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Lambton College is hosting an exciting competition and very popular demonstration of the skills and professionalism of firefighters at September’s Western Ontario FireFit Championship, taking place Friday, September 6 through Sunday, September 8.

The event will feature Sarnia’s own Ian VanReenen of Sarnia Fire– the reigning Canadian and World Men’s champions and record holders.

Of particular interest to members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce will be Friday night’s Corporate Challenge.

You can find the sign-up form for the Corporate Challenge by clicking this link: 2019 Corporate Challenge Sign Up Sheet.

Lambton College Fire students have competed in FireFit for the past 20 years and in that time have brought back Canadian as well as World championships.

The Scott FireFit Championships is a competition based on firefighting tasks commonly performed in emergency situations.

August 1994 saw the first Canadian National FireFit Competition held at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. During the 15 days of the P.N.E. approximately 50,000 spectators enjoyed the event.

With the success of the P.N.E. Event, seven FireFit events were scheduled and held from coast to coast in 1995 with over 715 competitors from more than 105 Fire Departments participating.

The popularity of the FireFit Competition has grown over the past 27 years and visits every province in Canada. With the popularity of two one-hour Championship Finals show, aired on TSN. FireFit has become known not only in Canada but worldwide.

Content marketing provides the kind of quality content your audience is looking for. Marketers in today’s business climate must yield to the interests of their customers to be successful in the same way that party planners who want people on the dance floor must select music the vast majority of people in attendance will find appealing.

Content marketing has to start somewhere and the best place to do that is with a couple of evergreen pieces. These are strong heavy-hitting, attention-getting pieces of content you know your audience will respond to. Before you begin creating the content suggested here, make sure you have a good understanding of who your ideal customer is (from demographic and preferences standpoints), what they are looking for, and how you can help them. Knowing this vital information is essential to creating the content they care about.

Once you know who you’re speaking to, it’s easier to create content personalized for them. If you serve multiple types of customers, either narrow it down to your ideal customer and market only to them or create several buyer personas and produce content that will appeal to each segmented group.

Your Business Story

This is not your About page. This is the story you tell through interactions with your customers. Your business story should follow a traditional story arc/plotline of:

1. hero wants something
2. hero faces obstacle in trying to get what he/she wants
3. hero is helped by mentor-type and ultimately succeeds in getting the desired object, status, or outcome

Before you run off and start penning the obstacles you faced in opening your own business, remember this is not about you. To craft an appealing business story to your audience, you are not the hero. Your business is the kindly mentor – the Obi-Wan character – who helps the hero, your customer. This is a much more evocative approach from an engagement aspect than telling everyone you are the hero and got exactly what you wanted at the end of the day.

Cast your customer in the role of the hero and you’ll have potential customers looking at that role and thinking they, too, could be a hero. All it takes is determination (and your help).

An Answer to Your Most Asked Question

Another component of effective content marketing is producing content in the medium your audience responds to. You can figure this out by dedicating some R&D time on social media. Share video, audio, and written pieces on the same topic. Which format consistently gets the most shares? Create more content in that format.

After you know what content your audience prefers, take to that medium to answer the most common question asked of your business. Here are examples of popular question types (insert the critical information that applies to your business):

What’s the difference between __________ and ___________?

How do I know I need a new _____________?

How much do ____________s cost?

How do I know if I’m dealing with a reputable ______________?

How do I select the perfect ____________ for me?

When creating the content, use the question as the title. People often search by entering questions not keywords. For instance, if I want to know if I need a new air conditioner, I am more apt to search something like:

How do I know if I need a new AC?

than

air conditioners

Creating content-based on customer questions is more likely to place you higher in search results than merely optimizing for keywords.

A Gallery

If you sell products or services that are visually appealing, create a portfolio to showcase what you sell. If you are an accountant, placing 1099s on your site probably won’t yield any conversions and could lead to breach of privacy lawsuits; create a gallery of testimonials instead.

This can be done formally by asking clients for them and creating case studies, or compiling them from other places and housing them on your website. Some people even use Favorites on Twitter to capture positive things people have said about them. Then when someone asks for testimonials, the business refers them to their Twitter profile’s Favorites section. The one problem with this is that you don’t own Twitter and they could remove this feature overnight without warning.

In addition to these three types of content you need to be committed to consistent content creation and posting.  Select a schedule you know you can adhere to and provide helpful information from others to fill in the gaps. Your customers may even be a source for that content.

Whatever your schedule or your content source, the most important thing to remember is that content marketing is like hosting a party. If all the food, drink, and entertainment are your favorites and not that of your guests (or customers in this case), you can be assured they won’t stay very long.

An upcoming event organized by the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership, Sarnia-Lambton Local Immigration Partnership, and Lambton College (with support from the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce) is designed to help employers with their hiring challenges.

On Friday, September 27, a FREE TO ATTEND innovative and engaging employer breakfast will provide an overview of how local employers can learn about the benefits of harnessing today’s global workforce talent.

Taking place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Lambton College Event Centre, Harnessing Today’s Global Talent will educate employers on the value of hiring and retaining international employees, the community impact of having global talent in the local workforce, and resources for employers interested in creating a diverse workforce.

To register for this FREE session, click HERE.

Tuesday evening’s Sunset Cruise on the St. Clair River was a remarkable return to an annual tradition that the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce hopes will be an annual salute to summer.

President and CEO Shirley de Silva, who was on the Duc D’Orleans II along with members and guests, including members of the Bluewater Area Chamber, said the weather was perfect for the two-hour event.

With Fabien Jagoo serving as DJ and plenty of food and a cash bar, this year’s event was “just what we hoped it would be,” said de Silva.

“We look forward to this being among our signature Chamber events, one that combines friendships, great conversation and enjoying the vista that people living here have come to appreciate!”

Pictured; Dante Cateni of Terrapure Environmental, Chamber board member Karen Fischer, and Rudy Fischer.

With the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce signature event—the 30th anniversary 2019 Outstanding Business Achievement Awards night—coming up on Friday, October 18, now’s the time to secure your tickets!

Often a ‘sold out” event on the Chamber calendar, this year’s OBAA will feature not only a “new look” but some exciting additions that are sure to have us all on the edge of our seats!

“We’re taking a new approach to this year’s OBAA while retaining the core elements, which of course, feature the very best companies and individuals in 15 categories of achievement,” said Shirley de Silva, president and CEO of the Chamber.

“We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been able to put together for this year’s OBAA—our 30th-anniversary event.”

Thanks to the lead sponsorship of Libro Credit Union, the Friday, October 18 event at the Imperial Theatre in downtown Sarnia is shaping up to be another “Outstanding” event.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.

The Sarnia-Lambton Workplace Wellness Committee, a group that works to improve the health of the community through the empowerment of employers and employees, is bringing Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, a multi-award winning psychology instructor to town to speak on Resiliency in the Workplace.

Dr. Hanley-Dafoe, who specializes in the topic as well as navigating stress and change, and personal wellness in the workplace, will speak on Friday, September 20 at the Lambton College Event Centre.

Tickets for the event, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., are $40 and can be purchased by clicking HERE.

The Workplace Wellness group is a coalition that includes representatives from Lambton Public Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Industrial Educational Co-operative, the Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board, Lambton County Developmental Services, Belfor Environmental, Rapids Family Health Team, Bluewater Health, the Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation, and St. Joseph’s Hospice.

When it comes to supplying Lambton County’s farm community with the equipment they need to keep their acreage in tip-top shape, it would be hard to find a better place for them to head than Advantage Farm Equipment Ltd., an enterprise owned by two stalwart families—Hendrick (local to Wyoming) and McNally (local to Inwood).

The business, which is the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce “Business of the Month,” has three locations, including Wyoming, London and Essex, with a total of 30 employees.

Currently an AGCO franchise, the business was formerly focused on Kubota, a brand they still service. AGCO brands featured include Massey Ferguson, Challenger, Fendt (a high-end line made in Germany), White planters, and Sunflower tillage tools.

Congratulations once again to our friends at Advantage Farm Equipment for becoming our “Member of the Month” for August 2019!

Pictured, left to right, are Shirley de Silva, president and CEO of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, Murray Melton, Advantage general manager, Don Hendrick, president/owner, and Gail Ann Bondar, the Chamber’s manager of Member Engagement and Services.

Just a few days remain for you to secure your ticket to next Tuesday’s Chamber Summer Cruise on the Duc D’Orleans II, a Sarnia-Lambton tradition guaranteed to have you seeing the St. Clair River and Lake Huron in one of the best ways possible.

The fun begins at 6 p.m. when the Duc D’Orleans II embarks with members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and our friends from Port Huron—at the Bluewater Area Chamber—for this truly “international” evening of fellowship, networking and entertainment.

DJ Fabien Jagoo, hors d’oeuvres, and cash bar are all featured elements of this great evening, which runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Just $30 a person ($45 a person for non-members).

Be sure to get your tickets by clicking HERE and we look forward to seeing you in just a few days!

In just a matter of days now—my how the summer is flying by!—the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce will be holding its Summer Cruise on the Duc D’Orleans II and we’d love to count you among the fun-loving passengers.

The big evening comes around on Tuesday, August 13, and the ship’s captain and crew, along with organizers from the Chamber, are already anticipating a great two hours on the St. Clair River and Lake Huron, with food, live entertainment, and conversation.

Tickets for this event are just $30 (plus tax) for Chamber members ($45 plus tax for those who are not yet members).

Click HERE to purchase online.

We’ve also invited our friends from Port Huron’s Bluewater Chamber to come along, so consider this an “international” event that is filled with even more potential for networking than other Chamber events.

The Duc D’Orleans II is a wonderful venue for some summer fun and we hope you’ll join us on Tuesday, August 13—from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.—for an excellent time.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant potential to solve complex problems in communities and sectors around the world. At the same time, it brings forward numerous risks, like bias in automated decision making, that create challenges for government, businesses, employees and individuals at home and abroad.

At the May 2019 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial, the recommendation of the Council on AI was formally adopted. It is the first international standard for AI policies. OECD recommendations are non-binding but are influential statements that frequently form the basis of international standards and the design of national legislation.

This recommendation is significant for three reasons: First, since there were a large number of nations with significant expert input, it is likely to be adopted widely.

The OECD’s recommendations drew from an expert group of more than 50 members from governments, academia, business, civil society, international bodies, the tech community and trade unions to assist in developing the recommendation.

All OECD’s member countries—including the United States— approved this, alongside non-members Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Romania.

The process also underscores the importance of having Canadian businesses at the table early to influence discussions at international standards-setting bodies before the outcomes are enacted domestically. This OECD AI guidance was influenced by not only the OECD’s business advisory group but also from the recommendations from the Business-7 Summit we hosted in 2018.

Second, the recommendation is meaningful for what it contains. It is designed to ensure AI systems are trustworthy and engender confidence in a global framework.

The recommendation consists of two equally important parts:

—Principles for responsible stewardship, including commitments to inclusive growth, transparency, security and safety, human-centric values and accountability.

—National policy recommendations, including that governments invest in R&D, foster digital ecosystems, build human capacity, prepare for labour market transitions and promote international cooperation.

The fact that the recommendation is both value-based and operationally focused makes it both resilient to the test of time and adaptable across many jurisdictions.

Finally, the recommendation allows the OECD to monitor and compare signatories in their respective development and use of AI as well as support the creation of an AI Policy Observatory to allow countries to share tools and best practices, which is expected to be up and running later this year.

Canadian businesses and the burgeoning AI ecosystems across our country will have an important leadership role to play. As Canadian companies explore and adopt AI technology, they can do so in an environment where national and international AI systems are robust, fair and safe.

An early and continued international presence allows us to influence policy at the global level, which in turn builds confidence in our Canadian business community.

This is what will allow Canadian AI to thrive both throughout the country and around the world and what is ultimately needed to create the trustworthiness needed for global principles and national policies to succeed.

The above commentary was provided by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, an organization that counts the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce as a member.