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DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260222T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260222T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20251201T054449Z
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UID:3569-1771776000-1771790400@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:OCCA 2026 SPRING LANTERN FESTIVAL
DESCRIPTION:OCCA SPRING LANTERN FESTIVAL 2026 \nTHE TASTE OF LUNAR NEW YEAR -Kelowna’s Biggest Indoor Cultural Feast & Fun. \nSecure your Ticket now!  \nMore info about the SLF 2026: https://occaevent.com/ \n \n\nCelebrate the 2026 Spring Lantern Festival & Year of the Horse\nCelebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse at Kelowna’s largest indoor Spring Lantern Festival\, hosted by OCCA Communities Association. This one-night event brings together vibrant multicultural performances\, authentic food\, and hands-on family fun in a welcoming\, community-focused setting. \nFor food lovers\, this year introduces authentic Chinese New Year dishes available in Kelowna. The $29 Standard Ticket includes a full 3-dish festival meal\, while the $85 High Value Ticket provides a complete culinary experience\, extended cultural activities\, and a meaningful contribution to community programming—including a $50 tax receipt. \n📍 Location: Kelowna Events Centre (2041 Harvey Ave\, Kelowna) \n🗓 Date: Sunday\, February 22\, 2026 | 4:00–8:00 PM (Doors open 3:30 PM) \n👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Environment: Indoor · Family-friendly · All ages welcome \n\nFestival Highlights \n\n🎭 Live Performances: Multicultural shows including Dragon & Lion Dances\n🥟 Cultural Workshops: Dumpling-making\, lantern crafts\, Chinese calligraphy and much more.\n🤖 STEM & Play: Interactive robot board games for kids and families.\n🎨 Kids’ Zone: Face painting and hands-on activities in our expanded family zones.\n📸 Festive photo booth:  featuring traditional costumes\n🧋 Exclusive Treats: including festival-exclusive  drinks.\, special snacks  and much more\n🎟 Luck & Fun: Prize draws and a 50/50 Raffle throughout the evening.\n\nThis year’s festival features a bigger venue\, expanded family zones\, and more interactive activities\, making it an easy and enjoyable night out for families across Kelowna. \n\n🎟 Tickets are required for entry. Please purchase your tickets here or via the City of Kelowna ticketing platform: theboxoffice.ca. \n\nStandard Ticket ($29): Includes 3 authentic Chinese New Year dishes with your entrance ticket.\nHigh Value Ticket ($85): Includes three authentic Chinese New Year dishes\, a $50 donation tax receipt\, and an activity ticket bundle (valued at $15+) for event games or snacks.\nChild Ticket (Under 12): Includes three authentic Chinese New Year dishes with entry.\nKids Under 5: Free entry.\n\n\nFor booth and sponsorship opportunities\, contact events@occabc.ca . \n \n  \nMore info about the SLF 2026: https://occaevent.com/
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/occa-2026-spring-lantern-festival/
LOCATION:Kelowna Events Centre\, 2041 Harvey Ave\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1Y 6G7\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260225T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260225T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260225T221902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T021439Z
UID:4094-1772042400-1772049600@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs Session 5: Customer Service & Sales Skills in a Canadian Context
DESCRIPTION:Are you ready to strengthen your customer service and turn great service into real sales? \nJoin us for “Customer Service & Sales Skills in a Canadian Context” — a practical and empowering session designed for women entrepreneurs who want to build trust\, confidence\, and loyal customers in Canada. \n📅 Feb 25\, 2026 (Wed) | 6:00–8:00 PM | Zoom \n✨ In this session\, you will learn:\n• How to communicate professionally and confidently\n• Canadian customer service etiquette and expectations\n• How to build strong customer relationships\n• How excellent service naturally leads to successful sales \nFacilitated by Clara Val & Kathy Crocker\, this interactive webinar will provide real-life insights and practical strategies you can apply immediately to your business. \nWhether you are just starting out or looking to grow\, strong customer relationships are the foundation of long-term success. 💼🤝 \nRegister now and invest in your business growth! \nIf you already registered\, please check your email for the Zoom link. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \nClara’s bio: \nClara Val is a marketing strategist and brand consultant who helps businesses and founders clarify their message\, build trust online\, and turn visibility into meaningful growth. With a background in branding\, content strategy\, and community-building\, Clara specializes in simplifying marketing so it feels aligned\, intentional\, and sustainable (and not overwhelming or performative). \nHer work focuses on helping business owners clearly articulate what they do\, who they serve\, and why they’re the right choice\, with a particular emphasis on brand positioning\, strategy\, and content systems that support long-term momentum. Clara’s approach blends strategic marketing with an understanding of human behavior\, making her work especially effective for entrepreneurs who want their marketing to feel authentic\, confident\, and values-driven. \nThrough 1:1 consulting\, Clara supports clients in refining their messaging\, strengthening their online presence\, and creating clear\, actionable marketing plans that are realistic to implement alongside busy lives and growing businesses. She is known for her grounded\, practical style and her ability to help clients move from feeling stuck or scattered to feeling focused\, confident\, and clear in how they show up. \nClara currently works with founders\, creatives\, and service-based businesses who want their marketing to feel more human\, more intentional\, and more effective.
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/women-entrepreneurs-session-5/
LOCATION:Online\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260305T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260305T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260227T232932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T021058Z
UID:4111-1772733600-1772740800@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs Session 6: Build Partnerships & Connect with Local Communities
DESCRIPTION:Ready to grow your business through real community connections? \nJoin We Thrive BC – Women’s Entrepreneurship Program | Session 6 and discover how strong local partnerships can directly fuel your sales\, visibility\, and long-term growth. \nIn this practical and engaging webinar\, you’ll learn how to: \n\nStrategic Relationship-Building – Identifying aligned partners and creating mutually beneficial collaborations that support long-term growth\nCommunity Engagement & Visibility – Building trust and presence through authentic participation in local networks\, events\, and initiatives\nValue-Driven Partnerships – Offering clear value in every collaboration\, not just seeking support but contributing meaningfully\nSustainable Connection Strategies – Turning relationships into long-term partnerships through consistency\, communication\, and shared purpose\n\nStrong community ties and smart partnerships don’t just feel good — they drive revenue and sustainable growth. Your next customer may already be in your network. \n📅 March 5\, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM💻 Online via Zoom | FREE🔗 Register today and start building partnerships that grow your business. \nIf you already registered\, please check your email for the Zoom link. \nFacilitator:Samantha Wedlund \n \nSamantha Wedlund is an award-winning entrepreneur\, speaker\, and CEO of Success 21 Salon in Kelowna\, BC\, recognized as Best of Kelowna in 2023 and 2024. She is also the founder of Samantha Elevates 21\, a mentorship platform that provides entrepreneurs with mindset strategies and execution frameworks to build purpose-driven businesses. As the Professional Development Director for Kelowna Women in Business and a Top 40 Under 40 recipient\, Samantha is passionate about leadership\, community partnerships\, and helping women achieve financial independence.
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/women-entrepreneurs-session-6/
LOCATION:Online\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260311T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260311T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260307T072309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260307T072817Z
UID:4179-1773252000-1773259200@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs Session 7: Practical AI Tools for Entrepreneurs
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an engaging online workshop designed to help entrepreneurs discover practical ways to use AI in their daily business operations. \nIn this session\, Dan (Danny) Fan will introduce simple and effective AI tools that can help small business owners save time\, improve productivity\, and work more efficiently. Participants will learn how AI can support tasks such as marketing\, research\, customer communication\, and everyday business management. \nThis workshop is designed especially for minority and equity-deserving entrepreneurs\, including newcomers and racialized small business owners\, and no technical background is required. \nThrough clear explanations and live demonstrations\, you will learn: \n• What AI can (and cannot) do for your business• How to write effective prompts using a simple framework• Practical AI tools for marketing\, research\, customer replies\, and daily tasks• Real business use cases you can apply right away \n📅 Date: Tuesday\, March 11\, 2026⏰ Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Pacific Time | Kelowna)💻 Format: Online via Zoom🎤 Facilitator: Dan (Danny) Fan \nWhat you will get \n1. Understanding AI: \nWhat It Is and What It Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Business \nA simple introduction to how modern AI works\, where it comes from\, and how AI assistants generate responses. This section explores practical ways AI can support daily business operations such as research\, content creation\, and customer communication\, while also highlighting its limitations. \n2. Designing Prompts That Actually Work\nLearn a simple framework for writing clear\, tailored prompts that generate useful\, business-specific results. Through practical examples\, participants will see how better prompts can dramatically improve AI outputs without requiring any technical background. \n3. AI Tools in Action: Live Demonstrations and Business Use Cases\nHands-on demonstrations of modern AI tools and features\, including AI copilots\, real-time voice interaction\, and AI-assisted project creation. Participants will see how entrepreneurs can apply these tools for marketing ideas\, quick research\, and everyday business tasks. \n🔗 Register Now \nIf you already registered\, please check your email for the Zoom link.
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/women-entrepreneurs-session-7/
LOCATION:Online\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260314T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260314T150000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260210T203729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T223234Z
UID:4020-1773496800-1773500400@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:OCCA 16th Free Tax Filing Seminar – Learn to File Your Taxes with Confidence
DESCRIPTION:OCCA is pleased to support the 16th Free Tax Filing Seminar\, a practical and beginner-friendly session designed to help community members confidently manage their personal tax returns in Canada. \nThis free seminar introduces participants to free tax-filing software and guides them step by step on how to complete their tax returns independently. In addition\, OCCA will provide on-site tax-filing support for low-income individuals and families\, ensuring access to free and reliable assistance. \nThe session is ideal for newcomers\, families\, students\, and anyone looking for a clearer\, more stress-free tax-filing experience. \n📅 Event Details \nDate: Saturday\, March 14\, 2026\nTime: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM\nFormat: Hybrid – Online (Microsoft Teams) & In-person ( Landmark 6\, Kelowna)\nCost: Free (registration required) \n  \n📌 What You’ll Learn \n\nHow to use easy tax-filing software step by step\nCommon tax issues and how to avoid mistakes\nLive Q&A with experienced tax and financial professionals\nOn-site tax-filing support for low-income individuals and families  (3:00 pm-4:00 pm)\n\n  \n👩‍🏫 Guest Speakers \n\nZhengjun Liang\, CPA® – International Certified Senior Accountant\, Manager at RHN CPA\, with over 20 years of professional experience\nLingna Cai\, CFP® – International Certified Financial Planner\, Senior Advisor at IGM\, with 15 years of experience in major Canadian banks\, demonstrating how to complete a tax return in just 3 minutes\n\n🌐 Language & Accessibility \n\nSeminar delivered in Chinese\nAI-powered simultaneous English subtitles provided\n\n🎟 This event is free and open to the public.\n📌 In-person seats are limited—early registration is encouraged.\n🎁 A limited number of participants will also have the opportunity to receive free one-on-one consultations on a first-come\, first-served basis. \n👉 Register for the Seminar now:\nhttps://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1288822565989?aff=oddtdtcreator \n👉 Register for One-on-One Consultation (On-Site): Register for One-on-One   \n \n\nOCCA 第十六届免费报税讲座｜轻松学会自己报税 \nOCCA 很高兴支持并举办 第十六届免费报税讲座。本次讲座是一场实用、易懂、适合初学者的社区活动，旨在帮助社区居民更有信心地完成加拿大个人报税。 \n本次 免费讲座 将向参与者介绍免费的报税软件，并以清晰的步骤讲解如何自行完成报税。同时，OCCA 也将为符合条件的低收入个人及家庭提供现场免费报税支持. \n本活动适合新移民、家庭、学生，以及任何希望拥有更清楚、更轻松报税体验的朋友。 \n  \n📅 活动信息 \n日期： 2026 年 3 月 14 日（周六）\n时间： 下午 2:00 – 3:00\n形式： 线上（Microsoft Teams）＋ 线下同步进行（ Landmark 6）\n费用： 全程免费（需提前报名） \n  \n📌 讲座内容 \n\n手把手教学：使用简单易用的报税软件完成个人报税\n常见报税问题解析，避免常见错误\n税务与理财专家现场答疑\n为到场低收入个人及家庭提供现场免费报税支持\n\n🎁 一对一报税支持：点击登记 \n👩‍🏫 主讲嘉宾 \n\n梁正君 CPA®\n国际注册高级会计师，RHN CPA 会计师事务所经理，拥有 20 年专业会计与报税经验\n蔡凌娜 CFP®\n国际注册金融策划师，IGM 高级理财顾问，金融管理双硕士，15 年加拿大五大银行工作经验，现场示范 3 分钟自己搞定报税\n\n  \n🌐 语言与无障碍服务 \n\n中文讲解\nAI 英文字幕同步翻译，方便不同语言背景的参与者\n\n🎟 活动完全免费，欢迎公众参加\n📌 线下名额有限，建议提前报名\n🎁 免费一对一咨询或报税协助 （3:00pm-4:00pm）（先到先得） \n👉 立即报名讲座：\nhttps://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1288822565989?aff=oddtdtcreator \n👉 现场一对一咨询登记：点击登记
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/16th-ftax-filing-seminar/
LOCATION:landmark 6\, Kelowna\, BC\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260317T053000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260317T193000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260312T004639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T004704Z
UID:4204-1773725400-1773775800@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:JCF Expansion Workshop Session 10: From Busy to Brilliant\, A Practical Guide to Goals That Stick
DESCRIPTION:Do you often feel busy all day but not make real progress toward your goals? \nIn this practical and interactive workshop\, you will learn simple strategies to set clear goals\, manage your time more effectively\, and stay focused on what truly matters in your career and daily life. \nThrough guided reflection\, real-life examples\, and practical tools\, you will leave the session with a clear action plan you can start using immediately. \n  \n📅 Workshop Details \nDate: Tuesday\, March 17\, 2026 \nTime: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM \nLocation: Kelowna Downtown Library \n📍 1380 Ellis St\, Kelowna\, BC V1Y 2A2 \nFacilitator: Mike Penninga \n  \n🎯 What You Will Learn \n✔ How to set clear and achievable goals for your career and personal growth \n✔ How to manage your time effectively and avoid feeling overwhelmed \n✔ How to stay motivated and focused even when facing challenges \n  \n🎁 Participant Benefits \n\nFree workshop (no interview required)\n$25 Gift Card for participants who attend (limited quantity\, first-come\, first-served)\n\n👉  Register Now! \nOr scan the QR code on the poster to register \n \n  \n 
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/jcf-expansion-workshop-session-10-from-busy-to-brilliant-a-practical-guide-to-goals-that-stick/
LOCATION:Okanagan Regional Library 2nd Floor Great Room\, 1380 Ellis St.\, Kelowna\, BC\, V1Y 2A2\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260321T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260321T143000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260324T012059Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T012708Z
UID:4241-1774089000-1774103400@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs Vernon Gathering
DESCRIPTION:Our We Thrive BC women entrepreneur support program will be concluding with its final sessions over the next couple of weeks\, and our community greatly appreciates the valuable support provided by WeBC. An in-person gathering in Vernon is scheduled for March 21\, and I wonder if any member of your team would be interested in attending. There will be 24 participants\, and a free lunch will be provided.  \nWomen Entrepreneurs Gathering in Vernon\nDate: Saturday\, March 21\, 2026\nTime: 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM\nLocation: Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant\n3315 30th Ave\, Vernon\, BC \nThis in-person gathering is a welcoming opportunity for women to connect\, share experiences\, exchange ideas\, and build meaningful local relationships. \nFree lunch will be provided. \nRegistration is required to attend. \nhttps://forms.office.com/r/EuHQp9pL1P?origin=lprLink \n  \n \n 
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/women-entrepreneurs-vernon-gathering/
LOCATION:Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant\, 1460 Inkar Rd\, Kelowna\, British Columbia\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260331T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260331T200000
DTSTAMP:20260408T114652
CREATED:20260331T054507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T054636Z
UID:4272-1774980000-1774987200@occabc.ca
SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs Session 8: AI Tools for Everyday Business: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs
DESCRIPTION:Doing everything yourself in your business? \nNo marketing team. No designer. No extra time. \n\nIf creating content\, making visuals\, replying to clients\, and staying organized keeps piling up\, this free webinar is for you. \n\n\nJoin Session 8 of the We Thrive BC Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and learn practical ways AI can help you save time\, create faster\, and handle everyday business tasks more efficiently. \n\n\n✅ Create content more quickly\n✅ Make simple visuals without starting from scratch\n✅ Improve outreach and communication\n✅ Reduce time spent on admin and daily tasks \n\n\nCompletely free to attend \n\n\n📅 March 31\, 2026\n🕕 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM\n💻 Online via Zoom\n🎟️ Free registration required \n👩‍🏫 Facilitator: A K M Amanat Ullah \nTopics: \nManaging social media. Use AI to write post captions and suggest hashtags. Take one piece of content and adapt it for Instagram\, Facebook\, and LinkedIn instead of writing three separate posts. Generate simple graphics with AI image tools such as Canva and Gemini. \nEmail. Draft professional emails faster for replies\, follow-ups\, or initial reach out. Summarize long email threads so you can summarize and understand what are the requirements. Build reusable templates for the messages you send most often: inquiries\, invoices\, thank you. \nTo-do lists and productivity. Hand AI a messy list of everything on your plate and get back an organized plan sorted by urgency. Break a big goal (“launch my online store”) into actual steps you can work through day by day. \nManaging your calendar. Use Calendars to find open slots\, avoid double-booking\, and block off time for focused work. Set reminders for deadlines so nothing slips through. \nMarketing. Write product descriptions and ad copy without staring at a blank page. Come up with campaign ideas aimed at your local audience. Put together a simple email newsletter. Figure out who your target customers actually are using a few well-crafted prompts. \nTranslating content to English. Translate business materials (menus\, flyers\, product labels) into clear English. Check grammar and tone so everything reads professionally. Create bilingual (both English and a different language such as Chinese) social media posts for multilingual audiences. \nCollecting news\, ideas\, and opportunities. Get AI to pull together summaries of industry trends. Search for local grants\, events\, and networking opportunities you might otherwise miss. Look into what competitors are doing or whether a new market is worth exploring. \nAnalyzing information and planning. Summarize customer feedback or survey responses to spot patterns. Compare pricing or supplier options side by side. Draft a simple business plan or pitch outline. Make sense of basic financial numbers without a spreadsheet headache. \n\n  \nA K M Amanat Ullah\nA K M Amanat Ullah is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia\, with over four years of university-level teaching experience. He has taught courses in Human-Computer Interaction\, Machine Architecture\, and Parallel Computing at UBC\, and has lectured at multiple universities. His research focuses on user interaction and emerging technologies including virtual reality. Amanat has published 15 papers\, including work at top venues such as ACM CHI and IEEE VR. He is also a VR developer and has experience building practical technology solutions for healthcare and housing. \n\n 
URL:https://occabc.ca/event/women-entrepreneurs-session-8/
LOCATION:Online\, Canada
ORGANIZER;CN="OCCA":MAILTO:programs@occabc.ca
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