12 January 2012
Douglas Coupland to Provide Keynote Address at Cities Summit
News Date: 
12 January 2012
News Teaser: 
We are pleased to announce that celebrated author and artist Douglas Coupland will provide a keynote address at The Cities Summit. Mr. Coupland will speak to the 21st Century as the age of city building.

 

Douglas Coupland caps week of top talent announcement for Cities Summit speakers

VANCOUVER, January 12, 2012 –The City of Vancouver is pleased to announced that Douglas Coupland, renowned author of iconic novels such as Generation X, Microserfs and an artist of international recognition will be the keynote speaker at the first inaugural Cities Summit hosted by Mayor Gregor Robertson being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on February 1 and 2, 2012. The announcement follows a week of top business talent from around the world signing on to the Cities Summit including Milo Medin, Vice President of Access Services at Google, Gerry Mooney, General Manager of Global Smarter Cities for IBM, and Cam Kernahan, Group Vice President, WiFi at Shaw Communications, all bringing their insight to the Summit.

The Cities Summit, an international investment summit, organized by the Vancouver Economic Commission, will showcase Vancouver's urban model and the leaders who are part of the business of city building in the 21st Century. It is designed to explore the creative, business-oriented opportunities required for a sustainable and prosperous urban future and will feature forward-thinking mayors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, major corporations, city planners and urban thought-leaders.

Mr. Coupland will address the role of cities in the 21st Century. "I'm delighted to be speaking at this amazing convergence of city builders from Vancouver, Canada and around the world,” said Coupland. “We're living through the greatest rate of urbanization in human history. How we build and rebuild our cities is an urgent challenge. This event is an opportunity to dive into the new era of city building."

"Douglas Coupland is one of Canada's most influential creative thinkers," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. "His insight into contemporary urban issues, as expressed through his multidisciplinary artistic work, never fails to capture the imagination of people from around the world. I am excited that he will share his unique perspective on city-building as part of The Cities Summit."

“Douglas Coupland is the type of visionary the Twenty First Century needs. His uncanny ability to understand today’s circumstance with clarity and think forward to options and solutions for humanity will add an incredibly compelling discussion to The Cities Summit,” said Lee Malleau, CEO of the Vancouver Economic Commission. “We are privileged to have Douglas as a keynote, and City builders everywhere will be inspired by his way of approaching projects.”

Participants at the Cities Summit are already shaping our urban future. Some of the confirmed speakers include: Herbert Bautista, Mayor of Quezon City (Philippines), Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, and Sly James, Mayor of Kansas City, who is partnering with Google on the digital future.

To learn more about The Cities Summit please visit: www.vancouvercitiessummit.org.

The Cities Summit would like to recognize its generous sponsors IBM, Veolia, EDF, Shaw Communications, Car2Go, and Corix Utilities.

The Vancouver Economic Commission, an agency of the City of Vancouver, works to strengthen the city's economic future by helping existing businesses, attracting investment, researching the business environment and making policy recommendations.

Media Contact:

Tania Parisella, Manager, Communications, Marketing & Sponsorship

Vancouver Economic Commission

T: 604-336-8013

C: 604-889-2019