There are a great many Small Business Week events happening across the province. Here's only a small sampling of what's going on.

The Saint-Laurent Branch of the BDC, in cooperation with the Chambre de commerce de Saint-Laurent, has organized a Small Business Week Lunchtime Seminar for October 23. The topic is "The Power of Innovation at the Heart of Small Business Growth". For more information, contact Anne Bastide Account Manager of the Entrepreneurship Center at (514) 496-8047.

The CCIL Lunchtime Seminar takes place at the Château Royal de Laval at 11:30 a.m. on October 24. Michel Vennat, BDC President and Chief Executive Officer, will speak on “Reinventing Business” at this lunchtime seminar, organized by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Laval and the BDC. The cost is $62 per person (including taxes). Contact Lucie Sigouin-Cousineau at the BDC at (450) 973-6881 or Chantal Dauphinais at CCIL: (450) 682-5255 (extension 222) to learn more.

"Business: A Question of Passion" is the theme of the Montérégie Young Entrepreneurs Day on October 24. Organized by Montérégie LDC, this event in Beloeil at the L'Hostellerie Rive-Gauche will feature exhibits by young entrepreneurs and partners, a panel discussion led by Michel Benoit, and a cocktail party. Contact your Local Development Centre to register, or François Bouchard, Manager of the Entrepreneurship Center, at (450) 928-4506 for more information.

Speaking of cocktails, the Montréal branch of the BDC is having an after-work cocktail for business contacts and new customers at 5:00 p.m. on October 25. For more information, call (514) 283-5858.

October 25 is also the date of a conference on exports at the Château Royal in Laval. Titled "Nevada: The Export Gateway to the Western U.S.", this event starts at 8:00 a.m. and features speaker Claude Venne, President and Founder of Vision Export Marketing. The conference is organized by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Laval, and costs $30 per person. You can get the details from Chantal Dauphinais of the CCIL at (450) 682-5255 (extension 222).

Guy Roberge, Senior Consultant of Groupe RH Plus, presents an interactive workshop called The Secret of Champions: Coaching at 8:30 a.m. on October 25 at the Château Royal in Laval. Cost is $25 per person. As this workshop is also organized by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Laval, the contact information is the same; call Chantal Dauphinais of the CCIL at (450) 682-5255 (extension 222).

Looking to become more productive? Why not attend Productivity Day at the Château Cartier in Hull on October 26? This one-day seminar is being presented as a cooperative effort of CED, the MICQ, Emploi-Québec and the NRCC, and will feature workshops on leadership, benchmarking, added-value production, technology, e-business, and quality management. Contact organizer Normand Coulombe, Manager, Consulting Services, at (819) 953-7639.

And if you're interested in Science and Innovation Policy in Québec, you'll want to know about the Breakfast Seminar at the Château Royal in Laval October 26 at 8 a.m.. Mr. David Cliche, Minister for Research, Science and Technology and Minister responsible for the Laval region, will be speaking. The event is organized by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Laval and costs $25 per person. Contact Chantal Dauphinais at (450) 682-5255 (extension 222).