30th May 2016 Millions of dollars in deals set in motion post Centrallia

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PRESS RELEASE
Date: 30th
May 2016
Title: Millions of dollars in deals set in motion post Centrallia
WINNIPEG – May 30, 2016 – Before Centrallia was even over, one Winnipeg firm knew
they had tens of millions of dollars of business within reach thanks to the world’s best
business-to-businesses speed dating conference, and similar stories are flowing into
the host’s office at the World Trade Centre Winnipeg.
“We are hearing over and over again that these real face-to-face meetings, with real
decisions makers, from real and legitimate businesses were leading to real partnerships
and real deals,” said Mariette Mulaire, President and CEO of the WTC Winnipeg,
the Centrallia creator and organizer.
Hundreds of entrepreneurs travelled from every corner of the earth to be in Winnipeg
last week – coming from as far as Paris, The Pas, Sao Paulo, the Philippines and every
place in between to find new business partners in face-to-face, speed-dating meetings.
For 2.5 days, nearly 700 delegates, from 30 countries, carrying 23 different currencies
in their wallets met and pitched each other on everything from avocados to yurts; from
rocks that heal to apps that save lives; from solar energy to road construction, from
beautiful Parisian-styled bras for women after breast cancer to funky furniture for the
office.
Among them was Todd Habicht, CEO and President of HD-Petroleum that creates
micro-refineries – about the size of tennis court – that can recycle waste oil from planes,
trains, automobiles and industrial plants.
Mulaire says Centrallia is really the forum for the first “date” for many businesses and
the chance to meet future business partners eye-to-eye and knee-to-knee, but it may
take months of follow up and do the due diligence to get to the “married” stage.
“This was our third International Centrallia and we really feel like we’ve scored the hat
trick this time. We screened business more thoroughly, made sure the CEOs,
Presidents and decision makers were in the room and put some serious discussion on
the table about how Manitoba can lead discussions on trade with Mexico and in the far

2. North as climate change changes opportunities in the Arctic. Those improvements we
know are leading to deals big and small, that will lead to more people creating more
jobs in Manitoba,” she said.
It was the opportunities in the Arctic that really resonated and was profitable for Jessica
Tennoff who has built a family business with her husband and son designing,
constructing and selling yurts (large, strong, portable circular tents). She and her son
Gabriel drove from Homer, Alaska and erected one of their Nomad Shelter Yurts on the
floor of Centrallia.
“We took 25 orders right off the floor and the demo model went to Churchill, Manitoba,”
Tennoff said. “It confirmed our expectation that there is a need for what we make in the
north and that there are opportunities to partner with indigenous groups and cities; and
extraction industries and tourism. We met people from Canada, Iceland and the United
States who instantly understood how they could use our yurts.”
WTC Winnipeg is a member of the World Trade Centers Association, the leading
international trade network, representing more than 300 World Trade Centres in nearly
100 countries. WTC Winnipeg provides support to Manitoba-based companies looking
to grow their business and provides services to international companies interested in
doing business with Manitoba companies.
This press release was distributed by the International Trade Council.
International Trade Council Member news does not necessarily represent the views of the
Trade Council nor the Council's employees. For more information on the International Trade
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