The University of New Brunswick’s J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship will host this year’s Future of Innovation conference Oct. 17 and 18, and the first speaker to be announced is prominent business journalist Gordon Pitts.

The conference will feature a cross-section of speakers from the world of startups and innovation and will be held at the Delta Hotels Fredericton.

Pitts has covered high-growth companies for decades, holding staff positions at outlets including The Globe and Mail and The Financial Post. He is the author of eight books, including Unicorn in the Woods, which tells the story of two New Brunswick startups, Radian6 and Q1 Labs, that both exited in the first half of the last decade for a combined $1 billion.

“This year we are celebrating our 35th anniversary by reflecting on New Brunswick's innovative leaders as well as learning more about future innovative solutions and ideas across various sectors,” says the J. Herbert Smith Centre.

Tickets cost just $10. You can register here.