This is why Collision is the most important Canadian tech conference in 2019

May 8 2019, 2:51 am

If you’re in Toronto, or in the tech industry, you’ve probably heard of Collision by now.

In a couple of weeks, the city will host tech giants and industry leaders from around the world who will all be here to attend North America’s fastest growing tech conference.

Collision is in its sixth year, and was created by the team behind Web Summit, the world’s largest tech event. Previously held in the US, it attracts CEOs of the world’s largest companies, founders of exciting startups, leading investors, and media from more than 120 countries.

This year, the conference is taking place at Toronto’s Enercare Centre from May 20 to 23 and is expected to host over 25,000 attendees.

Last week, organizers announced that the size of Collision’s now sold-out floor space is set to be seven times larger than last year’s conference, which was held in New Orleans.

The numbers show, time and time again, technology is no longer just the future, it’s the now.

And Toronto is in the heart of it all.

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Toronto (Dan Sedran / Shutterstock)

The city’s tech sector is on the rise, and it’s currently outpacing the likes of major North American tech hubs including the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

According to a BMO Capital Markets report, which looked at Canada’s economy as a whole, Toronto’s burgeoning tech sector continues to strengthen the province’s economy.

Toronto is currently home to roughly 214,000 tech workers, making it the fourth-largest tech market in North America.

Hosting a conference like Collision further showcases the city’s talent, and tech sector, on a larger, global scale.

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Not only is Toronto a hub for talent, but it’s also proven to be one of the best cities in Canada to launch tech startups. So much so that Microsoft recently announced it is collaborating with MaRS Discovery District to help the local startup community.

It’s also why, every month, tech companies have several job postings in the city, ranging from entry level to management roles.

Most of this Toronto tech community will be attending Collision, but the conference will also be hosting hundreds who have never been to Toronto, or even Canada, before.

This will be a space that brings together a rising Canadian scene, with the global tech movement. Startups from Vancouver and Calgary will also be here to represent west coast talent.

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Shutterstock

From conversations about creativity and technology to AI and transportation, Collision will be where digital meets reality, and where collaboration will result in magic.

Over the course of the four days, the Enercare Centre will be ground zero for a tech revolution, one filled with innovative minds, and breakers of the traditional moulds.

One of the events lead by government officials and entrepreneurs is all about how “Canada is very quickly becoming one of the world’s hyper-growth tech ecosystems.” Perhaps not surprisingly, Toronto Mayor John Tory was recently a keynote speaker for the internationally acclaimed South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference earlier this year.

Tory’s speech was titled “Toronto’s Tech Sector: Not Just Bros and IPOs” and provided context and insight into Toronto’s rapid growth as a tech city, having created more jobs in the past few years than Silicon Valley, Washington DC, and Seattle combined.

“Toronto’s tremendous growth as a tech city is largely because we do more than focus on growth. We also focus on impact,” said Tory, at the time. “People and companies are investing here because we invest in them, and together we’re solving challenges in an environment where everyone can succeed.”

And now, the world gets to experience this growth and investment first hand.

The celeb sighting won’t be so bad either…

Collision Conference starts on May 20 in Toronto.

Collision Conference

When: May 20 – 23, 2019
Where:  Enercare Centre, Toronto
Tickets: Available online, starting at $595 – Daily Hive discount code: TheDailyHive

Daily Hive is a proud community sponsor of Collision Conference 

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