Remembering elder Joe Meconse as he leads the Grand Entry into the Vision Quest 2017 banquet.
By Trevor Greyeyes
Vision Quest, an Indigenous business conference, crossed my mind lately because it is usually hosted in May and did not recall seeing any mention of this long running gathering.
Long story short, the 2020 Vision Quest Conference & Trade Show was cancelled due to COVID 19.
However, a recent email that I received announced that Vision Quest 2021 will be hosted online on October 20 & 21, 2021.
So, I sent off some questions and got some answers back.
Carol Johnston, Vice Chair, Vision Quest Conference
Why is Vision Quest going virtual?
In light of the ongoing pandemic, and uncertainty as to what the next few months will bring, we thought it would be best – and safest for our delegates – to move to a virtual format for the 2021 Vision Quest Conference. We are still committed to bringing the Conference to our delegates and we felt this is a great way to continue providing valuable information and opportunities to develop and support inspired and sustainable Indigenous communities.
Is Vision Quest going virtual a permanent move?
Like everyone else, we at Vision Quest are anticipating that life will soon be ‘back to normal’ and so it would be our goal for 2022 to return to an in-person conference and trade show once again in celebration of our 25th anniversary!
How will it work moving to a virtual conference?
Our virtual conference this year will still feature all of the components that our delegates have come to know and love – informative workshops about business, community, and economic development, a youth program, keynote speakers, entertainment, and cultural presentations. Although we won’t have a trade show component this year, exhibitors have an opportunity to showcase their product/service in our Conference program that will be distributed to all registered delegates.
What are you looking forward to the most for this year’s Vision Quest?
We very much are looking forward to bringing our presenters from across the country and our own home-grown Manitoba entertainers into the homes, offices and classrooms of our delegates. We are also excited to introduce Vision Quest to a broader audience from across the country and beyond, allowing more delegates to experience Vision Quest without the expense of travel.