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

 

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

 

Jim is adept at making friends. He connects people and businesses with marketing ideas that encourage consumer participation and turn passive audiences into communities.

For over 20 years Jim has been a leader in experiential marketing with an emphasis on events, public relations and promotions. In the digital world, Jim gets to focus that experiential background on a one-to-one relationship - helping customers participate in the brands they engage with online.

Most recently Jim was Vice President, Corporate and Community Affairs at Big Rock Brewery, where he oversaw their marketing and communications as well as their corporate and community investment activities.

Prior to joining Big Rock, Jim co-founded The Event Group and also worked at agencies such as Venture Communications, MacLaren:Lintas, Cossette Communications and JWR Advertising.

His passion for community investment has been a common thread through his career and has earned him a philanthropy award from the Canadian Association of Fundraising Professionals, two "40 Under 40" awards with CalgaryInc (now Avenue Magazine), and an e-Award for Community Service from Alberta Venture Magazine.

 

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/

 

Drawing upon nearly 15 years of experience as a web and communications professional with international expertise, Aleece Germano has played a leading role in the successful launch of numerous global enterprise marketing and e-commerce initiatives. Beginning in 1996 as Communications Manager at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, she spearheaded the transformation of the Museum's direct marketing catalog to an e-commerce site, which generated over $1M in revenue during its first year.

In 1999, she joined Razorfish, where she began a long-term focus on prestige cosmetics while working with brands such as Estée Lauder, Clinique, Stila, M.A.C, Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown, Origins and La Mer.

Aleece moved from Boston to Montreal and became an independent consultant in 2001. She combined her brand, communications and online knowledge to work with clients ranging from start-ups and nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies.

Her interest in fashion, technology and philanthropy led to the June 2009 launch of The S.W.A.P. Team, a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit social enterprise. With only a shoestring budget and social media to spread the word, the organization has grown to form chapters in 8 North American cities. It has attracted national press in Canada for starting what the media has called "an international phenomenon." Thanks to its popular branded clothing swap event "Take Off Your Clothes," The S.W.A.P. Team has generated over 21,000 pieces of clothing for charity and has exchanged over 23,000 garments.

Aleece has recently lectured at McGill University, YES Montreal and John Abbott College, and was guest speaker at the Montreal chapter of Girl Geek Dinners in February 2008 and September 2009. She has served the Montreal tech community as MC for BarCamp, Facebook Developer Garage and Ignite. She is a mentor for the SAJE Montreal young entrepreneur program and sits on the Advisory Board for E-180.

 

Angela is the Senior Manager, Cause Sponsorships and has been a member of the CIBC team since 1998. Angela has held a variety of roles in communications, community investment and national sponsorships. She is currently responsible for the execution of the national cause sponsorship strategy, and oversees such sponsorships as the recent Hope Rising benefit concert for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers and CIBC’s flagship property, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure.

Angela has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations and has specialized knowledge of sponsorship, corporate giving and fundraising, event and volunteer management.

 

Austin joined TELUS World of Science - Edmonton in 2009 after working with the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. As Manager, Fund Development, Austin and his team are charged with delivering the resources necessary for the non-profit institution. An iconic family destination that attracts upwards of 500,000 annual visitors, sponsorship at TELUS World of Science - Edmonton continues to evolve and grow into one of the organization's most impactful funding streams. Austin believes that success in sponsorship begins with thorough value assessment and establishing well-identified and realistic objectives. He is confident that both rookie and veteran delegates will leave the Congress having refined their skills in these areas and beyond.

Austin is a graduate of the University of Alberta, born and raised in Edmonton, and is involved in many grass-root community initiatives. Austin is also proud to serve as a volunteer Account Executive for the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region.

 

Ben Rutherford has been with Keg Restaurants Ltd. for more than 26 years. His in-store career took him up through the ranks to General Manager in Canada and on to the US to open the southwest region, starting in Texas. For the past 7 years Ben has managed Sales, Promotions and Sponsorship portfolios for North America. Ben takes great pride in finding both local and national sponsorship opportunities that protect and enhance The Keg brand, as well as creating unique opportunities for activation and guest interaction. Ben is also actively involved with sponsorships for The Keg Spirit Foundation, which benefits youth mentorship programs, both on a national and community level.

 

 

As Senior Development Officer at the Calgary Zoo, Carla has responsibility for the relationship management and growth of corporate, individual, organization and foundation donors and sponsors. Carla oversees a large portfolio of corporate relationships, which are all aligned with the zoo for different reasons, and all value the return on investment they receive through their partnership with the largest year round tourist attraction in western Canada. Sponsorship at the Calgary Zoo is unique and varied and requires a customized approach once an alignment opportunity is identified. Examples of sponsorship range from Education programs for the 60,000 school children who attend zoo school annually, to research work with seven endangered species in western Canada, to animal exhibits, all with a conservation message, to unique banquet spaces and flagship events.

 

Christa Costas-Bradstreet began her professional career as a Registered Nurse working in the areas of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. In 1991, Christa graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Physical Education as well as two certificates, one in Sport Administration and the other in Fitness Assessment and Exercise Counselling.

After completing her degree, Christa joined ParticipACTION where she spent ten years in a variety of roles including special events coordinator, media relations and Director of Health Communications. Upon ParticipACTION’s closing, Christa joined the City of Hamilton Public Health Services as a Physical Activity Specialist. She also operated her own consulting company.

In 2006, Christa returned to school again. She completed a Master of Arts degree in Applied Health Science at Brock University. Her area of study was Comprehensive School Health and she continues to apply the knowledge into practice through her volunteer work in chairing the Health Promoting Schools initiative at her daughter’s school.

In January 2008, Christa re-joined ParticipACTION, as the Relationship Manager where her main responsibilities are to develop partnerships with stakeholders in the sector. Her focus is on the development of the ParticipACTION Partner Network.

Christa has 2 daughters, 1 husband, and 1 very old cat. To keep active she enjoys running, walking, cycling and dance classes. Christa is an AVID Toronto Maple Leafs fan!

 

Christi Cruz is one of 30,000 proud team members at TELUS, a leading national integrated telecommunications company in Canada.

Her current role includes developing strategy, managing key relationships and supporting the work of the TELUS Calgary Community Board. Most recently, she primed the Go Pink campaign, milestone cause marketing and social media campaign with ten leading breast cancer charities in Canada.

For the past fifteen years, she has successfully developed award winning educational technology programs and helped TELUS become a recognized leader in community investment strategy. Other roles at TELUS included national sales serving the needs of some of TELUS’ top one hundred customers. Before joining TELUS, Christi was a senior account manager for a national marketing company in Perth, Western Australia representing customers like Coca Cola, Heineken and High Liner Foods.

Christi has presented at international conferences and regularly helps groups to better understand how corporations and charitable organizations can create shared value through partnerships. She has taught at Mount Royal College University and has written two textbooks for curricular use in their Continuing Education Department. She earned an Advanced Certificate in Corporate Citizenship and recently completed her certificate in Corporate Community Involvement Leadership both from Boston College. She can tell a good story in both English and Spanish and makes a really good grilled cheese sandwich.

Although passionate about her work, she is most proud of her championship status as an award winning boogey-man chaser and internationally renowned skinned knee kisser. Her favorite family activity is relaxing by a warm ocean keeping one eye on her two young girls and the other eye on a good book.

 

Conan is an Account Manager for Corus Radio Calgary and has held a variety of roles in and around radio for the past 20 years. In addition to currently being involved on the "sales side" of radio, Conan was previously the Assistant Program Director and Promotions Director at CHQR, was on air at CHQR and Classic Rock Q 107, and has taught Broadcasting in the Communication Faculty at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Conan's work in the Promotions side of radio often centered around creating partnerships between clients and the station and optimizing those partnerships. With over a decade of experience in the record industry prior to getting involved in radio, Conan has seen the partnership role from both sides of the street.

 

 

Corey currently oversees the development and management of WestJet's national Sponsorship and Community Investment programs. He and his team have expanded WestJet's Fun ‘n Festival Series from just 9 festivals in 2007 to the 46 festivals partners it currently has across the country today.

Upon graduating with a BRM from with a major in Sports Management from Acadia University Corey joined the team at Canada Olympic Park and CODA in 1998. For five years his responsibilities as Special Events Coordinator included a wide array of events, programs and working on logistics for over 20 World Cup and World Championships. For the past five years he has been working on developing a Sponsorship and Community Investment program that is far reaching and beneficial to both WestJet and its great partners.

 

A former Creative Director and President of a leading western Canadian marketing fi rm David Saxby has 30 years of in-the-trenches marketing experience. A speaker, trainer and a sales and marketing consultant, he combines hard-learned lessons from his experiences in the marketing and advertising world with his deep knowledge as a visionary business leader.

David's presentations focus on Innovation, Sales and Marketing. He has travelled the globe for more than 25 years, delivering presentations to thousands of business people, ranging from front line teams to home-based entrepreneurs, senior executives and professionals.

David's started his first business at the age of 23 and grew it from one man to a full service advertising agency in less than two years. He followed that success with a company he nurtured through a major recession and grew into one of western Canada's leading marketing communication firms with a staff of 20.

He has worked with a wide range of industries including: land development, real estate, construction service and supply, communications, energy sector, transportation, manufacturing, media and marketing, education, professional services as well as the not-for-profit and small business sectors.

David delivers practical, thought-provoking and inspiring presentations that provide insight into how individuals, teams and organizations can ignite innovation and achieve unparalleled success in their marketplace. He inspires, motivates and challenges people to look beyond the status quo and discover their unique talents and business value. David shows clients how to develop creative solutions, and to identify new sources of business by utilizing innovative marketing and sales approaches.

A founding Board Member and Past-President of the Calgary Chapter of CAPS and a Past National Director of CAPS (the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers)

David is also a founder and Past-President of CAPIC (Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication). He is also a Past Chair of the Business of the Arts Committee as well as the Chair of Small Business Week for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

David is the co-author of four books: Customer Service Goldmine and Sales Gurus Speak Out and Quantum Success and Foundational Success.

 

Forest Kenney is the manager of external communications at Molson Coors Canada, having joined Molson Coors in 2010 to support the sponsorship of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Much of his role centers on managing the social media properties for Molson Coors brands, leveraging partnerships and sponsorships to engage with consumers. His role also sees him manage relationships with key media in Canada.

In joining Molson Coors, Forest left the marketing agency world, where he most recently spent six years at Harbinger, developing and implementing marketing communications strategy for some of Canada's most well known brands. Clients managed spanned multiple sectors, including retail, food, beverage, not-for-profit, sports, and travel.

As part of the Molson Coors social media team, Forest is easily reached at: http://twitter.com/molsonfk

 

Geraldine De Braune is Manager of Sponsorship Development at The Forks North Portage Partnership. The Forks is a 54-acre waterfront heritage site consisting of park and green space, public market, a children's Museum, a theatre for young people, boutique hotel, a world class skate board plaza and the outdoor Scotiabank Stage.

Geraldine works to secure sponsorships philanthropic contributions and public funding to support Forks Signature programming and other project initiatives, all of which are free to the public. In a relatively small market, she utilizes an approach that matches potential sponsors to programming by an individualized approach. She works with sponsors to elicit key marketing objectives and concentrates on sponsorship activation to achieve key results. Some examples include Summer on the Scotiabank Stage, Canada Day presented by Rogers, and Warming Huts International Archtitectural Competition on Ice. In her five years with The Forks she has more than doubled their sponsorship dollars.

Before coming to The Forks, Geraldine worked in not for profit arts management. Her clients included many of Winnipeg’s finest arts organizations, primarily in classical music and jazz for which she provided concert production, event management, fund development and management of special projects.

Geraldine has a background in radio and television broadcasting, with CFCN Calgary, CBC Radio Calgary and CBC Radio Winnipeg, and the Women’s Television Network.

 

As Director, Marketing Assets at Molson Coors Canada, Hari Sihvo oversees the company's involvement in professional sports such as NHL hockey, NBA basketball and CFL football, as well as assisting in the development of the Molson Coors Canada music strategy on-going.

With 20+ years combined client/ agency experience, Hari previously led the Molson Coors Canada Western Media department and was otherwise involved in the development and execution of entertainment properties such as Molson Canadian Snow Jam and Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. As part of his current role, Hari played an active part in developing the sponsorship evaluation system currently being utilized by the company coast-to-coast.

As a board member of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada, Hari continues to work with members of the Canadian sponsorship industry to help establish general sponsorship standards and measures, as well as provide the sponsorship/ marketing community with access to information specific to the Canadian marketplace.

Prior to joining Molson, Hari was at Ammirati & Puris and FCB/ Optimedia where he worked on several tier I brands including Mazda, General Mills and Labatt.

 

Jim Bryant is the Manager of Events & Sponsorships for Xerox Canada Ltd. He was appointed to this position in 2007 and is responsible for all National Sponsorships and Event Marketing initiatives for Canada.

Jim joined Xerox Canada in 1989, and has held positions in Sales, Marketing and Lean Six Sigma across numerous regions in Canada.

Jim hold's a Bachelor's degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria, an MBA from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Originally from Calgary, Jim currently lives in Toronto though he continues to cheer loudly for the Flames.

 

As the Executive Director and sole employee of the Funtastic Sports Society, Jim is responsible for the growth of the organization both within the community and on the balance sheet. Funtastic is a four-day event that has taken place each Canada Day long weekend in the Vernon region for 27 years. The slo-pitch tournament brings 300 teams and more than 4,500 players from across western Canada for friendly competition. A three-night music festival attracts 16,000 fans of classic rock, making it the region’s largest outdoor concert. As a non-profit society, Funtastic has given more than $1.2 million back to the community since its inception, supporting local sport and recreation initiatives.

Jim also believes in giving back by volunteering. Whether at the Calgary Stampede, the World Cup at Lake Louise or in his current role as vice president of the Greater Vernon 2012 BC Winter Games, Jim enjoys the challenges, the end results and personal satisfaction that come from assisting with community events.

Jim lives with his wife, Maureen; four dogs, two cats and three horses on an acreage just east of Vernon.

 

Jim joined Scotiabank upon arriving in Canada from Ireland in 1995. He has over 40 cumulative years experience in Advertising & Marketing, Branding and Sponsorship.

His primary focus within Scotiabank is leading a sponsorship strategy that enhances the Bank's relationship with Canadians by investing in sponsorship properties that align with the Bank's brand values.

Scotiabank's sponsorship properties have raised the profile of the Bank's brand and have driven community awareness of Scotiabank's commercial and philanthropic contributions.

 

John Vidalin enters his second season as the 49ers Chief Sales Officer and his seventh in the NFL.

Vidalin now oversees the 49ers business development and corporate sponsorship group. He is charged with cultivating corporate partnerships for Candlestick Park and the 49ers new stadium initiative, while also directing the team’s broadcast sales.

Previously, Vidalin spent six seasons with the Houston Texans as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In that role, Vidalin oversaw all of the team’s corporate partnerships and sales of related properties, team promotional rights, broadcast inventory, branding, fan development, marketing and events. He was also responsible for directing the Texans gameday experience, HoustonTexans.com, advertising, in-game production, TORO, the Houston Texans Cheerleaders and team merchandise.

Prior to his stint with the Texans, Vidalin served as Vice President of Marketing for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, where he was in charge of all branding, advertising, media, fan development, merchandise and game operations efforts. During his time with the Capitals, the team won three Golden Matrix awards for "Best Opening Video" and "Best Show in Professional Sports."

Vidalin served as Vice President of Client Service with MGM Communications, a full-service advertising agency based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, before his stint with the Capitals. Previously, he served as Director of Marketing for the Calgary Flames of the NHL for six seasons and as Key Accounts Manager with Alberto Culver Canada.

Vidalin has served on the board of directors for the Houston Area Boys & Girls Clubs, for the Silicon Valley Boys and Girls club, and the YMCA; and is an advisory board member to the Baylor Sports Sales program.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Vidalin is a graduate of communications from Lethbridge College at Lethbridge, Alberta, and later completed his MBA at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia. He and his wife have two daughters.

 

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 universities, multi-use sport and entertainment destinations, performing arts centers, 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, TCU Place - Saskatoon’s Arts and Convention Centre, The Shaw Centre in Saskatoon, Canlan Ice Sports, Credit Union Sports and Entertainment Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology--University of Calgary, Calgary Health Region, City of Edmonton, Grant MacEwan University, Keystone Centre, Paragon Gaming, the Edge School/Jim Davidson Sports Complex, 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.

 

Karla Wingate, Manager Community Investment & Sponsorship for ENMAX Corporation. Karla has been with ENMAX in CI&S for 10 years. She develops and manages overall strategy for ENMAX's sponsorship and community investment portfolio and has been integral, along with her team of three, in strategically leveraging marketing sponsorships and partnerships at ENMAX and in developing new community investment programs.

Previous to that she was at the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation managing and supporting educational programs and the Calgary Flames supporting community outreach and Flames Foundation programs and initiatives.

 

Kyle Leetham is a Program Manager of Partnerships & Innovations for the City of Toronto Environment Office. Kyle oversees sponsorship of the Live Green Toronto program with a mandate to engage external partners in supporting and delivering many environmental initiatives in the City. Since joining the City in 2001, Kyle has successfully developed and implemented numerous environmental outreach programs including the Live Green Toronto Festival, the Live Green Grants Program and the new Live Green Toronto Membership Card. Kyle Leetham has extensive experience building and nurturing partnerships with a wide range of networks including residents, community groups, school boards, NGOs, businesses and corporate sponsors such as Canadian Tire Corporation, TD Bank, Delta Hotels, GoodLife Fitness, Hard Rock Café and many more.

 

As a founding executive of C'volution - "it's about change!"(a Division of C2 Communications), Mark is a key driver in building strategy, planning and activation in cause, brand and engagement marketing in for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. He brings over 15 years of leadership, marketing, brand and fundraising experience. Mark has guided cause marketing strategies in relationships with CIBC, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Kimberley Clark(Huggies), KaBOOM!, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, McCain Foods Canada, Hbc & Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation and St. Michaels Hospital Foundation, just to name a few. His expertise includes:

• Strategist, relationship holder, author of publications, reports and causemark's Blog
• Developing activation strategies and plans for achieving ROI and business objectives
• Mentor, facilitator, educator, thought provoker

 

Avid sports fan, turned pro. Mark has been a Sports Marketing professional for over 10 years at the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, helping CBC's Partners, Sports Programming and the CBC Sales teams meet their goals and objectives. From Hockey Night in Canada to the FIFA World Cup, from the Calgary Stampede to countless Olympic Games on CBC, Mark has been a key component to CBC's success. Prior to CBC, Mark spent three years at Mediaedge, where he focused on buying Sports properties for Molson Canada.

 

 

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

 

After enjoying nearly four years of training and caring for marine animals at West Edmonton Mall, Nathan Petersen headed an entirely different direction by beginning a Bachelors of Commerce at the Alberta School of Business in September 2008. With a semester left to go before graduating with a BCom and a major in accounting, this ambitious 22 year old has found a passion for the world of sponsorship while volunteering for a number of organizations and events such as Five Days for the Homeless, YESS’s Homeless for a Night, Kids Kottage and the inaugural Canadian Yukigassen ("Snow Battle" in Japanese) championship.

Most recently, Nathan Petersen, along with his colleague Koryn Stamler, was awarded the right to host JDC West 2012, Western Canada’s largest and most prestigious undergraduate business case competition. His role involves sourcing and maintaining corporate partnerships while overseeing all external communications and the financial operations of the organization.

 

Nikki is the current Interactive Coordinator for the Corus Entertainment Calgary Radio Division. She is responsible for the coordination and management of over 200 interactive campaigns with multiple levels of integration with on-air, contests and events. She is active in the tourism and entertainment industries on a professional and personal level and received her Marketing Degree from the University of Calgary.

 

 

 

Paul Pednault, founder and President of Sponsorium International, has been dubbed the «Sponsorship Evaluation Guru» by his peers.

Clients around the world have invited him to speak about his unique methodology for sponsorship evaluation. His intriguing presentation - The Shortest Route to ROI is ROO - has captured the attention of audiences in Canada, the US, South America, Europe and Australasia.

In addition to lecturing, consulting and organizing workshops, Paul has written and developed unique, expert software such as PerforMind and CriteriaPro; programs dedicated to the improvement of the sponsorship industry.

Paul Pednault is endowed with clear vision and tireless dedication, attributes that have motivated many to follow his footsteps in the sponsorship world. He also is currently acting as General Manager at International Guild of Sponsors (www.forsponsorsonly.com).

 

Richard Gotfried is Vice President - Corporate & Community Relations for Calgary-based Trico Homes. His responsibilities include strategic brand management, public and media relations, all facets of corporate and government relations and the company’s community investment and sponsorship portfolios. Richard brings a wealth of knowledge in brand management and strategic marketing to his role at Trico, having spent 20 years in the travel and tourism sector, most notably in senior Sales & Marketing roles during his 17 year career with Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways.

Trico Homes prides itself in its dedication to building strong, healthy and vibrant communities, and to this end is the major sponsor of the Kids Cancer Care Foundation, the presenting sponsor of GlobalFest's "Trico Homes International Fireworks Festival" and the naming sponsor of the Trico Centre for Family Wellness.

Richard is a proud born and raised Calgarian whose travels include 5 youthful years in Lagos, Nigeria, over 100 visits to Hong Kong and a deep love for both Thailand and Indonesia (Bali). His survival skills have been honed as a survivor of the sinking of the Sun Vista Cruise Liner in 1999 and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in Phuket, Thailand in 2004.

His wife Cathy and three teen-aged children share his passion for travel and a deep commitment to the community.

 

Rod is a Community Involvement Advisor at Encana Corporation, one of North America's leading natural gas producers. He is responsible for the management of corporate donations, sponsorships and community-focused programs that are based in Calgary or that are national in scope.

Rod graduated from the University of British Columbia (Physical Education / Sport Management & Marketing), and has spent 17 years in the field of event marketing, sponsorship and corporate community investment.

Prior to joining Encana, Rod spent 5 years in non-profit fund development for such organizations as the Honens International Piano Competition, TriumphEnt Foundation and CentrePoint Non-Profit Management.

Rod also worked with LANG & Associates, an international sponsorship marketing agency. His diverse corporate and non-profit client list included TELUS, Coca-Cola, Neilson Cadbury, CTV Sports, Tree Canada Foundation, the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Calgary International Organ Festival.

In his previous life as an athlete, Rod and his sister, Karyn, represented Canada on National, World and Olympic (Calgary, 1988) figure skating teams.

Rod lives in Calgary with his wife (Kim) and daughter (Brooke), and enjoys golf, running and travel.

 

With 20 years experience fundraising in Canada and internationally Ross Marsh has worked with over 120 clients on campaigns with goals from $500,000 to $200 million, as well as a myriad of other projects spanning the education, health, religious, arts and culture, sports and social service sectors. His work has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades from industry groups, fundraising professionals and others. He leads a team of 12 Associates with approximately 250 years combined experience in development, corporate sponsorship and non-profit management.

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, an 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 the charitable sector with something new; personalized, senior-level, hands-on service in collaboration with other senior practitioners to organizations in Western Canada and Ontario.

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, high-performance 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, LinkAGES Foundation (where he chaired the fund development committee), Sage Theatre (where he currently chairs the fund development committee) and is a founding trustee of the Dave Williams Leadership Fund at the Edmonton Community Foundation. He is a sought-after presenter and facilitator, has been a guest lecturer at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, Mt. Royal College in Calgary, Alberta and Swinburne University's Graduate School for Entrepreneurship in Melbourne, Australia. Ross is also 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 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.

 

Sean is a well-recognized thought leader in company innovation, brand leadership, social influence marketing and online community building, marrying his passion for grassroots engagement, digital technologies and the brand for some of Canada's best known brands at Molson, Guinness, Labatt, Procter & Gamble. He has been an executive-level marketer, agency leader and innovation consultant, in roles bridging the traditional and digital divide for over 15 years.

As an answer to business' future, Sean founded Agent Wildfire in 2004 (www.agentwildfire.com) - a leading marketing, media and research firm dedicated to customer advocacy, engagement and communities. In January'11, Sean launched his book Wikibrands - Reinventing your Company in a Customer-Driven Marketplace (www.wiki-brands.com) . Located in Toronto, he now continues and expands that work for startups, Fortune 500s and executive teams by leading the Wikibrands consultancy (www.wiki-brands.com).

 

With ten years of professional experience in the marketing industry, Tim Maloney currently holds the position of Director - Brand Marketing at Purolator Inc.

In his role, he has the responsibility of leading Purolator's brand management, advertising, corporate sponsorship, field marketing, research and customer experience initiatives. Most recently, Tim was the project lead of Purolator's Vancouver 2010 Winter Games sponsorship, while also launching the company's new brand advertising campaign. Prior to joining Purolator, Mr. Maloney was Manager of Marketing Properties at Canada Basketball.

A native of Halifax, NS, Mr. Maloney attended Dalhousie University for his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology where he played both varsity basketball and soccer. Following his undergraduate work, he completed his MBA at the University of Alberta with a focus in marketing.

 

With a passion for sponsorship marketing and more than a decade of diverse industry experience from Film, Fashion, Figure Skating and Music, to Motorsports, Football, Soccer and Hockey, Tyler has built successful, strategic partnerships with some of Canada’s biggest brands across the sport and entertainment landscape.

In his current role as Director, New Business Development at the Canadian Football League, Tyler brings a unique perspective to Canada’s number one summer sports property. Prior to joining the CFL, Tyler worked as the Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships for IMG Canada. There he cultivated partnerships across a vast array of properties with tier-1 companies like Audi, CIBC, Ford, Kraft, Molson Coors, Samsung, and Visa.  He represented a diverse mix of properties including FIFA World Cup, Red Bull, LG Fashion Week, Stars on Ice, and the Canadian Soccer Association; and such high-profile athletes as Mike Weir, Steve Nash, and Alexander Ovechkin.

Tyler’s career portfolio also includes The Grand Prix of Toronto (formally Molson Indy), where he increased sponsorship sales revenue by 25% and rounded up an impressive list of 35 corporate partners; Molson Sports and Entertainment, where he created and sold integrated partnerships for a number of top properties including Molson Indy Toronto/Vancouver, Bell Making the Cut, National Lacrosse League and Molson Canadian Snow Jam; RBC Financial Group; The Toronto International Film Festival; and Arts & Communications.  

Tyler was a member of the 2011 SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Awards judging panel. He currently sits on the ABC life literacy business development committee and the George Brown College Sport and Event Marketing 20th Anniversary committee.  Tyler resides in Oakville, Ontario with his wife and three kids.  Follow Tyler on twitter @sponsorship411 for more on his perspectives of the sponsorship industry.