equity Exchange)
Trent Johnsen – Shift Networks
Richard Peters – Fasken Martineau (confidentiality focus)

2:00 – 3:00

Negotiating a Successful Deal

It’s one thing to find someone who’s interested in owing your company… it’s a whole other thing to get them to take the money out of their wallet and put it into yours. This is no widget you’re selling. Successfully closing on the sale of a company requires a prolonged and high stakes negotiation. The pressure is high, tensions run thick, and the dance is choreographed to a set of unspoken rules that govern behavior throughout.

In this session, seasoned deal makers share some practical tips and instructive war stories, so that you walk away with a clear list of do’s and don’ts for your big negotiation.

After the individual presentations, the panel will field questions from the audience.

Panel:
Michael McGee – Cavendish Investing (Private Equity Perspective)
Robert Kulhawy – Commerx (CEO Perspective)
Neil Patton – Pre-Think (Professional Negotiator Perspective)

3:00 – 3:30

Break

3:30 – 4:30

Advisory Options

The creation of a strong advisory team is critical to the success of any financial offering, but where do you start. In this session, our panel of experts identifies what matters and what doesn't, what it costs and what you get in return.

Panel:
Mike Desjardins – ViRTUS (Non-Traditional Advisory)
Mike Steele – Windy Point (Financial Advisory)
Maurice Walch – Raymond James (Tax Advisory Perspective)

4:30 – 5:00

Conclusion: What To Do With All That Money

Many Business owners dream of cashing out and retiring, but few will ever make it into the category of the ultra-wealthy… but that doesn’t mean we can’t hear their secrets for managing money.

Speaker: John Currie, The John Currie Family Office Group - RBC

5:00 – 6:30

Wine & Cheese/Networking

Business owners rarely get a chance to mingle in a roomful of peers, so stick around and enjoy a glass of wine and some conversation. Panelists and sponsors will be available for questions on the exhibition floor.