When it comes to sponsorship, RBC is a true champion.

The bank is omnipresent, from Olympics to Golf to Taylor Swift, with the most prominent partnership properties touching our country. This presence is one of many reasons we invited RBC to participate in our classroom session, Breakfast with  Brand Champions, at SponsorshipX Whistler. We know breakfast is an innovative way to attend class, so we are thrilled to have the innovative Jacquie Sestito, Director of Brand Marketing at RBC, join our breakfast champions roster. Jacquie leads RBC's overall Sponsorship Strategy & Evaluation platform along with RBCxMusic, Live Nation, TIFF, Montreal Canadians and most recently, their Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour partnership.

Music permeates RBC's portfolio. Whether it be at TIFF or the RBC Canadian Open, music integrations are highly prevalent. In typical RBC fashion, however, they don't just focus on the big stage but have a significant grassroots component driven by the RBCxMusic First Up Program, Powered by MusiCounts, which offers a transformational professional development experience to 30 emerging artists and music professionals who represent the next generation of Canada's music industry. This program equips participants with the skills, connections, and industry insights needed to fuel fulfilling and sustainable careers in music. Through a months-long intensive workshop series, 1-1 mentorship sessions with industry leaders, paid performance opportunities and financial honoraria, this immersive opportunity is among the most comprehensive non-academic development programs for young music professionals in Canada.

It is also fitting that we have RBC on our agenda at SponsorshipX Whistler as it aligns with the opening weekend of the Paris 2024 Olympics. RBC is the longest-standing partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee and runs one of the most potent grassroots activation integrations, the RBC Training Ground. RBC Training Ground started as an idea to find and fund Canada's future Olympians. The program has helped develop 13 Olympians who have brought home a collective seven medals for Canada and as many as 30 #RBCTrainingGround graduates attempting to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In a recent article, RBC had this to say about the program:

"What started out in 2016 as an idea to discover the next generation of Team Canada, has since become a cornerstone of Olympic talent development in this country. It's a testament to the raw athletic skill seen across Canada, and to the program's ability to break down barriers for young athletes who might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue their Olympic dreams," said Shannon Cole, vice president, Brand Marketing, RBC. "There is no questioning the power that sport has to unite and inspire communities and we look forward to continue working with our partners to discover Canada's future Olympians."

Regarding champions, RBC's partnership with Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in Canada will be at the top of the podium when it comes time to award the 2024 marketing and sponsorship industry campaigns.

Recently, RBC partnered with WestJet for contests and giveaways for the tour, including 50 invaluable concert tickets in their riding. Additionally, contest winners across Canada will receive accommodations provided by RBC, plus flights to the Toronto or Vancouver shows or credit towards a future flight courtesy of WestJet.

The partners in this program are flying high about this contest announcement.

"As the Official Financial Services Partner and Official Ticket Access Partner of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in Canada, we are thrilled to team up with our long-standing partner, WestJet, to help make this iconic tour as nationally accessible as possible," said Niranjan Vivekanandan, senior vice president & head, Loyalty & Merchant Solutions, RBC. "This partnership helps to bring an enhanced experience, including flights and accommodations, to our lucky ticket-winning Avion Rewards members."

"We want to ensure Taylor Swift fans and WestJet Rewards members from across Canada have the opportunity to experience Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour through this contest," said John Weatherill, WestJet group executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "Our flights will ensure Canadians can seamlessly connect to Toronto or Vancouver to take part in this unforgettable experience, made possible through our amazing partners at RBC."

I had a chance to check out accommodations, venues, restaurants and travel options for our conference attendees. While the city will be busy, the Metro, biking, and walking will make for an easy Olympics to navigate and take in.

I also strolled around the park and the community near Parc La Villette, which will be the Park of Nations for the Olympics, where many country houses, including France, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Canada, will be located. The park houses one of the largest concentrations of cultural venues in Paris, including the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (City of Science and Industry, Europe's largest science museum), three major concert venues, and the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris. Park of Nations will feature Canada Olympic House, where SponsorshipX Paris will host our plenary sessions each morning.

A significant part of my trip was checking out the locations for our fan experiences and activation tours. These afternoon sessions promise a unique opportunity for experiential learning and intimate relationship building with our passionate group of delegates looking to make international contacts and garner insights for their marketing projects.

Of course, capping off each evening with a networking dinner and some Paris nightlife won't be too shabby either!

SponsorshipX Paris will be a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity for you to attend.

Team SPX is ready.

Paris is ready.

Are you ready?

MH3

Nicolas is a passionate sports & entertainment marketing professional with 15 years of experience in

brand building, content strategies and strategic business partnerships at an international level. Nicolas has been working for some of the biggest global sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Nissan or Visa, and has

been dealing with the biggest properties of the industry (Olympic & Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, X-Games, etc.). He's currently responsible for the Paris 2024 program in Visa’s Global Sponsorship team.

Sarah Vickers is the Head of Intel's Olympic and Paralympic Games Office. She is responsible for oversight

of all aspects of Intel's Olympic and Paralympic Games partnership including technology integrations, marketing, and hospitality. From the start of this groundbreaking partnership over seven years ago to

today, she continues to build and manage relationships across the Olympic Movement including the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, National Olympic Committees, and Olympic Broadcasting Services.

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be Sarah's 4th Olympic Games with Intel. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honors from Queen's University in Canada. She currently resides in Florida.