Continuous Learning

I truthfully believe in continuous learning. I am always trying to follow the trends, fine tune existing programs and approached to meet everchanging needs. I need to be “on top of” all this to provide the best advice I possibly can to our clients. Hence why I do a myriad of things to support my continuous learning. I read articles in a series of different non-sponsorship hard copy published magazines. These give me insights outside of our sector. I daily review posts, articles and recommendations on X and LinkedIn. I listen to podcasts, and I attend conferences, workshops, sector luncheons / breakfasts and events. And I stay in touch with people. I mentor young industry professionals (both through formal channels like member association mentoring programs – AFP and SMCC and  through post secondary and secondary school institutions I have either graduated from or have been engaged with as well as informal mentoring with individuals). This plus coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner with industry peers across the country (I travel a lot, so this is possible and I am grateful for that) or phone calls or Zoom calls with industry peers without an agenda or purpose other than to check in and see how they are doing.

So here are a few of the sites I visit daily online or the podcasts I constantly listen to or the conferences I value.

Podcasts 

• The Inches Podcast – The Rookie and the Vet
• Chatter that Matters
• We Regret to Inform You
• Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing
• Under the Influence

Member Associations (Organizations I am a member of)

• SMCC – Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (I attend events in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto as well as have been a mentor for years in their ACTIVATE program)
• AFP – Association of Fundraising Professionals (I am a member of the following chapters and engage in events and luncheons and breakfasts they may have as well as active in all of the ones that have mentorship programs.)
  • Vancouver Island
  • Vancouver
  • Edmonton
  • Calgary

Sites

• Google Alerts:
  • Sponsorship
  • Sponsorship Marketing
  • Building Naming
  • Sports Marketing

• Hilborn Charity e-News
• Pando Partner
• Municipal World
• LinkedIn
• X

Conferences and Events

• Western Sponsorship Congress® – Alberta Forum
• Western Canada Fundraising Conference
• The Partnership Conference
• GO WEST
• SponsorshipX
• The Gathering
• AFP Calgary Compass
• WSC® Municipal Sponsorship Summit

I hope this is helpful for your own personal professional development.

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