Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation
June 9, 2017

Provincial Government Provides Update on SEUS-CP Conference 2017

The Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, attended the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS-CP) Conference 2017 in Toronto from June 4-6.

SEUS-CP, which was established in November 2007, works to promote trade and investment opportunities between and among its member states and provinces. Member states include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Member provinces include Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Ontario.

The six Newfoundland and Labrador companies that took part in the conference included:

  • Argentia Port Authority - The Port of Argentia has a commercial seaport offering ice free, year round access. Currently, home to the West White Rose Project that has an anticipated 5,000 person years of employment through construction.


  • Zambara - A young technology company that has developed an automated lead generation tool for group insurance advisors.


  • Seaformatics Systems Inc. � Seaformatics, which was recently featured on Discovery Channel�s Daily Planet, designs and manufactures power harvesting and wireless communication products for the ocean monitoring industry.


  • Avalon Holographics � A company that is working towards creating a holographic display which will allow multiple users to simultaneously experience 3D content without the need to wear glasses or tracking equipment while using the display, making the content indistinguishable from the real world.


  • BMS North America - BMSNA manufactures and supplies the BMS Blivet Package Sewage Treatment Plant, a pre-engineered all-in-one sewage treatment system.


  • Brownie Points - Currently active in three provinces, Brownie Points is a technology-based loyalty platform for small- and medium-sized independent businesses that utilizes a combination of off-the-shelf hardware and proprietary software to engage end users.

SEUS-CP 2017 was the largest conference in the event�s history, fostering and strengthening relationships with governments and businesses on both sides of the border to drive continued economic growth in automotive, information and communication technologies, and clean technologies sectors.

Quotes
�The theme of this year�s SEUS-CP Conference was Trade Partnerships at Work, which is certainly relevant to all the states and provinces involved. This conference provided opportunities to help enhance economic ties amongst members and to increase commerce between trade partners. There was significant focus on information communication technologies, accelerators and incubators with more than 1,000 business-to-business meetings scheduled from all 12 jurisdictions. As a government, we are committed to creating an environment that captures the full potential of our province�s many riches. Through ongoing support to innovation and entrepreneurship as outlined in The Way Forward, we are able to continue our focus on developing and growing a diversified economy.�
Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation

�I would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for such a great SEUS-CP conference; it was by far one of the best scheduled and administered conferences I have ever attended. Through the conference�s business-to-business matchmaking meetings, BMSNA was able to connect and network with developers and consultants located in the Southeastern US market, something that would have taken a small manufacturer like BMSNA much more time and money to achieve on our own.�
Al Ducey
Marketing Director with BMS North America

"Trade partnerships with the United States are vital to the majority of Canadian business. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's support for companies to attend annual SEUS-CP initiatives efficiently creates partnerships and/or sales; these outcomes would likely take months to forge or may not be possible at all."
Dana Parsons
Founder, Brownie Points

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Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation - www.TCII.gov.nl.ca

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Media contact
Eric Humber
Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation
709-729-4819, 725-9655
erichumber@gov.nl.ca

2017 06 09                              3:50 p.m.