Gen Blue Canada 2023 Recap

Inspiring sessions from fantastic speakers. Unparalleled networking opportunities. Unforgettable social mixers. 

 

On May 30 – June 1, 2023, Coldwell Banker Canada brought their blue pride to beautiful Vancouver, a bustling city surrounded by natural beauty for a gathering unlike any other: Gen Blue Canada 2023. 

 

This one-of-a-kind in-person conference exclusive to the Coldwell Banker network is a time for us to come together to expand our knowledge, celebrate our many achievements, have fun, and get fired up to be the best!  

 

This year, we had over 250 Coldwell Banker agents, brokers, owners, and administrative staff from across Canada and abroad join us for a wide range of learning opportunities from 20+ inspiring speakers, including keynote speakers Drew Dudley, Daniel Lewis, Gerald Clerx, and Cheryl Bernard. Our network left Vancouver with plenty of new ideas and practices on how to conquer their marketing plan, increase their sales, grow their business, and master their technology.   

 

       

 

Business aside, when our network gets together, you’re guaranteed to have a good time! Where there is a Coldwell Banker Canada event, there is mingling, laughing, connecting, and sometimes even a little dancing. The social mixers at Gen Blue Canada created some unforgettable memories for all!  

 

Being a part of the Coldwell Banker brand means being part of something truly special. Nationwide, we are united by our passion, by our joy, and by our desire to do great things in real estate.  

 

Recap of Events 

 

May 30 – Broker/Owner Pre-Con Sessions 

 

May 30 was a day exclusive to the broker/owners of Coldwell Banker Canada. Leadership Expert & Author Drew Dudley started the day off with his presentation This is Day One: Creating Cultures of Leadership, where he walked us through the discovery of our personal leadership values, and demonstrated how those values can be translated into daily behaviors.  

 

 

Following Drew, we had the opportunity to hear from Real Estate Master Bob Cella on Weather Proofing Your Business. Bob flew in all the way from Hawaii to share some tips on building a brokerage that can survive during the down cycles and thrive when the market is up.  

 

 

Lastly, VP of Sales for Guiding Star Mortgage Group Shaun Westlake dove into how Guiding Star’s partnership with Coldwell Banker Canada can benefit the business of broker/owners nationwide.  

  

 

May 30: Broker/Owner Mixer  

 

Following the pre-con sessions on May 30, we hosted a broker/owner mixer on a two-level yacht! This unique experience provided the perfect opportunity for our broker/owners to mingle while taking in everything Vancouver has to offer. Our evening consisted of cold drinks, delicious food, and stunning waterfront views. What more could you ask for? 

 

      

 

May 31 – Full Network Day 1  

 

May 31 is when we started to welcome all our other attendees from across Canada and abroad! The day started off with some opening remarks from the CEO of Coldwell Banker Canada, Karim Kennedy, who gave an invigorating recap of the past year and had us all eagerly anticipating the upcoming months. Following that, Rob Goodings took the stage to present some very special milestones to our longest servicing broker/owners who have spent decades building trust and protecting the integrity of the brand. To finish off the opening ceremony, we had the absolute pleasure of hearing from Liz Gehringer, Acting President of Coldwell Banker Affiliate Business, COO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate & President and CEO of Anywhere Franchise Brands. 

 

 

Entrepreneur & Customer Service Expert Daniel Lewis closed out the day with his animated session Success by Design: Entrepreneurship & Success Mindset. Through this high energy and very inspirational presentation, Daniel taught us to reinstitute the mental and physical effort back into our jobs, become a real CEO (Catching Every Opportunity), and take responsibility for our attitudes and infuse passion, personality, and purpose into our work! 

 

       

 

Concurrent Breakout Sessions 

 

Morning Concurrent Sessions:  

Tara Clark – Conquering Social Media  

Ashli Komaryk – How Mastering the Art of Listening Grows Sales 

Brendon Ogmundson – The Path to Recovery in the Housing Market  

Dawn McLellan – Adding Yourself to Your Business: 3 ways to add you into CB Ignite 

 

Midday Concurrent Sessions:  

Tara Clark: Organic Social Media Content and Engagement  

Dan Wood: How to Get More Listings 

Ashley McClure: Harnessing the Power of an International Brand  

 

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions: 

Dan Wood: Artificial Intelligence & Real Estate  

Sharon Gowling: Building Relationships for Longterm Success 

Dan Richards: Direct Mail is Alive & Well 

Dan Spiegel: So you Want to be a Commercial Broker?  

 

June 1 – Full Network Day 2 

The networked reconvened bright and early on June 1 for the final day of Gen Blue Canada 2023 which is when Author & Client Engagement Expert Gerald Clerx took the stage to present The Engagement Style Matrix: The Science of Connecting with Your Clients. Gerald explained why it’s important to offer a property or service to clients in a way that aligns with the unique decision-making needs of that client using the principles of DISC, and how mastery of this skill enhances your ability to connect with your clients and increases your listing and selling success rate!

   

 

To close out the conference, we had the immense opportunity to hear from Two-Time Olympian and Motivational Speaker Cheryl Bernard! Cheryl inspired everyone in the audience as she elaborated on some of the lessons she wishes she could have shared with her younger self: ignore the outside noise and the opinions of others because, at the end of the day, it all comes down to whether or not you believe in yourself. 

 

 

Concurrent Breakout Sessions 

 

Morning Concurrent Breakout Sessions:  

Helen Stepchuk: Think Fresh. Keep it Cool. Grow.  

Angela Rossi: How to Rock Your Listing  

Katie Matthewman: The Home Staging Advantage  

Ish Ahmed: Managing Change with Balance 

 

Midday Concurrent Breakout Sessions  

Gerald Clerx: Mastering Client Negotiations  

Carla Kidd & Kaitlin McMurdo: Globalize Your Business: How to leverage the Coldwell Banker network to increase your income  

Dr. Cluny South: I feel it, I want it, I need it, I love it!  

Shaun Westlake: The Mortgage Talk: Guiding you Through Today’s Market  

 

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions 

Gerald Clerx: Mastering Client Presentations  

Bob Cella: A Winning Strategy  

Mike Catherall: How to Save a Fortune by Advertising with Your Brain  

Trevor Koot: Leading a Proactive Real Estate Industry  

 

June 1: VIP Mixer  

 

On the evening of June 1, we hosted a VIP Mixer for all our Gen Blue Canada attendees to close out the conference! The night was filled with fun & laughs as everyone came together to reconnect with fellow agents and make new connections over a wide selection of delicious hors d’oeuvres and much deserved drinks. Those who stayed until the end even got to witness the corporate team busting up some moves on the dance floor!  

 

        

 

All in all, Gen Blue Canada 2023 was a huge success, and it couldn’t have happened without our wonderful network. Thank you to everyone who attended, and for those who couldn’t, we hope to see you at Gen Blue Canada 2024!