Today, I have the pleasure of delivering the opening keynote for the 10th Annual SMCC Western Sponsorship Congress™. As many of you read this the Canadian sponsorship industry’s best and brightest are in Calgary to learn, network, share best practices, and have fun. It is hard to believe that this event has been growing continuously for a decade. Ten years ago, about 80 people gathered from across the country. Today, it is over three times that number. Over the next two days, delegates will reap the wisdom of over 40 presenters and network with over 250 registered delegates.
So what has changed for the 2100+ attendees over the last decade? A great deal, but many of the messages delivered by presenters nine and ten years ago remain the same. Ten years ago the opening keynote was entitled “Gold, Silver, and Bronze Packages are Dead!” The closing keynote by Grace Belmonte from NOKIA was on activation and ensuring that the property fits the investment. In the second year, the 2 Minute Pitch (now the 5 minute Pitch™) was born and continues to be a showcase element of the conference giving brands and right holders opportunities to see best (and in some cases in the past-worst) case scenarios in presentations for money. Proposals and presentations continue to be a key and requested topic year in and year out.
Nine years ago, Justine Fedak of BMO delivered the closing keynote on how to make proposals work for sponsors. She focused on what sponsors need to see (and not see) in proposals. And tomorrow, Justine in her SVP Brand Advertising and Sponsorships, North America for BMO Harris Bank will deliver a session how properties can, over time, build their sponsorship asset to become ownable, leverageable, and tangible, and increase in value year after year!
One of the keys to success on both the sponsor and rights holder sides is brand positioning. Sponsors need to position their brands in the marketplace, while properties need to do the same. Three years ago, we teamed up with PRG to help us position the SMCC Western Sponsorship Congress™ and the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™. We work with their team to present promotional products that our delegates can use, fit the theme, and will remain front and centre (like our brands) throughout the year. This year, you will find the Stylus Pens, not only to complement our “Bright Ideas” theme, but also to engage you year round every time you use your Smartphone or tablet! PRG is our partner. Like any sponsor, they (and Partnership Group) seek value and the Congress as a property seeks to position its brand. PRG delivers for us as it does for CIBC, Xerox, and so many others. Some things never change-like brand positioning. PRG delivers that for us and will do so for all those attending as they experience the PRG secret of its clients’ success at its workshop at the Congress this year.
One thing that has changed quite dramatically over the past decade has been the industry sectors. Back when the SMCC Western Sponsorship Congress™ launched, sport was the pinnacle. It accounted for over 50% of industry revenue. Today, sport retains closer to 40% of the share. Charities, causes, and member associations have grown their shares, but the most dramatic change in sectors has been the growth of three areas: fairs, festivals, and events which continue to grow as they almost meld with the entertainment sector.
Second are municipalities and parks. Across Canada, national and provincial park systems are getting into the game and municipalities have exploded as a sector (almost 15% of this Congress is made up of municipality representatives). Nine years ago, when Justine Fedak gave the closing keynote, we had Tracy Adams from the City of Oshawa speaking and presenting-a leader in municipalities and corporate sponsorship!
And finally, the sector that is growing like a sleeping giant is the post-secondary sector, which I predict will really begin to shine in the next three to five years.
Our industry continues to grow. All of us at the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ are proud to have been the presenting sponsor of this event for the past decade and also excited to have Ross W. Marsh Consulting Group as a decade-long sponsor. It is so exciting to see our industry flourish and we welcome the next generation to this exciting and ever-changing industry. It is thanks to events such as this and the Canadian Sponsorship Forum (June 2015); the Amplify Sponsorship Forum on November 20-21 in Halifax; the SMCC Marketing Awards and Conference in late April 2015 and others that there is the professional development that our people need. As I recently noted in a Tuesday Morning Commentary, there is no excuse for not attending or participating in at least two sponsorship professional development opportunities per year. If you can name a reason, let me know, but I am pretty sure there isn’t one!
These are just one person’s thoughts. Yours are welcomed as well. Please add your thoughts or comments below. Thank you for reading and your feedback.