PRESENTERS

Brent Barootes is the founding partner of the Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™. Brent has been engaged in the sponsorship and sports marketing industry since the late 80's. Brent has worked in the industry on both the buying and selling side. His property experience ranges from sports and sports broadcasting to local, national and international charities and non profits.

In 2001, Brent incorporated the Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™, a Calgary based national sponsorship consulting firm. In addition to his role as President with the firm, Brent is actively involved in sponsorship mentoring with clients. He leads his team of professionals in providing sponsorship valuations and audits, inventory/benefit development, package development, prospect development and mentoring of staff and volunteers for both corporations engaging in sponsorship as well as properties. Brent also is an accomplished public speaker delivering presentations similar to the one for the Western Sponsorship Congress for different associations and organizations.

To learn more about the Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™, check out www.partnershipgroup.ca

 

Audiences describe him as, "Electrifying," "Dynamic," "Exciting," "A master story-teller," "Practical ideas I can use right away!" A standing-ovation motivational speaker and best-selling author on sales, marketing and negotiation, Wilson's work has earned international acclaim. His take-no-prisoners "guerrilla" approach is unconventional, entertaining, and devastatingly effective. He was recently voted one of the "Top5 Sales and Marketing Speakers in America," and was recognized as "Speaker of the Year" by Meeting Professionals International in 2001.

A 30 year veteran of the platform, he has addressed audiences large and small in more than 1,000 cities and 42 countries around the world. He's a co-author of the legendary Guerrilla Marketing series, which boasts more than 21 million books sold worldwide in 60 languages, including Guerrilla Selling, Guerrilla Trade Show Selling, Guerrilla TeleSelling, Guerrilla Negotiating and Guerrilla Retailing.

His client list has grown to include many industry leaders like IBM, Oracle, United Airlines, Choice Hotels International and Microsoft. He has been a featured speaker at the prestigious Inc. Magazine Small Business Forums, and has appeared as a topical expert on CNN. He even pioneered workshops on capitalism for the Tyumen School of Management in the Russian Republic.

To watch a preview of Orvel Ray in action click here.

 

Bruce is a strategist, speaker, productivity coach and MC. His passion over the past 20 years is working with individuals and organizations to enhance leadership results and individual productivity through strategic planning sessions and interactive workshops in business acceleration that improves bottom lines, increases market share and employee and customer loyalty and retention. As a former business owner and having been involved in 4 businesses from a good cross section of industry, Bruce brings a hands on approach to the challenges we all face from time to time. Each presentation includes a variety of additional resources and tools after to support the training and measure skill levels.

To learn more, visit www.bruceleespeaker.com

 

With over 20yrs of successfully leading and marketing community initiatives, Mark brings a wealth of expertise and passion to his work. Working with diverse stakeholder groups in both the Public and Private sectors, Mark has fostered a number of International, National, Provincial and Regional projects.

Recent work includes the building, guiding and stewardship of a Post-Secondary Advancement team to successfully implementing a $70 Million Capital Campaign, providing guidance and strategic planning to other Post-Secondary institutions in the areas of corporate and community relations, media relations, athletic programming and content, strategic partnerships and alliances, fund development and event coordination. With his strong marketing, communications and strategic planning skills, Mark has also managed the operations of a professional sports franchise and as well experienced the building of one "from the ground up".

A strong community advocate, Mark has built lasting relationships with International organizations that he continues to work closely with. Mark also brings strong Board Governance and Policy setting skills through his work with various boards including First Calgary Savings and Credit Union, where he served 8yrs as a director, 4 as the Chairman of the Board. A $4.5 Billion dollar company, First Calgary has been recognized 8 yrs in a row as one of Canada's 50 best managed companies. A strong proponent of community initiatives and teamwork, Mark enjoyed a very successful 17yr career in the Canadian Football League, winning 3 Grey Cup Championships and twice being the recipient of the CFL's "Man of the Year" award for dedication on and off the football field. A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Mark and his family reside in Kelowna, BC.

To learn more, visit www.partnershipgroup.ca/

 

Adam Aptowitzer is a lawyer practicing in the areas of charity and tax law. He is a member of both the bars of Alberta and Ontario and has been speaking and writing on the topic of charity law for several years. He has been published in several publications including the Canadian Taxpayer, the Canadian Fundraiser and the Not-for-Profit News and has been cited as an expert in several national media publications. He has recently published a widely circulated paper on the regulation of charities in Canada with the C.D. Howe Institute.

Adam is also a noted speaker and has presented to the C.D. Howe Institute, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Canadian Association of Gift Planners, the Canadian Bar Association and has given expert opinion testimony at a Parliamentary Roundtable. He has also appeared before the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. Adam co-hosts the popular A to Z of charity law in Canada with CharityVillage.com and is an executive member of the Canadian Bar Association's Charity and Not-for-Profit Law section.

For more information, please visit www.drache.ca

 

Alyson Cameron has worked with the WestJet sponsorship team for the past three years where her primary responsibility has been coordinating WestJet's sponsorship properties in Eastern Canada. Prior to working in sponsorship, she worked with WestJet's In Flight team. Outside of work, she volunteers with a number of organizations including Haskayne School of Business Mentorship program, Big Brother Big Sisters and Friends for Life Foundation. Prior to moving west, Alyson completed a combined honors degree in Communication studies and Sociology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

For three years the WestJet Sponsorship team has worked on becoming the leader in festival sponsorship across Canada. Growing their Fun 'n Festival series program from 9 -27 festivals nationwide has been no small feat. This program has yielded strong return on investment and has provided great opportunities to connect and engage with festival guests and WestJet employees. WestJet employees have supported this program by working alongside the sponsorship team and engaging in on-site activation.

A major 2010 highlight includes launching www.westjetfestivals.com , an interactive website where Canadians are invited to join the debate, and win the experience at their favorite Canadian festival. This website allows Canadians to use various forms of social media to interact in festival experiences from across the Country.

For more information about WestJet, visit www.westjet.com

 

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music is considered one of the finest acoustic concert halls in North America. Together the organizations host over 300 events each year, and work with a variety of community groups and world-renowned musicians and artists of all genres.

As the Director of Community Relations, Marc oversees a newly created portfolio to increase community engagement and investment in the ESO and the Winspear Centre through community and corporate partnerships, education and outreach initiatives. Previous to this, Marc was the Director of Development for the ESO and has worked professionally for 12 years in arts and non-profit management across Canada.

In his spare time Marc likes to maintain an active lifestyle by running and playing squash. He is an active volunteer with the local chapter of AFP (Association for Fundraising Professionals), and sits on the Edmonton committees for the Ernest Manning Awards for Innovation and artsScene, promoting social and civic engagement opportunities for young professionals and emerging leaders in Edmonton.

For more information, please visit www.winspearcentre.com

 

Currently employed as the Sales and Sponsorship Supervisor with the City of Edmonton's Community Services Department, Gary leads a team responsible for admission, retail, advertising and sponsorship sales at City of Edmonton Recreation Centres and Attractions. His sponsorship inventory includes a collection of popular events and programs as well as naming rights to a diverse collection of current and future public recreation facilities. Gary authored the City of Edmonton's Facility Name Sale Policy which establishes circumstances under which The City of Edmonton may proactively pursue facility name sales and a consistent approach and guidelines for assessing facility name sale opportunities.

Prior to taking on a sales portfolio, Gary served as a Marketing Consultant with the City of Edmonton where he worked with a diverse range of Department staff and community agencies in an effort to increase participation in a variety of recreation programs, facilities and services. He is also an accomplished social marketing practitioner where his focus is on influencing attitudes and behaviours around a collection of important social issues.

For more information, please visit www.edmonton.ca

 

Sara Foster has been a member of the sponsorship team for two and a half years where her primary responsibility has been to manage and execute all West Coast sponsorship properties. Before moving into sponsorship at WestJet, Sara worked in fundraising at the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta for three and a half years. Major accomplishments at the foundation included managing the Shave Your Lid for a Kid program and running the Don, Joanne and the Coach Golf a Kid to Cam tournament, 9-1-1 Lifeshavers as well as other fundraising initiatives.

Prior to this, Sara spent two years in Marketing and Communications at Theatre Calgary. Sara has spent the last 8 years volunteering on various community projects including the Haskayne School of Business Mentorship program, National Philanthropy Day luncheon, several AFP events and the University of Lethbridge Alumni committee.

For three years the WestJet Sponsorship team has worked on becoming the leader in festival sponsorship across Canada. Growing their Fun 'n Festival series program from 9 -27 festivals nationwide has been no small feat. This program has yielded strong return on investment and has provided great opportunities to connect and engage with festival guests and WestJet employees. WestJet employees have supported this program by working alongside the sponsorship team and engaging in on-site activation.

A major 2010 highlight includes launching www.westjetfestivals.com , an interactive website where Canadians are invited to join the debate, and win the experience at their favorite Canadian festival. This website allows Canadians to use various forms of social media to interact in festival experiences from across the Country.

For more information about WestJet, visit www.westjet.com

 

Kristi Gartner is the Marketing and Communications Lead at geoLOGIC systems ltd., an independent Oil and Gas data management and software provider based in Calgary, AB. In this role, Kristi handles the overall marketing communications function and as a result the geoLOGIC brand, which include the integration of new communication vehicles, an effective advertizing and media strategy and meaningful event marketing. She is also responsible for developing and integrating comprehensive sponsorship initiatives to effectively build the geoLOGIC brand.

Working closely with the Sales group, Kristi and her team support all trade show and other sales event activity. Kristi also works closely with the various associations in place for Oil and Gas professionals to determine sponsorship opportunities that offer added value and maximize ROI or ROO.

Kristi resides in the Calgary area and her passions include jogging with her dog, Jake, water sports, her community and her family.

To learn more about geoLOGIC systems ltd., visit www.geologic.com

 

Performance Sponsorship Group is a sales driven organization that operates primarily in the evaluation, packaging and selling of naming and title rights for nonprofit institutions and events. Haber has developed a specialty in working with publicly funded institutions and organizations that include multi-use sport and entertainment destinations, performing arts centers, foundations, as well as recreational facilities.

PSG has worked with organizations in helping them identify what commercial inventory they own, and how best to price, package and sell that inventory to the corporate sponsor.

Some of the organizations they have worked with include: The Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts, Teachers Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, The Shaw Centre in Saskatoon, Canlan Ice Sports, Credit Union Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology--University of Calgary, Calgary Health Region, City of Edmonton, Keystone Centre, Paragon Gaming, the Edge School, a private school for high performance athletes, Science Alberta Foundation and the Town of Drayton Valley.

In addition to her experience working with nonprofit institutions, Haber has priced, packaged and sold national nonprofit events that include the Shoppers Drug Mart Marathon, The Bay Street Rat Race, World Gymnastics Challenge and Racism Stop it!...a social marketing campaign for the Government of Canada.

PSG has sold sponsorship packages in categories that include; pouring rights, printing, satellite radio, packaged goods, telecommunications, automotive, financial, utility, media, etc.

To learn more about Performance Sponsorship Group, visit www.performancesponsorship.com

 

Enigma is a market research firm specializing in event marketing and sponsorship. Enigma is an International corporation with offices in Canada and the United States and one of the world’s leading researchers in the fields of event marketing and event sponsorship. Since 1993, the firm has conducted research at over 350 events, including festivals, fairs, sports, trade, and consumer shows.

Enigma is Canada’s top economic impact researcher and since 2003, has conducted more than 100 economic impact studies at events.

Corporate clientele includes many of the world’s largest event marketers, including Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Microsoft, Harley-Davidson, Honda, and George P. Johnson. Michael is regularly invited to be a guest lecturer at major colleges and event-related conferences, has studied statistics and marketing at Carleton University in Ottawa and developed sampling techniques to obtain accurate cross-sections of event attendees. He is proficient in both English and French and has taken basic courses in German and Italian.

Michael resides in the Toronto region with his wife and three young children and volunteers in a local school literacy program. Hobbies include restoring classic cars and playing in a rock band.

To learn more about Enigma Research, visit www.enigmaresearch.com

 

Before moving to his current role in the fall of 2007, Dale Hooper was Vice President of Marketing at Frito Lay Canada. Frito Lay Canada is Canada’s largest manufacturer and marketer of snack foods, with brands such as Lays, Ruffles, Doritos, Tostitos and Cheetos. Under Dale’s leadership, Frito-Lay Canada transitioned their Snacks line to Trans Fat Free oils including being the first Frito-Lay Division in the world to use Sunflower Oil.

Dale has more than 17 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry with PepsiCo and Cadbury Chocolate Canada. Along with the great PepsiCo portfolio of brands, Dale has marketed brands such brands Crispy Crunch and Caramilk. He has developed products, marketing programs and advertising campaigns that have been adapted in many countries around the world. Dale also has extensive experience in Partnership Marketing. He has worked with all the major sports organizations, record labels and networks. Many of the programs have won Canadian Marketing and Promo Awards.

Currently Dale sits on numerous boards and advisory committees. He is on the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors (Communications Director), sits on the Association of Canadian Advertisers Board of Directors, is a member of the Laurentian University SPAD Advisory Committee, in 2009 joined the OneXOne Board, and was a member of the 2007 Grey Cup Advisory Board.

He is a graduate of Laurentian Universities’ Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Administration program. Dale is married to Dawn and has two beautiful children, Jake and Emma and resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

For more information, please visit www.pepsico.ca

 

Steve, the managing director of the Centre for Sport and Law, is a lawyer based in Toronto and is also a certified sports agent representing professional athletes. Steve has worked with numerous national and provincial organizations providing consulting services relating to governance, sponsorship, contracts, policies, disputes, investigations and privacy. In addition, he has acted as an adjudicator on issues relating to eligibility, conduct, selection and membership. Steve has significant first-hand knowledge of sport and recreation from competitive swimming at the national level, coaching with the Vaughan Aquatic Club and refereeing basketball. Steve is also a member of the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame.

To learn more, contact Steve directly

 

Ian is a passionate business & community leader and successful entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience selling sponsorship for non-profits, professional associations, events, and sports properties. Ian's practical approach, authentic nature, and fearless attitude allow him to see through "the noise" and get straight to what will make his clients and teams successful. He lives in Edmonton with his wife and two young girls where they enjoy Edmonton’s vibrant festival and outdoor scene in the summer and once the snow flies, they love downhill skiing in the mountains across Alberta and B.C.

For more information, please visit http://www.oomphevents.com/

 

Kim MacLean has a diverse background of experience in marketing, commercial print and sponsorship. As Corporate Relations Manager for the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) for more than six years, Kim developed their corporate relations program working with 40+ committees and collaborating with more than 125 companies across the petroleum industry from oil and gas companies, and service companies to other industry organizations such as APEGGA.

Successfully packaging and selling national conventions, technical conferences, magazines, educational programs, as well as social events, Kim was instrumental in creating and strengthening branded programs, transforming under-producing financial projects into profit centres, and solidifying relationships resulting in long-term corporate partnerships.

Prior to the CSPG, her newspaper advertising experience had Kim managing business development, client relationships and reader sales promotions. Feature advertising campaigns and commercial print projects provided opportunities to work with a wide variety of organizations in industries such as automotive, travel, and home building.

 

Ross has a diverse fundraising and management background with a solid track record of success in many types of development projects.

From 1990 to 2004, Ross was with DVA Navion, a major international fundraising consulting firm. Starting as a consultant, Ross progressed all the way through DVA Navion's ranks to become President of the Canadian division, overseeing all aspects of client services and management of the business. In 2004 Ross established Ross W. Marsh & Associates to provide senior-level hands-on service to organizations in Western Canada and Ontario.

Ross's broad experience has resulted in extremely creative and successful projects. Ross has managed and supervised fundraising campaigns with goals ranging from $500,000 to $200 million. Based in Calgary for the last ten years, Ross has worked hands-on with clients across Canada, as well as with a number of major national accounts, to help them achieve their funding goals.

Ross has worked directly with over 120 clients spanning the education, health, religious, arts and culture, sports and social service sectors in most provinces and in the United States. His campaigns have received awards from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and other industry groups. In addition to being an award-winning fundraiser, Ross has become known for his particular expertise in strategic planning, major gift development and helping clients to build comprehensive, integrated development programs.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Ross has sat on a number of for-profit and not-for-profit boards, including the Beta Theta Pi Foundation of Canada, Hillandale Corporation, DVA Navion, the LinkAGES Foundation, where he chaired the fund development committee, and Sage Theatre. He is a sought-after presenter and facilitator, a guest lecturer at the Hobbs Fundraising Institute and Mt. Royal College, and a regular speaker and presenter at conferences and workshops for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Canadian Association of Independent Schools, Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education, Alberta Association of Fundraising Executives, Saskatoon Society of Fundraising Executives and others. He is an active community volunteer, is a mentor through the AFP Calgary chapter, and has authored a number of published articles on industry issues.

To learn more, visit www.rosswmarsh.com

 

Don Mayo started with IMI International in 1985 and developed and implemented a ROI optimization system around the world. Don has been involved with the evaluation and optimization of marketing activations in 80 categories in 15 countries and has experience from the largest worldwide marketing campaigns and events to grassroots marketing in towns with fewer than 1,000 people. Don has personally assisted IMI International in compiling a proprietary sponsorship database of over 1,250 marketing activations relating to 'optimizing the impact and ROI' of the sponsorship marketing program.

IMI International was founded in 1971 with offices in Canada, USA, Australia and the United Kingdom and is a strategic consulting firm whose core focus is on optimizing ROI for clients, agencies and properties.

For more information, please visit www.consultIMI.com

 

Mark has spent over fifteen years in the marketing and communications industry, with a concentration on property creation, sponsorship and event management. Currently, Mark leads a network of professionals making brand connections during positive personal experiences.

Mark has enjoyed working with a number of Canada's top companies and properties including Rogers Communications, RBC Financial Group, CIBC, Olympics, MLSE, Rogers Cup, CFL, Jays, national Ski and Soccer associations.

Having also worked and volunteered with numerous community sport and recreation organizations and as the Board Chair of The Youth Centre in Ajax-Pickering, Mark has a sound understanding of the municipal sport, recreation and health promotion sectors. A Canadian Olympic Academy graduate, he believes physical activity is a priority for the health and wellness of all Canadians and has consulted with ParticipACTION on a feasibility study for the Federal Government.

For more information, please visit www.flowe.ca/

 

Kate Munoz is the Regional Director for Alberta and the Northwest Territories for Kids Help Phone, a national charity, which provides confidential, anonymous and bilingual phone and web counselling, information and referral services to children and youth in Canada.

In addition to developing & stewarding local donor relationships, managing community-based events, youth awareness activities and local volunteer programs, Kate and her staff are responsible for managing the regional relationships of Kids Help Phone's national corporate partners, ensuring that the national sponsorship agreements are successfully activated at the regional/community level.

Kate Munoz has 30+ years experience in national for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in positions relating to cause/event marketing, sales, project management, business development, strategic planning and operational management.

In a volunteer capacity, Kate has previously served on the Board of Calgary Corporate Challenge, on the Advisory Board of Women of Vision and volunteered as an Event Chair for the Kerby Center.

To learn more about Kids Help Phone, visit www.kidshelpphone.ca

 

Seamus O'Keefe has a passion for the business of sponsorship. Over the past decade, he has built an expertise in evaluating, developing and executing strategic sponsorship plans for both corporate and nonprofit clients including Esso, Targa NL, Sun-Rype Products, Royal Agriculture Winter Fair, Squash Canada and Rugby Canada.

Seamus specializes in auditing properties and continues to build his expertise by attending and presenting at leading sponsorship industry conferences across North America, including: Canadian Sponsorship Forum, the Western Sponsorship Congress and Selling Sponsorships -- Strategies for Success Canadian Summit.

Seamus earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is also a graduate of both the Sport & Event Marketing program at George Brown College and the University of Kentucky's Professional Sports Marketing certification program.

While he continues as a Senior Consultant with the Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists, Seamus has recently returned to his hometown of St. John's, NL where he has established SOK Associates (www.sokassociates.com) as a sponsorship consulting agency for a diverse group of clients and properties.

To learn more about the Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists, check out www.partnershipgroup.ca

 

Paolo Pastore is Manager of Business Development for NBA Canada. Overseeing the development of marketing partnerships for the NBA across Canada with programming assets that include media, promotional rights, grassroots events, premiums and access to NBA marks, player imagery and game footage.

Paolo has over 11 years of sports & entertainment industry experience with an extensive background in sponsorship sales, marketing and promotions working with companies such as Home Hardware, Rogers Communications and Suncor Energy. He started his career at SkyDome in the Events Marketing Department and prior to joining the NBA, he was Manager of Corporate Partnerships for the Toronto Blue Jays.

ABOUT THE NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league's worldwide reach is also displayed in the 79 international players from 35 countries and territories on NBA rosters. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $120 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 465 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

To learn more about the NBA, visit www.nba.com

 

Jason Peck is the product manager of eWayDirect's social media platform, where he works with developers on the company's platform for branded online communities, helps clients implement successful community strategies and helps build eWayDirect's brand online. He has been blogging for over four years on his current website (http://www.jasonfpeck.com), where he writes about the intersection of sports and social media.

As a consultant, Peck has worked with brands and startups such as Vype, ZexSports, LocalReplay, Canadian Television, and PrepChamps. At PrepChamps, he helped build the community to almost 70,000 members, and was responsible for on-site content, their email newsletter, brand presence across multiple communities, content partnerships and working with the tech team to improve the user experience.

To learn more about Jason, visit www.jasonfpeck.com or www.twitter.com/jasonpeck

 

A graduate of the University of Regina's Journalism and Communications program, Ron joined SaskEnergy as Executive Director, Corporate Affairs in July 1997, and has been employed in intermediate and senior communications capacities within government since 1986.

In his current role, Ron has responsibility for corporate communications, advertising, government relations, and the strategic and business planning processes. He also has executive administration of SaskEnergy's corporate giving program which annually provides approximately $1.8 million of support to some 1,300 charities, non-profits and community initiatives within Saskatchewan.

Ron is a strong believer in the importance of community. Ron currently is a Board Member of Globe Theatre and Saskatchewan Roughriders 100th anniversary committee. He also was a fundraising chair for recent galas on behalf of Street Culture Kidz, an inner-city youth organization, and the Royal Canadian Legion One 80th anniversary gala in Regina. His other past involvement includes sitting on the Board of Directors for the Saskatchewan Science Centre (2000-2004) and working on marketing and communications for both the 2003 Grey Cup and 2001 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Regina.

To learn more, visit www.saskenergy.com

 

Chris Pollen currently holds the position of Marketing Project Manager for Avi Urban, Homes by Avi’s multi-family division. Since joining Homes by Avi, Chris has played a key role in the development and activation of all of the company’s community investment and sponsorship programs. While at Homes by Avi some of the organizations that Chris has had the opportunity to work with include the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Stampeders, the Calgary Interfaith Foodbank, the Calgary Flames foundation for Life as well as with multiple Junior High schools in Calgary’s North East.

Before starting at Homes by Avi, Chris worked at the University of Calgary in the Alumni Relations department. At the University he was responsible for developing events which engaged the institutions 140,000 Alumni and connected them back to their alma mater.

For more information on Homes by Avi visit www.homesbyavi.com

 

Lucy Railton is the National Manager of Brand Marketing and Communications for Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Canada) Ltd. Lucy joined Konica Minolta in early 2007 and in her role she's responsible for leading the planning and execution of the company's national advertising and brand marketing strategies. Lucy also oversees market research, corporate communications and company sponsorships.

Lucy's more than 20 years of experience is primarily B2B marketing focused - complemented with significant work within channel, franchise, and consumer lines of business. This depth provides her the necessary expertise to extend the value of sponsorship opportunities beyond their traditional brand-awareness and consumer-based focus, ultimately maximizing B2B relevance and potential.

For more information, please visit www.konicaminolta.ca

 

Chrystal Robert B.ED., TCP(EVC) is the Director, Community Support & Partnerships for the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation where she is responsible for developing new community investment programs and is the principal liaison with community based organizations, businesses, Crown Corporations and the general public on the Community Support & Partnership programs.

All programs falling under this area are fundamentally built on four pillars: Sponsorship, Partnership, Volunteerism, and Charitable Giving. Chrystal's role is to strategically manage these programs to ensure consistency with the overall mission and vision of the organization, while supporting the advancement of Manitoba Lotteries' Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

Chrystal has been with Manitoba Lotteries since 1993, leading a team that includes Corporate Ambassadors and certified Event Coordinators that work hand in hand with sponsored organizations, bringing their expertise to enhance agreements as a win-win relationship.

To learn more, visit www.mlc.mb.ca

 

Sean Rodman is currently the Strategic Partnerships Manager for the Royal British Columbia Museum, where he has worked since 2008. In this capacity, he connects the museum with public and private partners across the province. Recent projects have ranged from hosting travelling exhibitions to preserving historic buildings. Project partners have involved BC Hydro, BC Ferries, London Drugs, Tourism Victoria, and CIBC.

Sean possesses over 15 years of experience working in the not-for-profit world, ranging from small community museums to international educational organizations. He has a passion for bringing together organizations in collaborative partnerships. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Victoria.

For more information, please visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

 

Shelly Smith-Hines has been with the MS Society of Canada, Manitoba Division for 2 years. Her current position is Director of Development where she oversees all fundraising within the province and manages a team of incredibly talented professionals. Shelly also plays a role in the prospecting and acquisition of potential national event sponsorships while leading a successful event sponsorship program in Manitoba.

Prior to working with the MS Society, Shelly worked with The Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba for 5 years and was very successful in growing their community investment and sponsorship programs for their flagship events.

Shelly volunteers for the Association of Fundraising Professionals on the Education Committee and is a strong proponent of lifelong education.

Shelly lives in Winnipeg and draws inspiration from her husband and three Labrador Retrievers (one of each colour!)

To learn more, visit www.mssociety.ca/manitoba/default.htm

 

With 20 years banking experience, John brings a wealth of knowledge to ATB Financial. His varied banking career began in sales, marketing, and then into several key projects within ATB.

John is currently the vice president of ATB Financial's community and government relations group. He is responsible for a team of dedicated individuals who support, run and promote ATB Financial in the communities across Alberta. John's team is responsible for ATB lead community initiatives, sponsorships, events, and promotions.

John is an active volunteer, driven to support his community in many endeavours. Currently sitting as the First Vice Chair of the Northlands Board of Directors, John has been the director responsible for both Capital Ex and the Canadian Finals rodeo. He has previously chaired the 65 Roses Sports Committee (Cystic Fibrosis Research), the TELUS Edmonton Open (9 years) and he currently sits as the Commissioner of the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

John has a wife and daughter and resides in Edmonton. He has a passion for his family, sports, his company, and his community.

To learn more, visit www.atb.com/Dev/home/index.asp

 

Sharon Wood is President and CEO of Kids Help Phone, the only national charity providing 24/7 bilingual phone and web counselling services to children and youth in Canada. Established in 1989 with the initial support of BMO Financial Group, Bell, Nestlé Canada and Parmalat, the four Founding Sponsors have helped provide the platform for Kids Help Phone to grow its corporate sponsorship program. Today more than 30 companies and their employees provide Kids Help Phone with essential financial and marketing support, making an important contribution to its annual budget, in addition to the funds raised through individual philanthropy, community-based events and other charitable initiatives.

With a career in the non-profit sector spanning provincial and national roles, Sharon has expertise in the areas of cause-focused awareness campaigns, strategic communications and fundraising. Prior to Kids Help Phone, Sharon served for eight years as CEO of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in Ontario, as well as serving in an interim national CEO capacity several times. As another national charity that raises 100% of its funds annually, CBCF is also known for having developed strong sponsorship and cause-marketing initiatives at the regional and national level.

Sharon is bilingual in French and English, holds a Masters of Education degree in Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/UT, with a specialty focus in workplace learning and change, as well as a Certificate in Non-Profit Sector Management from Ryerson and the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy.

To learn more about Kids Help Phone, visit www.kidshelpphone.ca