2015/16 Event Announcements!

Along with a number of new events and event formats this season, we're thrilled to be launching our 6th Bon Mot Book Club season in Vancouver! 

More information is available in our Upcoming Events page, but our Book Club line up already includes:

- Pullitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist David Brooks on his best-selling book The Road to Character 

- Author, Inventor & Futurist Ray Kurzweil on artificial intelligence

- and...there's still time to ask for your "members choice" selections: Red Notice author Bill Browder? Daniel Pink? Simon Sinek? Let us know!

As always, please let us know who you would like to see and what topics you'd like to discuss....

Get your advance Bon Mot Book Club series passes now!

Please visit our Upcoming Events page for information on all of our upcoming events, including Book Sandwiched In authors Sean Silcoff on The Rise & Fall of BlackBerry and Virginia Postrel on The Power of Glamour (in politics).

As well, we will be announcing new events often, so please check back regularly to see what we have in store for you!

In the meantime, happy reading!

Leah :)

The 26th Annual Women's Media Golf Classic

Monday, September 21, 2015
Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy

We are so excited to be helping Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia organize this year's Women's Media Golf Classic!

A message from the organizer:

Each year we gather a group of Vancouver's most fun-loving & dynamic women, some in media (and some not), to raise money for a cause near and dear to my heart - The Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation.

The theme for this year is WHOLE IN ONE - the new centre will provide a wide range of services and programs all under one roof!

Whether you are an avid golfer or a newbie, we encourage you to gather a group of your BFF’s, colleagues and/or clients to join us on the course for a great day in the sun and support this amazing new facility.

Some of what we have in store for you this year...
Champagne Breakfast
Celebrity Media Golfers
On-Course Entertainment
Ambassador Caddies
Children’s Dream Wishes
Silent, Online & Live Auctions
Special 26th Anniversary Gifts & Prizes

Your registration includes:
Vancouver Trolley Complimentary Transportation & Parking
Green Fees
Champagne Breakfast
Specialty Food Themed Holes
Grand Prize Draw Ticket
All Taxes & Gratuities

Following the tournament, a gala banquet will be held at our newly opened C|Prime restaurant, located in the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa.

You can register here - I look forward to seeing you there!

Warm Regards,

Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia
Founder, The Pacific Autism Family Centre​


Program:
VIP Trolley Ride & Champagne Breakfast
11:00 am - 4:30 pm Tournament
VIP Trolley back to The Century Plaza
5:30 pm Banquet Dinner & Auction at C|Prime

Ticket Information:
Gala Ticket - $150
Gala & Golf Ticket - $250
Six-Some: Golf & Banquet group of 6 - $1500

For information and/or tickets, please contact Anna at 604-227-3563 or anna@leahcostello.com or register online.

Eco-Pragmatist Canadian Tour with Alex Epstein in the news!

We had great success touring Alex Epstein across Canada to talk about his book, The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels. We attracted great turnouts with stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal & Ottawa! We are hoping to host Alex in additional Canadian cities this fall - please contact us to let us know if you are interested in supporting this!

In the meantime, this tour generated a lot of media coverage - here are some of the articles written about the Alex's visit and what he had to say during the events:

June 2015

CANADIAN MINING & ENERGY

Celebrated author injects some balance into the debate about energy, the environment and the economy

Author: Keith Powell

http://www.miningandexploration.ca/mininginsider/article/celebrated_author_injects_some_balance_into_the_debate_about_energy_the_env/

June 16, 2015

THE VANCOUVER SUN

Does Mother Nature Compromise?

Eco-pragmatism: Seeking middle ground between human progress and the environment

Author: Pete McMartin

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Pete+McMartin+Does+Mother+Nature+Compromise/11142092/story.html

Full recorded interview & Alex’s Response to The Vancouver Sun article via Twitter: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Placing+restrictions+fossil+fuel+consumption+reducing+drastically+would+billions+lives+prematurely+says+Alex+Epstein+spoke+Vancouver+Monday/11142094/story.html

June 16, 2015

THE NATIONAL POST

Carbon Week: The G7s immoral no-carbon pledge

Author: Alex Epstein, Special to Financial Post

http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/carbon-week-the-g7s-immoral-no-carbon-pledge

June 17, 2015

THE NATIONAL POST

Carbon Week: Moses Znaimer’s ideacity shocker

Author: Terence Corcoran

http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/carbon-week-moses-znaimers-ideacity-shocker

June 18, 2015

THE CALGARY HERALD

Energy opponents overlook industry’s positive impacts

Author: Deborah Yedlin

http://calgaryherald.com/business/energy/energy-opponents-overlook-humanist-aspect

June 20, 2015

REBEL MEDIA

Alex Epstein: The moral case for fossil fuels (that the pope needs to hear)

Interview by: Ezra Levant

http://www.therebel.media/alex_epstein

June 23, 2015

OURWINDSOR.CA

When it comes to climate change not all opinions are valid, scientists say

Author: Robin Levinson King

http://www.ourwindsor.ca/community-story/5692405-when-it-comes-to-climate-change-not-all-opinions-are-valid-scientists-say/

June 24, 2015

ALBERTA OIL MAGAZINE

Why the moral case for fossil fuels isn’t one we should make

(in response to Deborah Yedlin’s article)

Author: Max Fawcett

http://www.albertaoilmagazine.com/2015/06/why-the-moral-case-for-fossil-fuels-isnt-one-we-should-make/

June 24, 2015

THE NATIONAL POST (National Edition)

The Sheer Ideacity!

Author: Peter Foster

http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/peter-foster-the-sheer-ideacity

Canadian Tour: The Moral Case For Fossil Fuels with Alex Epstein


“If you want to see the power of fine logic, fine writing, and fine research, read Epstein’s book. In my long career, it is simply the best popular-market book about climate, environmental policy, and energy that I have read. Laymen and experts alike will be boggled by Epstein’s clarity.”

 —PATRICK J. MICHAELS

Director, Center for the Study of Science

Cato Institute

For decades, we’ve been told that using fossil fuels is a self-destructive addiction that will destroy us along with our planet. But using them has improved every measure of human well-being from life expectancy to clean water to climate safety. Civilization has flourished in food production, healthcare innovation, communication, transportation, technology creation and much more.

  

In The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, energy expert Alex Epstein presents that the moral significance of cheap and reliable energy is woefully undervalued in the court of public opinion. In the current debate, advocates address only the downside instead of also focusing on the positive, life-enhancing benefits of fossil fuels; their decidedly unique ability to support a world of seven billion people.

Additionally, while it’s impossible for resource development to have zero impact and risk on the environment, we are seeing exponential improvements in stewardship and innovation. Innovation that may one day provide practical and “greener” alternatives.  

How does the wealth created from using fossil fuels contribute to this? Given the considerations of both human and environmental realities, what is the impact on the environment and human progress if those innovation investments are curtailed?

Is it time to change the discussion from being an “either the economy or the environment” to one that includes a broader view and incorporates all needs, present and future? Drawing on original insights and cutting-edge research, Epstein argues that yes, the time has come.


Monday, June 15, 2015 – Vancouver (Lunch)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015 – Calgary (Lunch)

Friday, June 19, 2015 – Toronto (ideacity Conference)

Monday, June 22, 2015 – Montreal (Lunch)

Tuesday, June 23, 2015 – Ottawa (Lunch)


Program:

11:45 am - Registration

12:15 pm - Lunch Program, Q&A

1:45 pm -  Wrap Up

Ticket Information:

Lunch Ticket - $99

Table of 10 - $990

Lunch Ticket w/ signed book - $129

VIP Table of 10 w/ signed books - $1290

Sponsor Table - $2500 (includes VIP Table of 10, signed books for all of your guests & logo recognition on all of our marketing materials & onsite)

Vancouver - Purchase Online

Calgary - Purchase Online

Ottawa - Purchase Online

Montreal - Purchase Online

Or purchase you tickets by contacting Anna Kobuladze at 603-277-3563 or anna@leahcostello.com.

For more information on supporting our cross country tour please contact Septima Yasinowski 227-3576 or septima@leahcostello.com.

(CAL) A Conversation with Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Antifragile: 

Things That Gain from Disorder

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Metropolitan Centre

“The Black Swan changed my view of how the world works.” – Daniel Kahneman

“Idiosyncratically brilliant.” – Niall Ferguson

Black Swan author Nassim Taleb has devoted his life to immersing him- self in problems of luck, randomness, human error, probability and the philosophy of knowledge. His latest book, Antifragile, introduces the idea of how to exploit disorder and chaos and benefit from Black Swans.

His unique philosophy on how to manage businesses and markets in the face of unexpected and random events has made him a guru within the financial community and those involved in analyzing risk.

Many cutting-edge leaders integrate his ideas into their own strategic thinking. Beyond that, he’s a terrific writer–he’s as compelling as Mal- colm Gladwell combined with the dry wit of Sam Harris.

Taleb talks about 3 kinds of organizations/portfolios:

1. Fragile – breaks down in the face of stress, volatility and unexpected occurances (such as drops in commodity prices);

2. Robust – can withstand pressure and are resilient but don’t gain; and 3. Antifragile – organizations/portfolios that thrive because they’re structured to profit from stress and volatility.

We think that you will agree with Bloomberg that Nassim Taleb is one of the Top 50 Most Influential Thinkers in the world!

Tuesday, April 15, 2015
The Metropolitan Centre 333 - 4th Avenue SW, Calgary
11:45 am Sponsor Reception
11:45 am Patron Reception (concurrent)
12:15 pm Lunch & Program
1:30 pm Wrap Up

Online: Purchase Tickets
Email: anna@leahcostello.com
Phone: 604-227-3563 

$89 – Patron Ticket 

$119 - Patron Ticket & Signed copy of book
$199 - Sponsor Ticket & Signed copy of book

The Art of War: Empire Building for the Ambitious with Moses Znaimer, Media Pioneer & Owner, ZoomerMedia

There are few industries where an entrepreneur can develop more battle scars than the media business, particularly as the industry reels from disruption after disruption as the world goes mobile.
To say that Moses Znaimer is a media pioneer is to vastly understate the innovation and creativity that he has brought to his businesses. Founder of some 20 popular television channels and stations including CityTV and MuchMusic, in 2008 Marketing Magazine named Moses one of the Top 10 Canadian Media Moguls of the Past 100 Years.

He recently acquired the broadcasting assets of the Vision TV Group and also made headlines in trying to salvage the struggling Sun News Network. Currently he is the Founder and CEO of ZoomerMedia Limited, a unique multi-
media company devoted to Canada’s (large and wealthy) aging demographic.

About the Series
Playing with the theses in Sun Tzu’s book on military strategy, we engage prominent business leaders in conversation around how they have successfully (and unsuccessfully) used these tactics. We also dig deep into the raw, emotional side of leadership, exploring how each have worked through their own vulnerabilities, fears and personal challenges.
The format is an unadulterated, engaging conversation with the speaker and then a dynamic Q&A with the audience. For those who want more, they can participate in a small private roundtable dinner with the speaker to round out the evening.

Monday, March 23, 2015 The Rennie Group
Wing Sang Gallery
51 East Pender Street

4:00 pm Registration
4:30 pm Conversation with Q&A
5:30 pm Cocktails & Networking
6:30 pm (Optional) Private Roundtable Dinner with Speaker at L’Abbatoir (20 ppl)

$99 – Program Ticket 
$350 – Program & Dinner Ticket 
Online: Purchase Tickets
Email: anna@leahcostello.com
Phone: 604-227-3563 

Democracy & Human Rights:Why Canadians Should Care about China with Martin Lee 

Founding Chairman, Democratic Party of Hong Kong

Friday, March 13, 2015

The Vancouver Club

UBC Room, 3^rd Floor 
11:45 am  Registration & Casual Lunch 
12:15 pm  Presentation & Discussion 
1:30 pm   Wrap Up
Online: www.leahcostello.com
Phone: 604-227-3563

$55 per ticket, plus GST

Please register in advance:

Email: anna@leahcostello.com

China’s status as an economic powerhouse has shone the light of the world on its record of democracy and human rights. The most honest information channel on these issues remains open via Hong Kong, whose own democratic status requires continuous vigilance and defense.

In today’s interconnected global environment, China’s actions internally and towards Hong Kong have implications not only for the large Canadian population living there, but also externally in regions where values are imported through investment, trade and immigration.

The relationship between the rule of law, democracy and the devolution of centralized power should be of concern to every global citizen who practises democracy and cares about its future. How can we best defend and promote these very Canadian values?

About the Speaker

At the forefront of the Chinese democracy-building movement has been Martin Lee, founding chair of Hong Kong’s largest and most popular political party, and a directly-elected legislator for 23 years.

A prominent and controversial figure on the international stage, Lee’s call for the overthrow of mainland China’s leadership in regards to their human rights record has led to a ban on him visiting mainland China. Officials in Beijing have labeled him a “running dog of the colonialists” while human rights activists have named him the “father of democracy”.

Lee has been awarded the International Human Rights Award by the American Bar Association, the Prize For Freedom by the Liberal International, the Democracy Award by the United States' National Endowment for Democracy and as the first non-European to receive the Schuman Medal from the European Peoples Party and European Democrats.

$55 per ticket, plus GST

Please register in advance:
Online: www.leahcostello.com

Email: anna@leahcostello.com
Phone: 604-227-3563
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