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.

The ACA’s latest Marketer’s Pulse survey suggests Canadian marketers are feeling more optimistic than they were last fall about their business prospects and their consumers’ confidence levels. The findings are based on a survey conducted January 7 – 31 among a panel of 56 senior marketers representing a cross section of industry sectors and MarCom spending. Click here for the Marketer’s Pulse media release.

The ACA has issued a call for nominations for the industry’s highest honour, the ACA Gold Medal Award. First presented in 1941, the Gold Medal is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada. The deadline for submitting nominations is April 5. The 2013 Gold Medal will be presented at the Marketing Awards gala, to be held May 30 at the Carlu in Toronto. Click here for more details.

A panel of leading industry experts has been selected to judge the 9th Annual Sponsorship Marketing Awards, Canada’s premier showcase of sponsorship marketing excellence. The awards are presented by the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada, formed under the auspices of the ACA. This year’s judging panel, chaired by Gavin Roth, Vice President, Multiplatform Sales at Rogers Media, is comprised of senior executives representing a cross-section of Canada’s sponsorship marketing industry. Click here for the full list of judges.