Tuesday, May 26, 2026

7:00 - 8:00 a.m.        Tradeshow & Networking Breakfast (Salon B/C)

8:00 - 8:15 a.m.        Morning Remarks  (Salon D)

8:15 - 9:15 a.m.        Keynote Session  (Salon D)

Main Street Metrics: Making Data Driven Decisions and Measuring Impact

This session will introduce what the Canadian Urban Institute has learned about data and analytics best practices for business improvement areas and other place-based organizations. There will be a demonstration of the CUI’s Main Street Metrics dashboard which is being actively used by over 100 BIAs across Canada. Specific use-cases of the dashboard for gap analysis, event planning, and BIA marketing will be presented. Attendees will come away from the session with a better understanding of how to apply data for strategic decision-making and impact analysis in BIAs.

Greg Spencer, Director of Research, Canadian Urban Institute

9:15 - 10:30 a.m.    Keynote Session (Salon D)

Art ≠ $: a new formula for cultural impact
The case for arts is often made in the language of money. Place managers justify investments into the arts, culture, and creative placemaking through economic impact — jobs created, dollars spent, property values raised. While this narrative has helped to secure funding, it has impoverished public understanding of the impact of arts in cities.  As we enter an era marked by overlapping crises of skepticism about systems, urban displacement, and resource scarcity, the arts are once being reframed. But as what?

Those who work at the intersection of creativity and place are in urgent need of a new paradigm, a broader vocabulary, a more powerful case for support. In this session, keynote speaker Philip Barash will share emerging frameworks that are reenergizing places and mobilizing new sources of funding. The session will not only examine the recent history of the creative placemaking movement — but guide participants beyond its constraints.
Jennie Kovalcik, Director of Operations, PublicSphere Projects
Philip Barash, Principal - Strategic planning and placemaking, PublicSphere Projects

 10:30 - 10:50 a.m.    Tradeshow + Networking Break (Salon B/C)      

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.     Mobile Tour (depart from main lobby of hotel)

1. The Art Walk                     
   Join us for a walking tour through the vibrant public-art heart of Penticton — a curated journey guided by Tristan Boisvert, Managing Director of the Penticton & District Community Arts Council. This “Art Walk” invites you to wander the streets of downtown Penticton and discover the colourful murals, compelling sculptures, and creative energy that bring our city to life. Over the past decade, Penticton has made a strong commitment to public art: through the city’s Penticton Public Sculpture Exhibit, rotating sculptures now dot the waterfront, downtown core, and waterfront roundabout — turning ordinary public spaces into an open-air gallery of original, thought-provoking works displayed year-round. Meanwhile, streets and alleyways downtown and beyond have been enlivened by murals that reflect the city’s history, diverse culture, and community spirit. Some pay tribute to Penticton’s past — its early settlers, local traditions, and heritage — while others celebrate contemporary themes, local music, nature, and shared community values. The PDCAC, which for decades has served as a hub for local artists and arts-lovers, plays a central role in that creative transformation. Through programs such as art exhibitions, workshops, events, and the annual art-walks (like Ignite the Arts Art Walk), the Council fosters connection, creativity, and access to art for people of all ages and backgrounds. By championing artists, providing support and resources, and organizing events, PDCAC helps make art an everyday, lived part of the city — not confined to galleries, but woven into streets, parks, and public spaces. On this tour, Tristan will guide you through murals, alley art, downtown installations, and some of the rotating public sculptures. You’ll learn about the history behind some of the works, the artists and community stories they represent, and how public art contributes to Penticton’s identity, vibrancy, and sense of place. It’s more than a stroll — it’s a chance to see how art transforms our city, tells our stories, and brings people together. Whether you’re an art lover, a curious visitor, or someone interested in community building and urban culture — this Art Walk offers a meaningful, creative, and immersive way to connect with Penticton.
    

10:50 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. Breakout Sessions 

1. Measuring Main Streets - a Deeper Dive into the Challenges and Solutions of Data Analytics for BIAs
   This workshop will provide details in the inner workings of data and analytics for BIAs. Specific data sources such as cellphones, card payments, pedestrian counters, consumer segmentation systems, and climate data will be discussed in terms of how they work and their relative pros and cons. The workshop will give ample opportunity for attendees to share their experiences of data and analytics successes and challenges from their organization’s experiences.

   Greg Spencer, Director of Research, Canadian Urban Institute

2.  Creative placemaking is dead, long live creative placemaking
   As expectations for downtowns continue to grow, arts and culture are being asked to do more… with fewer resources.

   This session picks up where the keynote leaves off and focuses on practice. In a moment where traditional funding is shrinking and priorities are shifting, the question isn’t just how to make the case—it’s how to keep the work going. What does it take for arts and culture to remain relevant in rooms where other needs feel more urgent? And how does that translate into day-to-day decisions about programming, partnerships, and investment?

   Rather than focusing on a single approach, this session looks at how organizations are adapting in real time—finding ways to align with broader priorities, work across silos, and support creative communities with limited capacity. It also reflects on how impact is being understood in ways that better match lived experience, not just what can be easily measured.

   This is a space to share what’s being tested, what’s holding up, and what still feels unresolved.
   Jennie Kovalcik, Director of Operations, PublicSphere Projects
   Philip Barash, Principal - Strategic planning and placemaking, PublicSphere Projects

12:05 - 1:10 p.m.     Best in the West Awards Lunch   (Salon D)

1:15 - 2:45 p.m.       Mobile Tour (departs from main lobby of hotel)

1. Naramata Bench Wine and Resiliency Tour
   A Lakeside departure on the wine trolley with Visit Penticton into the first stretch of the Naramata Bench, paired with a tasting and meaningful conversation around economic impact, environmental considerations, and resiliency.    

1:20 - 2:35 p.m.       Breakout Sessions

1. Listening to Our Members: Shaping the Future Together
   This interactive session is dedicated to hearing directly from our members. Through open discussion and guided feedback, participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, challenges, and ideas related to their BIAs. The session will focus on understanding member priorities, identifying opportunities for improvement, and gathering insights that will help inform future programs, advocacy efforts, and strategic initiatives.
   
   Greg Spencer, Director of Research, Canadian Urban Institute

2. Beyond the Numbers: Measuring the Real Impact of Crime on Businesses
   Police statistics tell only part of the story. Across BC, a significant portion of crime impacting businesses, particularly non-violent offences, goes unreported, making it difficult to demonstrate need, advocate for resources, or design effective responses. BIABC’s 2025 provincial survey confirms this growing “dark figure of crime,” alongside rising financial strain on small businesses. This session will explore why underreporting persists, how it undermines policy and funding decisions, and what BIAs are doing to improve data collection and reporting. Case studies include Downtown Vancouver’s reporting app, Mount Pleasant BIA’s use of the SmartrBID platform, and collaborative efforts among downtown Vancouver BIAs to establish consistent reporting structures that better inform policing and public safety partners.
   Nolan Cockburn, SmartrBID
   Neil Wyles, Executive Director, Mount Pleasant BIA
   Waseem Laher, Manager, District Revitalization, Downtown Vancouver

2:35 - 3:00 p.m.       Tradeshow + Networking Break (Salon B/C)

3:00 - 4:15 p.m.       Keynote Session
Reconciliation in British Columbia – What Does the Future Hold?
Reconciliation in British Columbia continues to evolve through landmark agreements and court decisions that are reshaping relationships between governments, Indigenous Nations, and industry. In this timely keynote, Thomas Isaac of Cassels will examine the recent Haida and Musqueam agreements, the 2025 Cowichan decision, and the 2025 B.C. Court of Appeal ruling on UNDRIP. Attendees will gain practical insight into what these developments mean for municipalities, economic development, governance, and the path forward in B.C.

Thomas Isaac, Chair of Cassels’ National Aboriginal Law Group & Co-Chairs Cassels’ National Major Projects Team
 

4:15pm onwards      Free Night in Penticton

 

 

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