Andrew Baker is a 15-year veteran of the Olympic world, joining the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) in 2005 and participating in six Olympic Games, four Pan American Games and three Youth Olympic Games. Over this time, Andrew took on increasingly senior roles within the operations of Team Canada at the Games, overseeing a significant expansion of the level of support provided by the Canadian Olympic Committee to Canadian athletes and sport federations. Named as Director, Games in 2013, Andrew oversaw the planning and delivery for Canada’s largest ever multi-sport Games delegation at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and Canada’s most successful Winter Olympic Games team in PyeongChang 2018. Following the Games in PyeongChang, Andrew joined the COC’s Senior Leadership Team as the Executive Director, Games and International Relations overseeing Canada’s team operations and Olympic performance programs in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 and enhancing the COC’s international activities to support strategic priorities. In October 2019, Andrew moved from the COC’s Games department to lead the newly created International Relations and Public Affairs portfolio. In his current role of Vice President, International Relations and Public Affairs, Andrew is responsible for leading the COC’s efforts to bring the Olympic Games back to Canada by aligning international relations, government relations and communications activities within the organization to create the conditions for a successful Canadian Olympic bid. Andrew graduated from the Sports Administration program at Laurentian University in 2005 and is a graduate of the Queens University and Cornell University Executive MBA Americas program. In 2015, he was recognized as one of the “5 to Watch” in Canadian Sport Business. Outside of the office, Andrew is committed to supporting the next generation of sport leaders. He is a vice president of the Laurentian University Alumni Association and a member of the advisory board of the International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership. He regularly speaks to university sport management classes and acts as a mentor to several current sport business students.

Ariane is the Account Executive for the international and sports market for Québec City Business Destination, official meeting and convention bureau. From event bids to site inspections, the services and assistance offered by Québec City aim to support event organizers in the planning process to make their experience in Québec City like no other! More recently, she has been involved in the Sport Tourism Canada Covid-19 Recovery Task Force and its Bouncing Back Strategy.

Benoit Girardin is a sports lawyer, strategic consultant, lobbyist, university professor and President of LBB Strategies/ LBB Sport, a boutique consultancy firm (team of 15+) with offices in Montreal, Ottawa and Europe (Annecy). Benoit has 20+ years of experience in major sporting events such as 8 Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games, 2 ISU World figure skating Championships (acting as the General Manager for Worlds 2020), the FIFA 2026 World Cup, the FIG 2017 World artistic gymnastic Championships, the CFL Grey Cup, Tennis Canada ATP/WTA Rogers Cup, the ISU short track speed skating Championships, the FINA World Championships and more than 100 other sporting events. He also advises and guides Canadian sport cities, Venue owners and event promoters in strategic planning, sport facilities, sport tourism strategy and in attracting major sporting events as well as being the business or legal advisor for many sports organizations including many sports organizations in Canada, international federations, the IOC, Pan Am Sports and professional sport teams.

Brian MacPherson has more than 35 years of progressive sport management and sport event leadership experience. Over this time Brian has distinguished himself as a sport leader by leading government relations, sport events management, marketing and communications and sport policy initiatives that drive innovative sport programming, grow sport participation in Canada and abroad, and achieve best-ever Canadian performances. Brian currently serves as CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada and previously as COO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee for nine years leading up to the hugely successful 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. He has also led two national sport organizations: Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada and the Federation of Canadian Archers. He directed the launch of the Ontario High Performance Sport Initiative and the Bank of Montreal’s “Bank of Soccer” strategy. Brian’s extensive sport event management and hosting experience includes serving as a volunteer, staff or advisor for numerous multisport games organizations, including; Alberta Games, Canada Games, Canadian Special Olympic Games, University Games and Paralympic and Olympic Games, and numerous single sport events at the national and international levels. Brian directed the “team behind the team” in bidding, planning and delivering numerous single and multi-sport events on time, under budget and with tangible legacies. Brian served as a member of the Federal Government’s Hosting International Events Policy Steering Committee. Brian has served the board of directors of Own the Podium, 2010 Games Operating Trust and Whistler Legacies Society and the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Board of Directors. He has also served Federal Government taskforces on: Sport for Persons with a Disability Policy; Hosting International Sport Events Policy; and Child Fitness Tax Credit. Brian has an Honors Bachelor of Science degree (Kinesiology) with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Guelph.

Five Time Canadian Olympian and Olympic Silver Medalist (Athletics) Charmaine Crooks is a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M), entrepreneur, corporate director, global speaker and advocate for sport and Athletes. She is also an Executive Producer and freelance television and major events host. She is founder and President of NGU Consultants Inc (1997), a global consultancy and management firm. NGU provides strategic advisory, marketing and corporate development services to a variety of sectors including sport, media, technology, health and major events. She is corporate director on both profit and non-profit Boards, including co-founder of the 365 International Sport Foundation. Former elected Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the IOC Athlete’s Commission, IOC Press Commission, IOC Culture and Education Commission, New Media working group, IOC 2000 Reform Commission and the founding IOC Ethics Committee. As one of the founding board members of the 2010 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Winter Games (Vanoc), she was the only member to serve on the board from the initial bid phase through to the successful end of the Games. She is currently on the Canadian Olympic Committee Foundation, Canadian Soccer Association executive board and the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions. Recently, she became Vice-President of the Global Esports Federation and is founder of the Canadian Esports Federation. Inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Athletics Hall of Fame and the University of Texas El Paso Sports Hall of Fame, where she attended on an Athletic scholarship. Charmaine has received national and international awards and recognitions for leadership in sport and business. These include the IOC Women in Sport Trophy – and in 2018 the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Women of Power and the Top 100 Accomplished Black Women Award. For over 20 years, Charmaine has worked extensively as a freelance TV presenter having hosted several national programs. She has worked as an analyst and/or producer for several sports and variety programming on CBC, Eurosport, Fox Sport and TSN. These include co-host of the national CBC series Cycle and In the Company of Women – as well as The Champions Zone, No Laughing Matter and the award winning World Athletics Gala Awards for 14 years from Monaco.

With more than 25 years of experience in the elite echelons of the sports industry, Chris Overholt now leads Toronto-based OverActive Media Group, one of the most diverse and influential esports organizations globally. That global esports stable includes the Toronto Defiant competing in the Overwatch league; the Toronto Ultra in its inaugural Call of Duty League season; the MAD Lions, a Madrid-based organization competing in both the League of Legends European Championship and CS:GO’s newly launched pro-league, Flashpoint. Chris has established himself as a leading and trusted voice in the worlds of sport and business. He joined the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) in April 2010 in the dual roles of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In August 2011, he was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and was in that role until October 2018, helping propel the organization to unprecedented growth in all areas of its commercial operations as the chief architect of the COC’s commercial strategy. Reporting to the COC’s Board of Directors, Chris oversaw the broad scope of operations of the Olympic Movement in Canada including national sport development programs, Team Canada preparation, Olympic bids and events. He worked closely with Canada’s 52 national sport federations to provide the tools they needed to develop the next generation of Olympians. During his 30 years in business, Chris played a key role in the marketing, branding, and business strategies for some of North America’s top sports franchises, including: Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and seven years with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment delivering industry-leading results for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University in London, Ontario and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive General Managers Program in 2001.

Dean McIntosh is the Vice President of Hockey Canada, the leader of all events hosted by the organization including the World Junior Championship and the Women’s Worlds, and a current member of the Sport Tourism Canada Board of Directors; but perhaps the title he is most proud of, is being the father of three talented female hockey players. Dean began his career with Hockey Canada in the early 2000’s as senior manager of coaching after serving his time as an event manager at the Hockey Hall of Fame. During Dean’s 8 years as senior manager he helped integrate the National Coaching Certification Program in all 13 branches across the country and hosted various international coaching conferences. From 2008–2016 Dean was the director of marketing services and events at Hockey Canada, responsible for servicing the organization’s 20+ corporate partners and supervising the delivery of all domestic Events in Canada.

Based in Vancouver, Derek Mager is the managing partner at The Data Jungle, a boutique insights-driven research and consultancy group focused on providing strategic consulting and market intelligence that supports key business decisions. With over 20 years of experience in the sports, entertainment and media industries, Derek has successfully managed hundreds of projects including return on investment and economic impact assessments, sponsorship / naming rights valuations, feasibility studies, and consumer / media research projects for a diverse set of clients. He brings his experience working with international brands, sports leagues, sports teams, government agencies, tourism bodies, sport federations, and marketing agencies to the STC consulting program.

With a wide range of marketing experience including media, experiential and sponsorships, Fred Turgeon is an important player in the sports and entertainment industry in the Montreal and Toronto markets. Over the past 15 years, he has built a strong and accessible network across the country. He has sourced and developed engaging partnership opportunities that are “consumer” focused and relevant for his clients. His desire is to build partnerships that matter and forever change the sponsorship landscape by making sure that there is a positive social incidence with every single penny spent.

Gord Hendren is President and CEO of Charlton Strategic Research (Charlton), a Toronto-based boutique insights and marketing solutions company. A recognized leader in Sport Property and Event Marketing strategy and insights both in Canada and internationally, Gord has extensive experience assessing the potential and direct impact of events and travel. Gord’s practice covers many of the leading sport properties both in the Canadian and international market including: Hockey Canada, Tennis Canada, Soccer Canada and Golf Canada, the Canadian Olympic Team and also the NHL, NBA, NFL, FIFA, and the ATP. He is also a recognized expert in media, sponsorship and brand marketing. Gord’s clients range across many industry media categories including: Broadcast, online, mobile, events and social media. As well, Gord has corporate clients across various categories including: Brewery, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Financial Services, Automotive, Petroleum, Airline, Retail, Athletic Equipment, Telecommunications and Technology. A member of ESOMAR (international association of research insights professionals) Gord is a business grad from Queen’s University. He also played hockey in the Peterborough Petes organization.

Grant MacDonald is one of Canada’s leading sport tourism and major event professionals. With significant experience, his work includes 30+ years of experience in amateur sports, sport tourism, government, and the private sector. Through event hosting, he has been leading the development of strategies and new business for most of his career. Grant works with host cities and destinations, host venues and host organizations to make strategic decisions, build business and improve process. In 2020, Grant served as the Chair of Sport Tourism Canada’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force and he has been the Head of Consulting for Sport Tourism Canada since 2019. He served on the Board of Directors for Sport Tourism Canada from 2007-2019 and was the Chair of the Board from 2011-2014. Grant is currently serving as the General Manager of the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship. Earlier in his career Grant worked with Hockey Canada and other organizations in staging the World Junior, World Women’s and World Men’s Hockey championships. Grant led both Events Nova Scotia and Events Halifax and played a lead role in the development of the provincial tourism strategy for Nova Scotia in 2013. He began his career in amateur sport while also working as a Scout for the Toronto Blue Jays for eight years, including the World Series year of 1993.

Heather brings her special brand of limitless energy and genuine caring to every event she touches. Having more than ten years of event experience, she thrives in the world of ‘many moving parts’ – aka the world of events. Heather is passionate about positivity and spreading kindness on a daily basis. Her company, Harmony Organization, focuses on all things organizing – whether that be someone’s home, office, life or corporate event. She is our Sport Events Exchange Matchmaker and Registration / Go Congress Program Coordinator at SEC.

After almost seven years gaining experience in Montreal’s private and corporate event industry, Greg Amiel pursued his Master of Human Kinetics, Concentration in Sport Management, degree at the University of Ottawa where he graduated in 2016. Greg has worked with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes helping to design and run the in-game fan experience as well as other fan-related events. Today, he keeps busy coordinating all promotional player, mascot and cheer appearances and/or community events for the Ottawa Redblacks, Ottawa 67’s and Ottawa Fury FC. Greg is excited that he is able to fuse his passion for sports with his professional experience, and to pursue a great career in the sport business industry. Connecting with sports fans and developing a fan experience that creates incredible memories for others is what keeps him energized and motivated every single day.

Lisa MacLeod is the Member of Provincial Parliament representing the riding of Nepean and Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. She was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in a 2006 by-election as the youngest MPP in that parliament and the youngest conservative woman to be elected in Ontario – either federally or provincially. She represented the Nepean-Carleton riding (now Nepean) winning elections in 2007, 2011, and 2014, and has continued to represent the constituents of Nepean since the boundaries were changed in the 2018 provincial election. Lisa has served as the Vice Chair of the Quebec-Ontario Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Ontario’s steering committee member on the Canadian Parliamentary Women’s Association and Vice Chair of the Government Agencies Committee and Legislative Assembly Committees. She has also served as Official Opposition Energy Critic, Education Critic, Revenue and Accountability Critic, Government and Consumer Affairs critic and Critic for Children and Youth. Lisa’s legislative success includes Rowan’s Law, Canada’s first concussion legislation, Lebanese Heritage Month and Trans Remembrance Month. As well, Lisa has been successful in receiving all party support for making Queen’s Park Family Friendly, defending Ontario’s horseracing industry and a compassionate and catastrophic care Motion. For her work Lisa has been awarded the Friendship Medal by the Royal Canadian Legion, a commendation by the St. John’s Ambulance and is the 2018 EVE Award Recipient from Equal Voice- for her work with Daughters of the Vote and liveable legislatures. Lisa was also named Top 50 and Top 25 in the Capital and in 2017 was named Faces Magazine’s Favourite Ottawa MPP.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault was elected the Member of Parliament for Laurier—Sainte-Marie in 2019. Minister Guilbeault is a prominent advocate in the fight against the climate crisis, and has been leading the charge from Laurier—Sainte-Marie for years. Minister Guilbeault’s commitment to environmental issues started at the age of five, when he climbed a tree to protect it from real estate developers who were about to cut down the woods behind his home in La Tuque. Twenty-five years later, he scaled the CN Tower in Toronto to call for Canada to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. In 1993, Minister Guilbeault co-founded Équiterre, the largest environmental organization in Quebec, and served as its Senior Director from 2008 to 2018. He also worked as a Director and Campaign Manager for Greenpeace, and was a Strategic Advisor for more than 10 years at Cycle Capital Management, a Canadian fund dedicated to the development of clean technologies. Minister Guilbeault also worked for Deloitte & Touche as well as Copticom, a consulting firm specializing in the green and social economy, and transportation. As an activist and strategic advisor for dozens of governments and businesses in Canada and abroad, Minister Guilbeault is a pragmatist who works to make a difference by building bridges and relationships. An avid cyclist and sportsman, he has been riding his bike 12 months a year for the last 30 years. Minister Guilbeault is a father of four and stepfather of two.

Janet is an enthusiastic champion of Sport Tourism and brings a wealth of knowledge to the field. She earned her Bachelor of Physical Education, with a focus on Cultural and Managerial Studies of Sport and Leisure, from the University of Alberta. Janet has been the Sports Tourism Coordinator for the City of Leduc since 2014. She provides exceptional support to organizing committees, fosters partnerships to advance sport tourism and maximize economic and social impacts, along with many other vital duties that have made the City of Leduc a hub for sport tourism in the country. She has been involved in numerous events including the 2015 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, 2016 Alberta Summer Games, 2017 Freson Bros Canadian Ringette Championships and 2018 Curl 4 Canada. Janet is also serving on the organizing committee to host the inaugural Alberta Sport Tourism Symposium being hosted in 2019. Prior to working for the City of Leduc, Janet spent eight years at the Town of Devon (population 6,578) as the Community Projects Coordinator with sport tourism as a component of her portfolio. During this time, Janet had a leadership role with hosting the 2010 Road Cycling Nationals, 2011 Kraft Celebration Tour, 2011 Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games – snowshoe and cross country skiing events, 2013 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games and the 2013 Tour of Alberta as a start community, proving that even small communities can benefit from a focus on sport tourism.

A well-respected senior executive in Canada’s sport community with extensive experience in several leadership roles, Karen O’Neill has been the CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee since June 2013. Under Karen’s guidance, the organization has increased in size and scope across all areas, advancing Para sport in Canada while galvanizing its reputation as a leader nationally and internationally. A conscientious and tireless advocate for creating an inclusive sport environment, Karen shares her voice and experience and work to better the sport community in this country. After serving on the Sport Matters Group Admin Group and the Minister’s Advisory Committee for Ontario, Karen currently sits on the Board of Directors for the True Sport Foundation, which supports values-based sport. She has also been a leading voice for safe sport in Canada. In 2018, she was named Sports Media Canada’s Executive of the Year following Canada’s most successful Paralympic Winter Games yet in PyeongChang. Prior to joining CPC, she served as CEO of Field Hockey Canada from 2009 to 2013 and as Chief Operating Officer of the Rick Hansen Foundation from 2004 to 2009. She also was CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada from 1997 to 2004. She also served as director general of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association from 1989 to 1992 and chef de mission of the Canadian Paralympic Team for Atlanta 1996. Originally from Halifax, she holds a master’s degree in education from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Concordia University.

An event planning professional with nearly 10 years of experience working within and outside of Canada, Keneisha has worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit industries managing both small to large-scale events.

Keneisha is co-founder of the Black In Events Network - a globally inclusive initiative creating awareness and opportunity for Black event professionals. She is also the owner of the Get Boost agency which is a full-service event agency for live and virtual events. She is a Task Force Member with the Events Industry Council and mentors women at the Scarborough Women Center.

Keneisha is passionate about creating spaces and experiences that enrich the human journey. For more information about her please visit her site www.keneisha.co

In 1997, Shaunavon, Saskatchewan native Kevin Dickie made his way to the east coast of Canada to take over the Acadia Axemen hockey program. During Kevin’s three seasons at Acadia, he led the Axemen to three straight Atlantic University hockey conference final appearances and a trip to the 1998 CIS final championship game. Departing Acadia in 2000 to return to his home province, Dickie coached the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League for four seasons, while holding the position as assistant coach with Canada’s World Junior team in 2000-2001 and Canada’s Under 18 National team in 2000. In addition, Kevin became the sixth coach in the history of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to enter its Hall of Fame. In the summer of 2005, Kevin left hockey to utilize his administrative skills as the Director of Athletics at the University of New Brunswick where he remained for six years. In May of 2011, Kevin returned to Acadia University, as Acadia’s Director of Athletics. In his 10th year at the helm, Dickie has helped bring home eleven AUS championships. Acadia completed its final year of hosting an unprecedented ‎four consecutive U SPORTS national championships. Academically, Dickie has steered the Axewomen and Axemen in achieving the highest number of Academic All-Canadians in school history at 122 in 2018-19. He has also witnessed four U SPORTS BLG nominees, two AUS James Bayer Award winners and four U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians in a row. He served a three-year term as both U SPORTS Board Director‎ and Atlantic University Sports President. In the Spring of 2017, Dickie became the Executive Director of Athletics and Community Events, which involves leading both Athletics and the department of Event Services, responsible for hosting activities on campus during the summer and academic year. Kevin teaches a Developing Leadership course within the School of Kinesiology and has a Level 4 Coaching Certification. Prior to his 33-year career in athletics, Kevin enjoyed teaching in Saskatchewan and Alberta. He lives in Wolfville with his wife Cindy and sons Riley (Burlington, Vermont) and Brett (Halifax).

As Manager of Major Sport Event Coordination at Sport Canada (Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada), Kristen is responsible for overall federal support and coordination of the Canada Games, as well as major international bids and events supported by the Hosting Program. In addition, her work and leadership has contributed to the development of a national strategy to bid for and host major sport events in Canada. Kristen started her career at Sport Canada in 2011, working as part of the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games Secretariat in federal coordination and stakeholder relations. She continued as Government of Canada project lead for a number of high-profile, international sport event bids including Commonwealth Games, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup bid and the 2026 Calgary Olympic and Paralympic Games bid. Prior to joining Sport Canada, Kristen was the High Performance Manager at Canada Artistic Swimming for 6 years. Throughout her career she has contributed in a variety of roles at multiple international and domestic sport events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, World Championships and World Cups. Kristen has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University.

Executive Director at the DMO of Cranbrook Tourism, Kristy has lived and worked in California, Japan and South Africa. Her marketing background includes time at a rural Japanese Inn, a marketing agency focused on the financial services sector and a major BC ski resort. Cranbrook is a city of 20,000 people located in south eastern British Columbia. In 2020 Cranbrook Tourism engaged Sport Tourism Canada to help the community assess their readiness for hosting more sport events in the future.

Lacey is the proud founder of 24STRONG. She grew up dancing and performing across PEI and started her professional career with the Charlottetown Festival in their production of Anne of Green Gables the Musical and later, the 2015 Young Company. Most recently, Lacey was the dance captain and ensemble member of Mamma Mia the Musical in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has trained with various choreographers across Canada and the USA. Lacey is proud to be an Islander and excited to share her experiences with Island youth. Lacey was awarded the “Young Humanitarian of the Year” award by the Canadian Red Cross and has been recognized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her impact on youth in her community.

Since its inception in 2008, Lars has served as the CEO of Sport Event Denmark, an organization established to attract and host international sport events as well as to brand Denmark as an international host for sport events and tourist destination. Over the past 12 years, Sport Event Denmark has supported more than 350 sport events in 62 locations throughout the country. Lars’ main focus is on international relations within the international sports landscape and the Olympic movement and bidding for major international sports events. Through his extensive global network and due to the remarkable Danish results in hosting international sport events, Lars is a highly sought-after speaker at international conferences and congresses. In addition to his position with Sport Event Denmark, Lars also serves as a founding member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Event Hosts.

Manali Haridas is a Mindfulness Coach, a TEDx Speaker, Certified Nutritionist, Certified Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Certified Healer and Author with over 25 years of coaching experience. She has impacted the lives of many people globally by her easy to implement, practical mindfulness coaching tips. Manali believes in supporting clients to establish the mind body connection, get relaxed, de-stressed by coaching easy to implement daily practices for achieving work life balance.

Marsha Walden is the President and CEO of Destination Canada. Her career spans leadership roles in strategy and organizational renewal, marketing and communications, corporate social responsibility, operations management, and business innovation. She joined Destination Canada in 2020 from Destination British Columbia where she had served as the President and CEO since 2013.

Michael Cvitkovic was named the first Ottawa BlackJacks team president in franchise history on November 29, 2019. Additionally, he provides executive leadership to the league office for all Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) broadcast properties. Cvitkovic served as the senior advisor to CEBL Commissioner Mike Morreale throughout its inaugural season, delivering strategic and operational leadership after more than 20 years in professional sports and major events. During the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, Cvitkovic co-chaired the Return to Basketball Task Force, making the CEBL the first professional sports league in Canada to return from the global pandemic. The game of basketball always seems to find Cvitkovic. He started his career as sports information director at York University, promoting Yeomen basketball programs led by Canadian coaching legends Bob Bain and Bill Pangos – father of national team guard Kevin Pangos. A former member of the Toronto Raptors communications staff, Cvitkovic served for six NBA seasons under then senior vice-president, John Lashway, who now leads the CEBL Hamilton Honey Badgers as its team president. Cvitkovic was chosen by the NBA to join its staff as part of the 2005 NBA All-Star Game and represented the Raptors at four NBA Drafts, including the infamous 2003 event when the team selected Chris Bosh with the fourth overall pick. Following a five-year stint as a director with Tennis Canada and the internationally renowned Rogers Cup ATP and WTA Tour events, Cvitkovic returned to basketball to hold the position of executive director for Ontario Basketball. He led the creation of the provincial basketball high performance training centre at the Abilities Centre in Whitby. Cvitkovic was the general manager of the successful Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games and served as a member of the senior management team who opened the world-class Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. An Olympic broadcaster, former sports radio host and volunteer press chief for Team Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cvitkovic has worked closely with government, business and community leaders on a series of sport and cultural initiatives with the aim to boost the Canadian sport tourism sector. Cvitkovic earned a Masters Certificate in Marketing Communications Management from the Schulich School of Business and is professionally accredited with the International Association of Business Communicators. An avid cyclist, referee with Volleyball Canada and a volunteer coach, Cvitkovic is married to his wife, Shelby, and together they have a volleyball playing, musical theatre performing daughter, named Brooke.

Neal has more than 15 years in the major event industry as a consultant, marketing and communications professional and volunteer. As a national leader in Canada’s event hosting industry, he has assisted business, government and communities to attract and deliver numerous sport and culture-related events. Neal has consulted and volunteered for several major national and international events including; IIHF World Junior, Women’s and Men’s Hockey Championships, 15th Asian Games Doha, Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Canadian Country Music Awards and the Web.com TOUR. Neal is a Vice-Chair of the Board of the Directors of the Sport Tourism Canada and Vice-Chair of Event Atlantic

Neal leads IMI’s North American client service team and is best known for translating consumer behaviour into informed strategic solutions. Neal partners with 100+ clients in 60+ unique categories across North American with an expertise in brand communication and execution across all marketing tactics and verticals.

Paul Bush OBE is VisitScotland’s Director of Events, leading the EventScotland Team, Business Events and Industry Development. EventScotland takes a strategic lead in the Scottish events industry and is responsible for working with partners to attract, bid for and secure major sporting, cultural and business events. Over the past decade this has brought some of the world’s biggest event properties to the country, including The Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games in 2014, World Gymnastics Championships 2015, World Orienteering Championships 2015, the MTV Music Awards on two occasions, European Championships 2018, The Solheim Cup and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2019 and future events such as the Cycling World Championships in 2023. Having been on the Commonwealth Games Scotland Board for four years as an independent non-executive Director, he was appointed Chairman in May 2015 and reappointed in May 2019 to serve another four years as Chair. Paul was Chef De Mission for The 2006 Scottish Commonwealth Games team of 245 athletes and officials who secured a total of 29 medals. He was awarded an OBE in the 2007 Queen’s New Year Honours List for Services to Commonwealth Sport.

A respected sports executive, with an extensive background in Canadian and international sport, Rick has led STC since its inception.

As CEO, he is responsible for the overall management of the association, and works with the Board of Directors to develop and implement STC’s strategic plan.

He leads the government relations and international relations portfolios, ensuring Canada remains at the forefront as a bidding and hosting nation.

He is also intricately involved in planning the program for the Sport Events Congress, providing professional development and networking opportunities for destinations, suppliers and sport organizations.

Robert Kawamoto leads Ottawa Tourism’s Major Events and Sport team. He is an energetic, enthusiastic and innovative thinker, able to design and apply sound business strategies and tactics to set and achieve targeted goals and solve complex business problems. Rob’s hospitality and tourism industry career spans more than 30 years, holding hotel and DMO leadership roles with Delta Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels of Canada and Marriott International Global Sales Organization, Tourism Toronto and Tourism Kingston. He has successfully worked with major sport event accounts like the NBA, NHL, Pan Am Games, Ontario Summer Games, Little Native Hockey League, Hockey Canada, Volleyball Canada and other international, national and provincial sport organizations. He is an accomplished sport tourism industry leader having served on the Boards of the Toronto Sports Council (2008-2015) and Sport Tourism Canada (2008-2015 and Committees 2020-2021). Rob is a graduate of Ryerson University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. He has been a guest speaker for Event Planning courses at Ryerson University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, York University’s Sport Marketing Speaker Series, and the University of Waterloo’s Sport Management Program.

Susan Sawbridge leads New Zealand Major Events, the investment arm for events within the New Zealand government. New Zealand Major Events works with the event sector and other government agencies to identify and secure events, partner and invest for delivery, and leverage events to generate and maximise economic, social and cultural benefits for New Zealand. Susan is a founding member and current Chair of the International Association of Event Hosts.

Fluently trilingual, Sylvie Bigras is an accomplished emcee and facilitator who has conducted national and expert stakeholder consultations, strategic planning, and organizational development projects. Her client list comprises local, national and international organizations, including the Canadian federal government, as well as not-for-profits and corporations. She has hosted numerous major events including the Nelson Mandela Citizenship Ceremony, State Dinners for George W. Bush, Vicente Fox Quesada, Prince Charles and other dignitaries. A specialist in Communications at international sporting events, she has worked at 15 Olympic Games, 4 Commonwealth Games and 5 Pan American Games. She was the Press Chief for the Canadian Olympic Team in 2008 and 2010, as well as for Canada at the Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. She has narrated numerous videos and presentations and is the “voice”​ of the Canadian War Museum. Currently, she hosts and facilitates major events, as well as working with Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, a celebration of excellence in sport, music and food.

The Events Development Officer for the City of Charlottetown, Wayne Long has over 26 years of tourism and event management experience in municipal government. He has spent the last 17 years positioning Charlottetown as a leading event and sport tourism destination and manages the municipality’s highly successfully SCORE sport tourism initiative. Wayne currently serves as a member of numerous local and regional boards, having served as President of organizations including Event Atlantic, Festivals & Events PEI, and Recreation PEI. He is a former Executive Board Member of Sport Tourism Canada and is an alumnus of the Olympic Academy of Canada. In 2009, Wayne was the recipient of Sport Tourism Canada’s PRESTIGE award for Canadian Sport Tourism Industry Builder of the Year and was recognized by his alma mater, Loyalist College, with an Alumni Distinction Award in 2010 for excellence in his chosen profession. Under Wayne’s leadership, the City of Charlottetown’s sport tourism brand, SCORE was named Sport Tourism Canada’s Sport Tourism Organization of the Year in 2015 and Charlottetown has been the top sport hosting destination in the country on the Canadian Sport Hosting Index for populations under 50,000 for the past 3 years, finishing 6th overall in Canada since 2019.

Heather brings her special brand of limitless energy and genuine caring to every event she touches. Having more than ten years of event experience, she thrives in the world of ‘many moving parts’ – aka the world of events. Heather is passionate about positivity and spreading kindness on a daily basis. Her company, Harmony Organization, focuses on all things organizing – whether that be someone’s home, office, life or corporate event. She is our Sport Events Exchange Matchmaker and Registration / Go Congress Program Coordinator at SEC.