CSFX16 Preview – First in a Series

If you’ve never attended CSFX, T1’s annual conference formerly known as the Canadian Sponsorship Forum, then my next few blog posts are for you.

Today marks the first in a series of CSFX previews that I’ve decided to prepare for you to devour. Today I will whet your appetite as to what CSFX is all about. Then over the next few weeks, I will add to the sizzle with some tasty bites of the meaty content and savoury networking you can feast on next February.

Of course if you’re not hungry for my cooking, you can always resort to the best way to get a good recommendation. Regardless of whether it’s a restaurant or a business conference, ask somebody who has already been. The odds are unbelievably high that you know, not one, but several industry peers who have attended this amazing fete in the past. They will enthusiastically share what over three thousand others know. CSFX isn’t a conference that talks about being a great conference, it’s a conference that lives it.

I think it’s important to begin the CSFX story with you by focusing on the Why versus the What. For clarity sake I will let you know the When and Where: February 11, 12, 13, 2016 at the brand spanking new, super beautiful, unbelievably appointed, conveniently located Delta Toronto. If those dates sound familiar to you, you’re not only a shrewd marketer, but also a sports fan, as those days are right smack in NBA All-Star Week. Which makes sense given our CSFX16 host is none other than the National Basketball Association!

Having an annual host is central to the Why. Why did I think Canada needed another conference? Why did I decide to enlist my colleagues to embark on this labour of love? Why did we decide to partner our forum with a major event every year? Why does any of this matter to you?

We didn’t start CSFX because we felt Canada needed another experiential marketing and sponsorship conference. No. We started it to create a platform for learning, to create an opportunity for sharing, to create a venue for inspiration. As marketers our number one enemy is our desks. The more time we spend in our offices or boardrooms the less strategic and creative we become. Over time our senses become dulled, our skills eroded, and the passion we had for pursuing our life’s work is in a distant rearview mirror.

However being a smorgasbord of motivation is just the beginning for us. We concocted an event that combines endless amounts of proprietary research, unparalleled speakers addressing the most topical issues of the day, and networking that is curated to ensure even the most introverted of introverts will leave with a pocket full of business cards. (I personally volunteer as host, match maker, and cruise director.)

I have a passion for connecting people. I have an endless thirst for knowledge. I have endless admiration for the best work, people, campaigns, and brands in the sponsorship marketing world. So if any of that translates into the Why of CSFX, the mission of our event, and a sneak preview into the value of attending, then you and I share something very powerful in common.