Post Election Update
What we will be doing for the IDM Industry in Ontario
Yesterday we saw the election of a new government in Ontario with the Progressive Conservative Party winning a majority. As many of you may remember, Interactive Ontario held an election townhall on May 17th where we invited candidates from each party to share their party’s priorities and policies when it comes to the Interactive Digital Media sector. If you missed it, you can still catch the livestream here.
Interactive Ontario is sending you this letter today to reaffirm our commitment to you that we will continue to advocate for and work with MPPs and Ministers to represent the dynamic Interactive Digital Media sector in Ontario. Following the transition period and as cabinet ministers have been named, IO will reach out to elected officials to educate them on our sector and discuss its impact on Ontario’s economy.
With over 877 Ontario-based IDM companies employing over 10,900 full time equivalent staff, which generates $1.4 billion in GDP as of 2015, IO knows how vitally important this sector is to the economic prosperity of Ontario (as reported in our study Measuring Success: The Economic Impact of the Interactive Digital Media Sector in Ontario). With the trend of manufacturing jobs moving to foreign shores and the proliferation of digitization as our work increasingly moves online it is no surprise that Ontario IDM companies projected 44% employment growth and 63% revenue growth in the year following our survey. We know that this sector has the potential to become one of the most important sectors in Ontario for decades to come.
We are preparing for the second edition of Measuring Success, with updated statistics based on 2017 numbers. We hope that you will fill out the survey when it is distributed this summer, as having this data will be more important than ever.
Interactive Ontario will also continue to:
Create partnerships between academia and industry to ensure that Ontario is a world leader in the digital media space, and that our students remain world-class talent that continues to draw global powerhouse companies such as Google, Amazon, Ubisoft, and many more to our province.
Facilitate partnerships with foreign companies and leverage our existing reputation as a world-leader in technical skills and innovation abroad through our partnerships with Mexico, Columbia, and others.
Host networking and training events across this great province to make sure that our vital industry is making valuable connections and staying ahead of emerging trends through events such as iLunch, Arts Futures Series, iVentures, iON, and more.
Interactive Ontario looks forward to continuing to serve our community, and bringing greater growth and prosperity to the IDM industry and Ontario in the future.