Keeping It Rural Conference
About the event
Across North America and Western Europe, rural communities share many of the same issues and challenges. It can be both helpful and inspiring to hear how small rural communities, First Nations, and rural development organizations from outside and throughout BC have successfully strengthened their rural communities.
As a result, the BC Rural Centre will strive to organize and host a major rural development conference that profiles successful and innovative rural development initiatives.
Keynote Speaker & Workshop
Doug Griffiths
President & CEO, 13 Ways Inc.
Bestselling Author, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community | Community Enthusiast, Building and Consulting
Doug Griffiths is a wildly popular community strategist and author of two best-selling editions of “13 Ways to Kill Your Community”. He has supported, guided, and inspired hundreds of communities to create effective change. Whether through speaking and presentations or through advising and consulting, he is dedicated to helping communities across North America find their own pathway to success.
He grew up on a ranch outside a small town where he learned the value of hard work, critical thinking skills, and the value of community. That background led him into politics, but he insists he has since been through rehab and is fully recovered. His experience in politics gave him a deep understanding of how to move people and get things done. He deliberately retired from politics in January 2015, after serving for 13 years, to return to his passion for community building.
Griffiths has an Executive MBA and Honors B. A Philosophy Degree, as well as his Bachelor of Education, all from the University of Alberta where he has taught community and municipal leadership courses for elected officials and administration.
2024 Speakers & Panelists
We are super excited to have these humans share their wealth of knowledge, passions, and time with us at this year's conference.
The schedule
The three-day event is packed full of inspiration and ample networking opportunities. The schedule will be released here and will also be sent out to our mailing list and those who have registered for the conference.
We can confirm that the conference will start on Tuesday, June 10th at 12noon and wrap up on Thursday, June 12th at 12noon.
The venue
How we select a location:
We select a location that is easily accessible for attendees from both within the province and beyond. While this may not always be in a rural area—given the real capacity challenges many rural communities face—we aim to avoid placing any burden on smaller towns. We focus on choosing a central venue with suitable amenities to ensure a memorable and successful conference, that is also affordable. If your community is interested in hosting the conference, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Reserve Your Room
KEEPING IT RURAL > BC RURAL CENTRE EVENT
Start Date: Tuesday, June 10th, 2025
End Date: Thursday, June 12th, 2025
Room Block Discount Booking Deadline: May 14th, 2025
Four Points by Sheraton Kelowna Airport starting from:
- $169 per night
- $10 Parking per day
JOIN US AT THE 2025 KEEPING IT RURAL CONFERENCE
What people say about it
The power of the people in the room. It feels much more connected when there aren't breakouts. At every Keeping It Rural Conference I feel like I'm part of a team, in a room with others who have energy & vision to make change
Vicki
Southern Interior
It's a great place for people who are living and working in rural communities to come together to share their concerns and feel heard. It was very uplifting to hear about all the good work that's happening around our province and learn about new opportunities to try!
Rebecca
Kootenay Boundary
I get more out of this conference than all the rest combined.
Brad
Northern BC (PRRD)
The conference brings together so many passionate community leaders and experts looking to learn, connect, and grow rural BC.
Kyle
Cooperatives First
Ability to check in with rural counterparts And see what their challenges are and how we can all collaborate together in one voice to either the provincial and federal governments and work towards solutions!
Steve
Cariboo
If you live in a rural community and care about sustaining the quality of life you have come to know and cherish - then you can't miss this event! The connections made and topics covered are of huge value to any rural decision-maker and resident.
Reginald
West Kootenay
The Keeping It Rural Conference is an incredible opportunity to network, learn new things, and show our passion for rural living. Rural communities depend on each other in more ways than can be described, yet often need access to information that is not readily available to do so. Conferences like this bring us together to share what we know and to bring it back to better the lives of those who we call our community. An incredible experience!
Arin
West Kootenay
Keeping It Rural means we are restoring our water and environment and our relationship with First Nations to live, work, and support each other for our communities and economy.
Judy
Thompson Nicola
The BC Rural Centre hosted an incredible event. The value of attending is still being used today, as we navigate through an ever-changing world. I look forward to being able to see the innovative ideas brought forth at the next event.
Kimberlee
South Okanagan
Sponsorship
Consider signing on as a Sponsor of the Keeping it Rural Conference. The BC Rural Centre's commitment lies in fostering sustainable development, empowering local businesses, and preserving the unique lifestyle that thrives in rural areas. Your supporting this conference, will amplify voices from these communities, ensuring they have a platform to address challenges, share successes, and inspire innovative solutions. Through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and actionable initiatives, we strive to cultivate a brighter future where rural communities flourish and thrive. Together, we embrace the spirit of rural resilience and champion the importance of Keeping it Rural.
Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors!
Our Past Partnerships and Sponsors
