Public Markets Entrepreneurship Forum 2026

Join us for the in person Public Markets Entrepreneurship Forum: Elevating Neighbourhood Markets. Fueling Small Businesses.

Hosted by the Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre, in partnership with marketcityTO, the Public Markets Entrepreneurship Forum is a dynamic full-day event connecting Toronto’s market operators, community leaders, small business owners and organizations working in the sector.

Participants will gain practical insights from industry leaders, join breakout sessions led by grassroots innovators and take part in facilitated networking. The forum will also highlight the new Public Markets Action Plan, available grants, business support programs and mentorship opportunities.

For accommodation requests, email etoronto@toronto.ca at least 4 weeks before the event date.

Coffee, tea and morning treats are served by market vendors.

St. Lawrence Market Lunch Program: Participants will enjoy a delicious lunch from South Market’s prepared-food vendors. Redeem your Mrkt Bucks voucher for a complimentary meal and discover a variety of fresh, local flavours.

We're aiming for a zero waste event. Please bring your reusable water bottle and lanyard from previous events. If you don't have a lanyard, no worries—a basket with assorted lanyards will be available on site.

To attend, please register for this event via the Eventbrite page HERE

Schedule of Events
8am to 9am	Registration, Refreshments & Networking
9am to 9:30 am	Land Acknowledgement & African Ancestral Acknowledgement
9:30am to 10am	Welcome & Opening Remarks
10:00am to 10:30am	Public Markets Round Up! by MarketcityTO
10:30am to 10:45am	Community Launch of Public Market Action Plan: From Grassroot Action to City Policy
10:45 am to 11:40am	Public Markets in the Current Climate
11:40am to 12:25pm	Market Managers & Market Vendors: Collaborating for Success
12:25pm to 1:30pm	Market Bucks Program at South Market
AFTERNOON \| Break Out Sessions
1:30pm to 2:30pm	Break out Session 1: Supporting small business success at public markets
	Break out Session 2: Leveraging technology to benefit markets and vendors
	Break out Session 3: Policies that enable thriving markets!
	Break out Session 4: Marketing your Market: Creating Community Engagement
	RoundTable Conversations
2:30pm to 2:45pm Break
2:45pm to 3:45pm	Market Bingo
3:45 to 4:15 pm	Closing Remarks
4:15pm onwards	Social Event

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