Charmaine Hammond Logo

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) main objective when we started working with the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists was one of valuation – Are we selling our assets at the right price and is there anything we are overlooking!  They delivered that, and so much more!  By undertaking that process, the Partnership Group coached us to develop an entirely new way of approaching sponsorship and how to leverage that to build much more meaningful relationships.  The FCM is now focused on delivering sponsorship program which meet both our needs, and our clients business objectives.  Today, we are building programs that extend up to five years, and through the partnerships we are developing, we are a stronger organization.

Caroline Vanasse

Manager, Sponsorship and Sales | Corporate Events and Partnership – Operations, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The Partnership Group shared their expertise to help introduce us to the complex world of Corporate Engagement, providing critical recommendations that we are taking action on today and key insights that will be invaluable going forward. With excellent commitment to service, they over delivered in providing industry standard valuations on more assets than we expected so that we are best positioned for success in the future. Partnership Group is an excellent choice for organizations at any stage in Corporate Engagement seeking assistance in this arena.  Thank you Brent, Chris and the rest of the team at Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists.

Richard Warring

Head, Marketing & Public Information, Alberta Parks

Leaders in the sponsorship industry, The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™, have been essential contributors to initiating the City of Pointe-Claire’s sponsorship program through an inventory asset valuation process.  Mr. Chris Reed has been instrumental in facilitating the City of Pointe-Claire’s understanding of this evolving industry.   We look forward to the continuing mentorship of The Partnership Group and to the further development of our sponsorship program.  

Gilles Girouard

Culture, Sports, Leisure and Social Development, City of Pointe-Claire

 

Following a rigorous RFP process, the Resort Municipality of Whistler hired The Partnership Group to undertake an inventory and valuation of all municipal assets; from buildings, parks, roadways and trails, to communication channels, to community-oriented recreation facilities and programs, to major initiatives designed to attract and/or enhance visitor experience including a wide range of festivals, concerts, arts, culture and entertainment. Everything. The timeline was tight and the budget was even tighter.

The Partnership Group completed the inventory and valuation on time and on budget. The thoroughness and clarity of the information has given municipal staff the tools we need to prepare a comprehensive municipal sponsorship policy for consideration by Mayor & Council. Perhaps even more importantly, the insight into the marketplace and the focused, Whistler-specific recommendations provided by The Partnership Group have given us the confidence to press ahead with the development of the policy with the assurance that no stone has been left unturned, and every opportunity has been identified.

John Rae

Manager, Resort Municipality of Whistler

The City of Yorkton engaged Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ for sponsorship evaluation of our central-piece multi-purpose venue and found it a very enlightening exercise. They were very thorough in their approach to the audit and of great assistance in the sponsorship mentoring aspect. I would be very willing to endorse them to others who are looking to garner greater knowledge of their sponsorship asset revenue opportunities.

Darcy McLeod

Director of Community Development, Parks & Recreation, City of Yorkton

Mosaic has proudly partnered with the Saskatchewan Roughriders since 2006 as the title sponsor of the team’s home turf, Mosaic Stadium. Entering into the renewal of our naming rights agreement, the focus was on plans for a new stadium set to open in 2017. Partnership Group provided us with a thorough and timely valuation for approaching the renewed sponsorship, identifying opportunities and assets to consider with the new stadium.

Partnership Group showed expertise and knowledge for the particulars of our case. They gave us the goods to develop a sponsorship agreement that met our needs and provided value for our partner. Going forward we are confident that our partnership with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and naming rights of Mosaic Stadium will continue to hold value for the future.

Sarah Fedorchuk

Director, Public Affairs, The Mosaic Company

The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ have proven to be a leader in the sponsorship industry. The Calgary Zoo has both utilized and benefited from their services in the past; key industry learnings at Western Sponsorship Congress have helped to advance and secure multi-level sponsors for both annual events, right up to seven figure major exhibit agreements. This relationship with The Partnership Group was instrumental in the Calgary Zoo choosing them to conduct a recent inventory valuation.

Rick Harland

Director of Development, Calgary Zoological Society

The training and support from the Partnership Group that The Canadian Red Cross has received in Saskatchewan has paid off many, many times over. Sponsorship is the new way of doing business for charities and is it ever fun to do! Thanks Brent and team!

Cindy Fuchs CHRP

Provincial Director Saskatchewan, Canadian Red Cross Western Zone

The Partnership Group has been a terrific company to work with as we develop our sponsorship program. They are industry leaders in Canada and are extremely professional in their approach.

I like that they are understanding of various levels of development of our staff and use a focused and vigilant approach to helping our organization transition our viewpoint with respect to partnership relationships.

I have and would continue to recommend The Partnership Group for any organization who is considering a new partnership program. They have a very sound model of helping you enter the sponsorship world in a professional way.

Guy Yerama

Manager, Corporate Partnerships, Canadian Red Cross Ontario Zone

We really appreciate your advice and your willingness to “tell it like it is”. Your support and guidance have been an integral part of the success of our sponsorship program.

Richard Klies and Cindy Fuchs

Canadian Red Cross Saskatoon

The Canadian Red Cross, Saskatchewan has had the pleasure to work closely with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. Our goal is to increase fundraising initiatives throughout the province of Saskatchewan and, at the same time, review the sponsorship opportunities that we have to offer.

Through the sponsorship audit of our programs, we realized the Canadian Red Cross has much to offer growing organizations across Saskatchewan. We have unique opportunities for companies to market their names and products through our programs and services as we work closely with many of their potential clients. Not only are these companies meeting their goals through sponsorship agreements but, at the same time, they are investing in programs and services offered by the Canadian Red Cross that help and assist people across our great province.

This has been, and continues to be, an exciting venture for the Canadian Red Cross. We look forward to our continued and valued relationship with the Partnership Group

Daryl Silzer

Manager, Financial Development, Canadian Red Cross

After attending the Western Sponsorship Congress in October 2005 in Calgary, I realized the Canadian Cancer Society was missing a huge opportunity, and didn’t have the expertise to capitalize on it. As a result, we hired the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, and Brent started working with us, tackling our inventory and walking us through discovery sessions for sponsorship. Brent’s guidance and professionalism has been an invaluable resource as he is always available to help us with ‘one-off’ partnerships where we have needed immediate advice. The knowledge we have gained has been enlightening and we look forward to final stages of implementation of the management system and building internal capacity within our staff.

Nora Bakken

Director, Revenue Development, Canadian Cancer Society - Saskatchewan

The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ worked with our team in a very effective manner to not only develop a very thorough sponsorship asset inventory and valuation for the Canadian Cancer Society – Alberta/NWT Division but also, and just as importantly, they greatly assisted our group with ‘blurring’ the line between sponsorship and philanthropy/funding. We are now armed with the materials and the understanding to grow our sponsorship base.

Tiffany Kraus

External Engagement Lead, Canadian Cancer Society - Alberta/ NWT Division

MS LOGO

At a time when the competition for sponsorship dollars has never been more apparent, the annual Enerflex Super Cities WALK for MS made the decision to invest in restructuring old ways of doing new business. By teaming up with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, we were able to understand the true value of our event through building and valuing our event inventory. As a result, we were able to create tangible returns for sponsors that chose to align their organization with our event. Since implementing this process, the Enerflex Super Cities WALK for MS was able to successfully secure a 5-year title sponsorship at an increased financial commitment totaling $250,000.

We can only describe our overall experience with the Partnership Group as being smooth, enlightening, educational, and rewarding.

Sherry Kerunsky

Senior Coordinator - Enerflex Super Cities WALK for MS, MS Society of Canada, Calgary Chapter

We became excited about the potential for growth in funding after attending the Western Canada Sponsorship Congress in 2005. Shortly after, we began to work with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. We never imagined how large and meaningful our inventory was!

Today, we are seeing not only increased revenue but stronger partnerships. Our new relationships with sponsors provide mutual benefit as they become more engaged with the Youth Emergency Shelter Society’s mission. It’s rewarding to see our staff grow in this area and utilize their skills in a new direction. Our next step is the implementation of their Sponsorship Management System which will enhance stewardship.

Throughout this process, Brent Barootes and the Partnership Group has shown real passion and commitment in seeing YESS succeed. I’d like to express our appreciation for the mentorship we’ve received and wish the Partnership Group continued success as they help other organizations grow!

Deb Cautley

Executive Director, Youth Emergency Shelter Society (YESS)

As someone who deals in and understands the importance of figures I found the exercise of the having The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ develop a full inventory audit for our property very enlightening. It was inspiring to see the process unfold and gain a better understanding of how sponsorship assets are valued and tiered. I would recommend their work to other properties or municipalities who want to gain a thorough understanding of not just what they have to offer a prospective sponsor but the associated value.

Derek Kwasney

Chief Financial Officer, The Lake Louise Ski Area Ltd.

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Jim Peterson and the team from Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ on a project in late 2012. We hired the Partnership Group as consultants to assist us with an inventory asset valuation project and to provide us with a road map to build a sponsorship strategy. Jim and the team at Partnership Group were excellent to deal with. They were highly professional, knowledgeable and consultative every step of the way. They encouraged our team to look ‘outside the box’ and challenged us to discover fresh and innovative ways to look at our business model. Partnership Group provided us with a tool that is extremely valuable and will enable us to increase revenue for the organization. Inventory asset valuation is a complicated and detailed process, and one that requires a great deal of expertise. Jim Peterson is a qualified expert in this field and I would recommend his services and the Partnership Group services to anyone.

Shelley Zucht-Shorter

Vice President Corporate Development & Membership, Tourism Calgary

One of the most difficult tasks in assessing the feasibility of bidding to host a major event is validating assumed revenue streams, specifically those revenues attributed to corporate sponsorship. The experience, network, and professionalism that the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ brings to the table in assessing value of sponsor potential, as well as building a sponsor program, is probably the best in Canada. I would recommend this organization to anyone seeking to build a dynamic and profitable sponsor program for their event.

 

Marco De Iaco

Senior Manager, Sport & Major Events, Calgary Sport Tourism Authority

Tourism Regina hosts an annual conference targeted at the meeting and event planner. Each year, we bring in speakers who can assist organizers in the planning of their conferences. In 2004, we brought in Brent Barootes of the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ to discuss sponsorship for events. We thought this would be a good fit as the Partnership Group was consulting in sponsorship for the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina. Brent’s presentation brought the delegates a totally new set of ideas in the area of sponsorship. He really made our delegates think outside the traditional box in their sponsorship plans. Our follow up surveys with the delegates were so outstanding that we decided to bring Brent back again in 2005. And again, his presentation was so well received that we again brought him back in 2006.

Gayle Zimmerman

Director of Communications and Conference Services, Tourism Regina

2005 Canada Summer Games logo

As CEO for the 2005 Canada Summer Games Host Society, I wanted to thank you for your assistance with the sponsorship program for the Regina 2005 Canada Summer Games.  Our entire executive, management team, and staff were very pleased with the outcomes. The Games were proclaimed the most successful games ever and also left a multi-million dollar facility and a $3.4 million financial legacy that will benefit the City of Regina and region for years to come. It was through integrated precise planning with the Host Society, development of a real market valued inventory of benefits, and customized proposal development delivered by the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ that we were able to exceed our overall sponsorship outcomes for the Games.  Your direction, guidance and building of the sponsorship program were essential to our overall success. Your experiences led us to key opportunities at levels of investment we had not thought achievable. The Games secured over 125 sponsors that varied from local to national sponsors and at investment levels from $500 to over $750,000.

John D Lee

CEO, Regina 2005 Canada Summer Games

On behalf of the entire Saskatchewan Roughriders front office staff, we would like to congratulate you and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ for a job well done. Through your innovative ideas and dedication to the success of this project, you and your staff were able to deliver the results that we were looking for with this project.

We are entering into a new era with our organization and improving our sponsorship program seemed like the right step to take. Through this new program, we were able to more than triple our existing sponsorship inventory. We have a real market value on our property now, and with this, we will be able to help our sponsors generate good Return on Investment (ROI), something that they have been pushing us to do over recent years.

Steve Mazurak

Marketing Director, Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club

Although we are still in the early days of working with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, Brent’s enthusiasm and cogent analysis are proving invaluable for us as an organization. Like many ‘young’ non-profits, we are in transition. Our original mandate, set in November 2003, was mainly to provide travel grants and support for emerging mountain athletes on Vancouver Island. Over an 18 month period, we have seen a broadening of this mandate to include the construction of two buildings devoted to mountain sports/fitness at Mt. Washington and Strathcona Provincial Park, respectively. This ambitious project is a P3 which requires a significant infusion of private capital, and Brent is proving to be a great resource and source of motivation for us to move ahead.

Anya Macleod

Administrator, Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society

Thank you for mentoring me for this year. You taught me to be creative and to think outside-the-box, something I was aware of but having you reinforce it brought me back on track again. Using the skills you taught me, and the sponsorship inventory your company help set up, I was able to bring a number of new sponsors onboard with the Federation of Calgary Communities. Most recently, I was able to secure a credit union for a Platinum Sponsorship of $10,000 per year for six years. This particular sponsorship will have long lasting benefits for the communities we serve as there will be spin offs from this sponsorship over the next 6 years.

Phyllis Snider

Fund Development Officer, Federation of Calgary Communities

On behalf of the MacEwan Front and Centre Campaign and the rest of the Fund Development staff, we would like to thank Brent Barootes and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ for your expertise. The Naming Valuation Report you completed for our new Centre for the Arts and Communication is an important first step for our college in valuing all our properties.

We look forward to a continued relationship with the Partnership Group in valuing, packaging/bundling all our properties, selling them, and then, of course, helping us celebrate our success.

Dale Bayley

Vice President Fund Development, Grant MacEwan University

Power to be logo

The Partnership Group offered a breath of fresh air in the world of sponsorship. In an industry often mired in traditional methods and saturated asks, our sponsorship proposal workshop brought ‘outside-the-box’ relevancy and experience to the group. Through Brent’s excellent facilitation and the Partnership Group’s established consultation, the session delivered concrete advice, examples and steps that translate into tangible results. I would highly recommend the Partnership Group for any organization looking to take their sponsorship revenue to the next level.

Kevin Chapman

Development Associate (Corporate Relations and Sponsorship), Power To Be Adventure Society

Your team at the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ delivered exactly what we were looking for!

Jock Wilson

Sales and Marketing Director, Olympic Oval

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre offers sponsorships for its IPSCO Main Stage season, Shumiatcher Sandbox season, Globe Theatre School’s five programs, and numerous special events. These sponsorships were introduced at different times under different circumstances. Developing a comprehensive inventory, rationalizing specific value, and managing the fulfillment process became a whole lot easier with advice from the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. Their insight, experience, and industry knowledge has put our sponsorship program on a much more solid footing and we’re raising more money for theatre goals and objectives, as a result.

Peggy MacDonald, MBA, CFRE

Development, Marketing and Brand Manager, Globe Theatre

I attended the Sponsorship workshop and was very impressed with Brent Barootes’ knowledge on the subject as well as the innovative approaches and techniques he imparts to his students. His workshops offer value and new insights for those working in fundraising/sponsorships at every career level from seasoned to beginner! I would recommend hiring Brent and I will attend other workshops his company offers.

 

Susanne Hamilton

Director of Development, Regina Symphony Orchestra

The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ were able to provide us with some exciting ways to potentially increase our sponsorship growth and maintain that growth. They were also able to work with our organization’s specifics needs and develop a contractual template. Not only has it been an effective tool but it is rewarding to see my fellow volunteer board members succeed and benefit from the expertise shared by the Partnership Group.

I’d like to express our appreciation for the mentorship, commitment, and real passion shown by The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. I would recommend this organization to anyone seeking to build a successful sponsorship program.

Greg Lockert

Manager, Genesis Place & Arenas, Airdrie

 

Working with Brent Barootes and Chris Reed from the Partnership Group has been an highly educative exercise for all of us at the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore involved at Canada’s Largest Ribfest as we move to professionalizing our event’s sponsorship program. Beyond the Inventory and Valuation, their sponsorship workshops and congress have allowed us to deepen our learning and connect with the other properties and agencies and share lessons learned. While we are still in the very early days of implementation we have already begun to see a shift in how prospective sponsors view our portfolio.

Jeremy Racicot and Niduk Wijayasingha

The Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore, Canada's Largest Ribfest

RPCI Logo

Regina Palliative Care Inc. embarked on a new endeavour in 2006 to raise dollars and awareness toward the development of a Bereavement Centre of Excellence. Venturing forward with a $3.5 million campaign goal was uncharted water this volunteer board. The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ are respected, well connected, and have a demonstrated, proven track record of achievement and success in our community. The RPCI Board express their appreciation for the knowledge, commitment, and leadership demonstrated by the Partnership Group. In conjunction with Ross W Marsh & Associates, the Partnership Group designed the campaign roadmap and provided the necessary leadership and mentoring to ensure a successful campaign. We look forward to their continued leadership as we collectively proceed.

Velda Clark

Executive Director, Regina Palliative Care Inc. (RPCI)

Hammond International Inc.

Chris (Reed) helped our team thoroughly understand the world of sponsorship, how to be successful in the discovery calls, and successful strategies and processes to building meaningful long lasting partnership agreements. I highly recommend Chris and the Partnership Group Services.

Brent and his team have helped us thoroughly understand the world of sponsorship, how to be successful in the discovery calls, what to include in agreements and proposals, and the successful strategies/processes to building meaningful long lasting partnership agreements. His book Reality Check is on my desk because I refer to it frequently. Brent’s workshops and seminars are content rich and provide many solid take-aways to put into action immediately. I highly recommend Brent and the Partnership Group Services. What they teach works!

Charmaine Hammond

Team Toby's PAWS Across North America tour

The Hillborn Group

It was tremendously helpful to have The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ take a close look at what Hilborn Group had to offer from a sponsorship perspective and what it’s worth to prospects based on a valuation complete with industry accepted formulas and visibility. We will certainly be looking at future sponsorship possibilities through quite a different lens moving forward, thanks to your work.

Janet Gadeski

President, The Hillborn Group

The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ were a great asset to the company in navigating the sponsorship waters. We have a substantially better understanding of how sponsorship fees are tied to value and value is derived from visibility, exclusivity levels, prestige of property, etc.

Jim Hilborn

Owner, The Hillborn Group

Sotheby’s Real Estate

After working with the Partnership Group, Matt and I feel more focused in our marketing and sponsorship efforts. We have a clear idea of where we want to place our brand and what type of events we want to align ourselves with. We feel better equipped to evaluate and decide on marketing and sponsorship opportunities. We really enjoyed working with Jim and appreciated our time with him.

Michelle and Matt Carre

Sotheby's Real Estate

Regional District of North Okanagan

The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ continue to be a fabulous resource for us as we grow our regional sponsorship program. Whether it be mentoring on prospecting and negotiations or strategically analyzing the marketplace they are a tremendous wealth of information from which to draw.

Tannis Nelson

Community Development Coordinator, Parks, Recreation and Culture, Regional District of North Okanagan

Light Up The World Group

 

As a small non-profit with a big vision for the future, Brent has helped us develop effective strategies to involve corporate support in ways that we had not considered before. Brent’s professionalism and knowledge of his craft is impressive and we have found it to be very helpful in the development of our organization’s promotional activities.

Kim Veness

CEO, Light Up The World Group

Alberta Amateur Baseball Council

 

 

Our organization was drifting with no approach to sponsorships and exactly what we had to offer. The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ became a great fit for our void and they have assisted us to develop a strategy for dealing with this complicated area. We have much more confidence in understanding what we could, and should, ask for based on an extensive inventory of opportunities we have learned we possess. In addition to these tremendous tools for our organization, we were able to create templates that will be available to our member organizations and associated teams. This will give each of these teams much needed resources to achieve their goals. We are very appreciative of the skills and resources we have secured through our contract with the Partnership Group. We have no problem in recommending them to other organizations and businesses in the sports world!

Kevin Kvame

President, Alberta Amateur Baseball Council

HRAC

 

 

 

Working with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ has taken our association to the next level of growth and development. We are now organized and efficient in sponsorship and can have all our events sponsored. This has enabled HRAC to partner with several different organizations in Calgary giving us the exposure and revenue we needed.

Jeanelle Crosser

Manager, Member Services, HRAC

The Fire Within

 

 

 

 

In the competitive world of business, advantages over your competitors can be hard to come by. For The Fire Within that advantage is Brent Barootes and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. Brent’s contribution to The Fire Within has helped us reduce risk increase ROI and, above all, maximize value to our sponsors.

Chad Sartison

Chair, President, The Fire Within

The Forks North Portage Partnership

 

 

 

 

 

It goes without saying that the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ workshops and conferences certainly served me well in preparation for the pitch (and of course my real job).

Geraldine De Braune

Manager, Sponsorship Development, The Forks North Portage Partnership

Bell Media Radio – Winnipeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attending the Western Sponsorship Congress changed my life, both professionally and personally. I would absolutely say that from a National Charity perspective, it is one of the best investments your organization can make. Even sending one person will result in a benefit; but the more that are able to attend the better. The information you will absorb from the sessions and from the attendees is immeasurable.

My affiliation with the organizers, as well as people I met at the congress, has helped shape my career. I highly recommend you find a way to attend! I would recommend you and your organization investigate opportunities to work with Brent wherever possible. The gains you will see WILL be measurable (but astounding nonetheless).

Shelly Smith-Hines

Manager, Marketing & Promotions, Bell Media Radio - Winnipeg

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