Richmond hosts annual Business and Partner Appreciation event

More than 100 Richmond business and community leaders gathered on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for the City of Richmond’s 2026 Business and Partner Appreciation event, themed “Connected for Growth: Partnerships Driving the Future.” The annual event highlighted the strength of the city’s business community and how partnerships across sectors can create opportunities for innovation, business growth and long-term economic prosperity.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie and city councillors hosted the event at the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse. Brodie said Richmond’s continued success depends on strong partnerships among businesses, governments, educational institutions and community organizations. He said the challenges and opportunities are interconnected, and working together can build on Richmond’s strengths, drive innovation and help keep the economy resilient and ready for the future.

A panel explored how collaboration can help businesses and organizations address challenges and pursue new opportunities. Examples included Helijet’s work to advance electric aviation; IKEA Richmond’s community partnerships and sustainability initiatives; the Richmond Division of Family Practice’s work supporting local physicians; and KPU Wilson School of Design’s industry collaborations, which enable students to turn real-world challenges into innovative solutions. The City said the examples showed how connections among businesses, institutions and community partners can drive innovation, strengthen the workforce and support economic resilience.

Greg Allen moderated the discussion. He is a member of the City’s Economic Advisory Committee and a corporate director and partner at Chrysalix Venture Capital. In his closing remarks, Allen said resilience comes from being connected and pointed to many partnership opportunities ahead. The event photo caption also identified Helijet International Inc. President and CEO Danny Sitnam; Allen; Richmond Division of Family Practice Executive Director Jennifer West; KPU Wilson School of Design Director of Strategy and Business Development Sarb Loodu; and IKEA Richmond Market Manager Amarjet Minhas.

Richmond is home to almost 10,000 businesses and an estimated 145,000 jobs. The City says it continues to build on its diverse economy through partnerships that support business success and future growth.

The City is developing a new Economic Development Strategy to guide Richmond’s economic direction over the next decade and is seeking public feedback. Comments are due Sunday, Nov. 22, at LetsTalkRichmond.ca: https://www.letstalkrichmond.ca/EconomicDevelopmentStrategy/DraftEconomicDevelopmentStrategySurvey. Information about Richmond’s economy and business resources is available at businessinrichmond.ca: https://businessinrichmond.ca/.