Young Professionals of Nanaimo - Events

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The YPN Events team creates a light, fun venue for our members to meet, socialize and network. At least 4 times a year the YPN will be hosting a major social event.

Join us at the Lighthouse Pub & Bistro at 5pm, and participate in this great networking opportunity by introducing yourself and your business to the members of the YPN. Members and guests welcome.

Ever want to climb a rock wall? Members are invited to participate in this fun skill building event. Cost per person is $15 HST, and waivers are available online at www.climbromperroom.com. Climbing Shoe rentals $5.

Join us for our bi-weekly YPN "Happy Hour" at SimonHolt FoodDrink, Friday September 24th, from 5-7pm. Mingle, network or just hangout and enjoy a frosty beverage in a casual and friendly atmosphere!

The YPN helps its members develop professionally through a series of professional development events. Our regular monthly coaching events are called the YPN communicator events. The goal for these events are for our members to practice public speaking and the chairing of meetings. We also hope to invite expert speakers on a variety of subjects ranging from leadership to time management. If you are interested in attending our communicator event or have an idea for a guest speaker, contact the YPN Professional Development team

In our first major Professional Development seminar of the year, Nick West from Enable Business Consulting will be leading us through an interactive discussion on defining and realising your goals. Although not required, participants are encouraged to come to the seminar with a specific 3-month goal in mind to get the most value from the seminar as we delve into how to set SMART goals and how to overcome obstacles to realise your goals.

This seminar will take place at 7pm at a location to be announced. Please RSVP by September 2nd to professionaldevelopment@ypnanaimo.com or join YPN on Facebook and accept the invite.

Let's be honest. Most people have at least some fear of public speaking. The catch is, that the only way to get over that fear is by actually doing public speaking. Communicators offers a great opportunity to practice your public speaking in a casual, light-hearted atmosphere.

Please join us at our next Communicators event on Monday, September 13th @ 6pm downstairs at Acme Seafood and Rib House. Please RSVP to the PD team so that we have an idea of how many people to expect. If you're not quite willing to speak and want to just see what this is all about before diving in, please feel free to stop by and observe. Hope to see you there!

The YPN is hosting a series of bi-monthly corporate events in partnership with select Nanaimo businesses. These events are aimed at educating our members on a specific subject while raising the awareness of businesses in our community. Time at each event will also be allocated for a few members to speak about the subject of their choosing. These events will be a great venue for our members to interact amongst themselves and some of Nanaimo's top business people.

Meyers Norris Penny YPN Corporate Event at Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Presentation starts at 6:30pm. Guests welcome! Come join us as MNP presents on a trio of topics that include: Strategic Planning, Succession Planning, and How to Prevent and Detect Fraud in Your Business.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped us out with the 2010 CANStruction Event in support of Nanaimo's Loaves and Fishes Food Bank!

The Edmund Fitzgerald

The legend lives on from Port Hardy on down
To the straight they call the salish sea
The coast, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turned gloomy.
With a load of food on - 26,000 tons or more
Than the ship when she’s travelling empty
The ship was the pride of the YPN side
Coming back with some food for the needy
The Wind came on strong and the waves rattled on
The good ship and its crew were in peril
The Captain cried he had water inside

Behold the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

YPN Members were invited to meet Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatief at Mon Petite Chou on August 20th. Although the visit was short, we had the opportunity to talk about current issues, as well, receive great feedback regarding our association and what we're doing in Nanaimo.

Camping on Newcastle - Although a bust because of the rain, plan "B" was an successful, causal gathering at YPN President, Andre Sullivan's house.

Tons of food and frosty bevies all around, everyone had a great time!

--photos to follow--

A big thank you to the Harris Auto and Cellular Team for putting on a great BBQ and info session on the Harris Family, their new wireless technologies and what's new for the Harris Group. Check out the photos below!

What an amazing event! Our team placed 3rd in the non-profit division.

A huge thank you to our sponsors and our team members who dedicated supplies, materials, and numerous hours of hard work to help design, build, fundraise and put it all together on race day!

Thank you to everyone who came out for the YPN Golf Tournament! We had a great time on the course and continued the fun over at Lantzville Pub for dinner and drinks. There was some serious competition going on but a blast was had by all!

In the early morning hours of Sunday, April 11, 2010 we lost a friend, a son, a brother and a community leader. He was only 30 years old.

To honour the legacy of young Blair McKinnon, his family has thrown their support behind his dream to restore Nanaimo's train station.

In 2006 Blair and his father Roger McKinnon helped organize a Celebrity Football Game to raise $65,000 for Jake Cody, the young man who broke his neck during a Vancouver Island Raiders football game. In 2010 Jake, the McKinnon family, the Young Professionals of Nanaimo and many others whose lives have been touched by Blair McKinnon will present the first Annual Blair McKinnon Celebrity Flag Football Game.

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The game was a huge success and with the help from the community, we were able to smash our goal of raising $85,000.00! Thank you to everyone who participated, attended or supported the event!

Click here for the event poster

Photos courtesy of Cam Wrigley

The Wild West Express left Nanaimo on Saturday March 27th with 250 passengers and crew on board. The event was a roaring success for the YPN effort to restore the station with everything from the saloon girls and cowboys to the train robbers and even a damsel in distress.

The afternoon began with a tented reception in the parking lot across from the damaged station. After the guests gathered they were ushered over the red carpet to the waiting train. The journey to Duncan was an eventful one. Roving musicians provided entertainment while guests were waited on by costumed and attentive YPN attendants. In Chemainus the train was hijacked by masked bandits who stole our lovely host Miss Kitty from the train. Not to worry though, we got her back at dinner when Bruce Williams and our guests banded together to raise the ransom for her release.

Dinner at the Quwutsun Cultural Centre was exquisite. Andre Sullivan and Graham Bruce spoke on the project and the future of rail on Vancouver Island. With the help of the Quw utsun staff and host Bruce Williams our guests returned to the train with full stomachs and empty wallets, all for the Nanaimo Train Station. When the final tallies were counted the event had raised over $40,000 for the YPN restoration effort.

The Young Professionals of Nanaimo would like to thank everyone who came together to make the Wild West Express such a successful effort. From our many sponsors and guests click here for the event sponsors list to our train crews and volunteers, we thank each and every one of you. This was truly a dinner delegation to save the Nanaimo Train Station!

Every day we are getting closer and closer to our goal. Stay tuned for more as we move into our final month of fundraising efforts. Visit www.nanaimotrainstation.org to contribute to this project.

The Choo Choo Chili Challenge was held at the Nanaimo Yacht Club on Friday, March 5. The event featured 7 teams and over 100 guests. The winning Chili team was the Downtown Nanaimo team lead by Debra Mayberry . Other participants included Perkins Coffee Co, DYS Architecture, Meyers Norris Penny, Integral Securities, Rocky Point Engineering and Herold Engineering. The event was also the kick off for the WILD WEST EXPRESS with the first ticket sold to David Stanley. Many thanks to the chili teams and everyone who attended this great event!

Our next corporate event will be on March 17th at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Doors open at 6, speakers start at 6:30. The theme for the evening is Nanaimos transportation future and will feature speakers from the Island Corridor Foundation and the Nanaimo Airport.

We will be hosting our first members only speed networking event on Wednesday, March 3rd at the ACME Restaurant. This event is limited to the first 34 people who register and no guests are allowed. Here is your perfect opportunity to let everyone know about your organization and yourself. There is no cost to this event and a no host bar will be provided. RSVP at events@ypnanaimo.com.

Nanaimos Mayor John Ruttan will be our keynote speaker for the evening. Heres your chance to ask the Mayor about the hotel attached to the conference centre, the condo towers at Maffeo Sutton or anything else city related.

Also speaking that night will be Dr. Dale Christenson who is one of eight individuals internationally to have received a doctorate level degree in project management. Dr. Christenson also leads the international award winning Project Management Centre of Excellence for the government of British Columbia.

Doors open at 6:00pm in the ballroom of the Coast Bastion Inn. Please RSVP to events@ypnanaimo.com to confirm your attendance.

The YPN Christmas Formal will be on Friday December 11th, 2009 at the Coast Bastion Inn. Tickets will be approximately $55/person and will be on sale at each corporate event. Please contact Krissy McKay for more information (events@ypnanaimo.com).

Our next corporate event will be held on November 4th at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Co-hosts Read Jones Christoffersen and RW Bob Wall invite you to join us for a look at sustainable development.

The YPN Train Station fundraising kick-off barbecue was this Sunday November 1st from 1 to 3pm. YPN members who would like to help with the Train Station Initiative should contact Leif Bogwald (Leif.Bogwald@mnp.ca)

Join fellow YPN members and guests for an afternoon of wine tasting on Saturday, October 17th, 2009 from 10:30 to 5:30pm. This years wine tour will highlight the regions finest wines, ciders and even beers. Stops on the tour include Merridale Cider House, Cherry Point Vineyards, Duncans Craig Street Brewery (for brewery tour and lunch), and Godfrey Brownell Vineyard. Ticket prices are $30 for members, and $35 for non-members and will include all tasting/tour fees (lunch at brewery not included). To purchase your ticket for the tour or for more information, please contact Krissy at events@ypnanaimo.com. Tickets will be available until Thursday, October 15th at 4:30pm.

Wednesday September 23rd at the Coast Bastion Inn presented by the Coast Bastion Inn and Impact Visual Communications.

Please join us for a purposeful conversation focused on Leadership in partnership with Leadership BC and Dr. Patrick Ross.

Dr. Patrick Ross has enjoyed a lengthy career studying and practicing the complexities of Leadership. In this professional development session, Patrick will endeavor to provoke your thinking about leadership, challenge your current perspectives, and encourage you to try some new ideas.

Patrick engages his audiences in both humorous and poignant ways. His passion and experience shine through making the participant experience a positive one. Consider attending this seminar with your colleagues and friends, which is made possible as a result of collaborations between the Young Professionals of Nanaimo and Leadership BC Central Vancouver Island.

Vancouver Island University
Bldg. 200 Rm. 203
Monday, September 14, 2009
6:30pm

This is a free event open to YPN members only.

Please RSVP to jamieker@shaw.ca asap as only 30 seats are available.

This is a major fundraising event for Loaves and Fishes food bank. YPN CANStruction Team Update - The Young Professionals of Nanaimo won both the jurors and peoples choice awards for their Hockey Night in CANada structure. Thanks to everyone for their work on this.

It is going to be the BBQ of the decade so make sure you make it out to the pig roast on Friday, August 28th at 3603 Ross Road. Everyone is invited, so feel free to invite a guest or two. Cost is $15 for members, $20 for non members which will cover dinner but make sure to BYOB and maybe a chair or two. Roger McKinnon has kindly lent us his house on Long Lake to enjoy some swimming, volleyball, bocce and there is a rumour of a little jet skiing. Come and join us for the last YPN social event of the summer!

Please RSVP to events@ypnanaimo.com by Wednesday, August 26th to give us an idea of the numbers.

The most recent YPN Event was the YPN Golf Day at Cottonwood Golf Course.

The most recent YPN Corporate Event was co-sponsored by Integral Securities and Value Partner Investments. The event was huge success with exciting, informative speakers and an engaged, excited audience (who would not be excited about creating wealth?). At the event our members learned about financial planning, investing and creating personal wealth from local financial experts Pat Sullivan, Andre Sullivan, Daniel Martinez and from Steve Norton, an Investment Advisor with Value Partners Investments who traveled from Winnipeg to talk to our group. Other event speakers included YPN Members Geoff Schulson and Dr. Miguel Arbez. Thank you to Integral Securities and Value Partner Investments for hosting this fabulous event and to the Nanaimo Golf Club for their continuing hospitality at our YPN corporate events.