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42 WINTER 2018 Canadian Footwear president Brian Scharfstein is a Bring It Home hero, helping to bring multiple national conventions to the city. W innipeg's business leaders are known for their passion. Every day, leaders are driven to set an example, build on the city's momentum, and show the world why Winnipeg is a world-class city. A longtime Winnipeg ambassador, Brian Scharfstein, has found an effective way to help make that impact: attracting national conventions to be hosted in Winnipeg. A city champion for many years, Scharfstein has been a key organizer in bringing multiple national conventions home to Winnipeg. He is a tireless advocate for Winnipeg, and has been recognized for his commitment to philanthropy and community engagement by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, who awarded him the Lieutenant Governor Award – Individual recognition at the 34th annual Manitoba Business Awards in 2017. Scharfstein is passionate about putting Winnipeg on the map, and engages with multiple groups from across the city to attract national conventions to our city. His newest Bring It Home win is the 2019 Diabetes Canada DC/CSEM Professional Conference. This is a familiar event for the Canadian Footwear president, because this is the second time in the past five years he has helped welcome this national convention to town. One city hosting a national association's convention twice in five years is not common for Winnipeg, but Scharfstein's passion for diabetes prevention and care has been a personal driver for him. As a pedorthist specializing in care of diabetic feet, his career has given him a direct view to how diabetes affects the lives of Winnipeggers, as well as understanding the story our city's health-care professionals can share. Armed with this knowledge and experience, and alongside other industry leaders such as local diabetes nurse educator Lori Berard, he saw the potential for Winnipeg to once again be the ideal place for a national conversation on diabetes, and to show the cutting-edge work taking place here. The 2019 Diabetes Canada Professional Conference will attract an estimated 1,500 attendees to Winnipeg for three days of professional development, education, and networking. Bringing this national conference to Winnipeg is a feather in Scharfstein's cap, because he knows how valuable these events can be for raising the city's international profile, while showcasing our local industry knowledge, expertise, and economic impact. Winnipeg's passion shines through from the strong network of partners who can help make national conferences a success, such as Economic Development Winnipeg, Tourism Winnipeg, the RBC Convention Centre, and many more. These groups bring top-shelf experience in preparing convention bids and logistics, and can help local business leaders ensure their national meeting or conference is a success from start to finish. Scharfstein knows the dividends attracting large-scale events can bring for Winnipeg, and how out-of-town delegates will often leave with a newfound respect for the city. The Bring It Home program, administered through Economic Development Winnipeg, can help you attract large-scale events, become a city champion, and show off Winnipeg's momentum to the world. ■ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WINNIPEG HOME TEAM CHAMPION National conference is another win for Winnipeg

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