Labatt Breweries of Canada took Best of Show at the 9th annual Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs), winning for a fan-based sponsorship program involving Budweiser and the Winnipeg Jets that exceeded business objectives. The SMAs, presented April 25th at the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada’s annual conference in Toronto, recognize companies that maximize their investments in sponsorship marketing by developing innovative strategies that drive results. Other big winners were BMO and Scotiabank, which each won two awards. Click here for the media release.

Following five months of bargaining, ACTRA has reached terms of settlement with the Association of Canadian Advertisers and the Institute of Communication Agencies to renew the National Commercial Agreement, the industry standard collective agreement that governs the production of commercials in Canada. Click here for more information.

The final report of the 5th annual Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study is now available for download in English and French. Led by Professors Norm O’Reilly and Benoit Séguin of the University of Ottawa, the study surveys sponsors, sponsees and agencies regarding sponsorship trends and investments over the previous year. (more…)