The Hanlon Centre has a close relationship with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP). STEP is a government and industry partnership dedicated to increasing Saqskatchewan's exports to existing and new markets. As such, the Centre was proud to sponsor the participation of 15 UofS students at STEP's 2012 conference.

Conference participant's were treated to an opening address by Saskatchewan Premiere Brad Wall, and an economic update presented by Hendrik Brakel from the Economic and Political Intelligence Centre - Export Development Canada, as well as learning about how to connect employees to a company's bottom line, and about the impacts of currency exchange on exports.

The STEP conference is held annually and provides an opportunity for industry to hear the lessons learned by STEP, government and industry in trying to improve Saskatchewan's exports. STEP champions the province's export industry and assists provincial businesses in realizing global marketing opportunities. Over the past decade, these conferences have provided an opportunity to discuss emerging trends and topics pertaining to trade, export, and global business. The conference is an opportunity to network with provincial, national and international delegates all of whom share a focus on export markets.