Affinity and Revenue Generation
Brand new this year! Affinity and Revenue Generation is a hot topic in most institutions. Learn all about the latest news and services!
Session descriptions and speaker biographies are all listed below. Read what's in store, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up for the sessions that interest you most.
Please note: each session is broken into mini-sessions, one of which may feature a presentation from the different affinity partners represented at this conference.
Session One (a): Sunday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
Beyond 360 Thinking
Universities and colleges have long since developed traditional affinity partnerships and sponsorship agreements. In this opening session of the revenue generation track Leisha LeCouvie (McGill University) and Kyle Winters (University of Toronto) will challenge attendees to think beyond the usual partnership model. In this session we will explore what makes sense in developing a commercial partnership and what doesn't. We will discuss commercialization and its effect on the campus and within the alumni community.
Kyle Winters
Director of Marketing Programs
University of Toronto
Kyle Winters is Director of Marketing Programs at the University of Toronto, and in 2005 served as Acting Director of Alumni Advancement. He leads a team of specialists who manage all non-philanthropic revenue generating activities at the University of Toronto. Kyle is on the Board of Directors of the International Collegiate Licensing Association, and has presented at numerous CCAE and CASE events. He was the architect of Conference 360 and Brand-Aid both hosted in Toronto. Kyle is serving a co-chair of Sponsorship for the 2006 CCAE National and co-chair of the Affinity and Revenue Track.
Leisha Lecouvie, McGill University
Leisha LeCouvie has worked in alumni relations for many years, starting first at Trent University in Peterborough, then at Concordia University in Montreal. Leisha has held several positions in alumni affairs over the years, including special events coordinator and affinity manager. Leisha is currently Associate Director, Alumni Affinity and Volunteer Relations at McGill University. Areas working with her include: affinity and travel programs, market research, student programs, volunteer recruitment and board management.
Session One (b): Sunday, June 4, 11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Partner-Sponsored Session: bv02
Searching for the Elusive E-Business Return:
So we've built it, why won't they come?
Andrew Milne returns to CCAE to share part III of his e-business dialogue. In 2004, he focused on effective use of the web as a communications tactic for educational institutions in building online communities. At Conference 360, he outlined how to continue the growth of these online communities while avoiding member apathy and abuse.
In part III of his e-business dialogue, Andrew will address the importance of approach versus technology in building strong affinity relationships.
Discover the secrets to continued success, and learn the pitfalls to avoid e-marketing fatigue. Find out how to retain the interest of your audience by turning your members into content drivers. Using case studies, including the multiple award-winning Carleton Cafe's Perks of Membership program, Andrew will illustrate how best to leverage the emergence of social media concepts into leading-edge brand strategies.
Andrew Milne
President, bv02
For close to a decade, Andrew Milne has rejuvenated organizational marketing and communication strategies by using state-of-the-art technology. As Regional Vice President for nurun inc., Andrew oversaw a 40-person team focused on the development of highly effective, cross-media business and communication solutions. Andrew’s knowledge-economy marketing savvy made him a key player in nurun’s ‘click and mortar’ business philosophy. Prior to nurun, Andrew worked as the Marketing and Strategy Director for blue chips such as Met Life, digIT Interactive and Kplus, with a diverse portfolio of clients that included Carleton University, Nortel Networks, the National Gallery of Canada, MuchMusic, Canada Post, and the Financial Post. Dedicated to bringing industry into the next wave of media marketing and online strategy, Andrew participates in numerous leading-edge initiatives such as Canadian Heritage’s Music Online Committee, OCRI’s Tulips Technology Tour, and Industry Canada’s WEB 101 project, to name a few. In addition, Andrew is committed to helping start-ups move forward by re-defining their online business needs and strategically integrating them into the organization's lifecycle management process.
Session Two (a): Sunday, June 4, 1:30 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Partner-Sponsored Session: Clearsight Wealth Management
The Next Generation of Affinity Marketing
The internet opened many new options for marketing products and services to alumni. With the introduction of new forms of media, what will the future hold for commercial partnerships, and how will we best utilize these new technologies to profile our partnerships?
David Finley
President and CEO
Clearsight Wealth Management
David is a 10-year veteran of the financial services industry
and a recognized leader in the affinity group market, having
pioneered member benefit programs that uniquely serve the
investment and retirement planning needs of professionals and
university graduates. As the founder and president of Affinity
Investments in the 1990s, David built and established Affinity
Investments into Canada’s leading affinity investment services
company, representing partners that include American Express
Canada and major university alumni associations such as the
University of Toronto, Queen’s University, York University and
the University of Waterloo. Following the sale of Affinity
Investments to Canada Trust in 1998, David remained active
in the company’s financial services group, most notably as an
executive with TD Meloche Monnex.
Session Two (b): Sunday, June 4, 2:20 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Partner-Sponsored Session: Manulife Financial
The 8 Best Affinity Ideas of 2005/06
Submit your best partnership programming idea online and join us for a 40
minute "affinity best practices" workshop. Eight outstanding ideas will be selected and winners will
be invited to share their strategy in our best practices (show and tell)
workshop. And naturally - there are prizes!
Enna Kaplun
Director, Account Management, Affinity Markets
Manulife Financial
Enna is responsible for the general management and strategic development of the Alumni national account portfolio and several Professional and Retiree Associations. She brings over 15 years of diverse insurance industry experience to this role and over 13 years experience in the direct marketing and business development of insurance products.
Session Three: Monday, June 5, 9:20 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Small Shops, Huge Results - Part I
This will be a panel discussion. moderated by Brian Breckles, on affinity programs at small Canadian schools. What works and what doesn't work? How do small shops have successful affinity programs that engage their alumni and provide good revenue streams back to their institutions?
Panel Members:
Randy Paquette - Director, Alumni Affairs, Mount Royal College
Linda Hendy - Executive Director Alumni, Seneca College
Matt McBrine - Alumni Relations Coordinator, Bishop's University
Brian Breckles
Director, Alumni Relations
Wilfrid Laurier University
Brian Breckles received his B.A. Physical Education ’89, Diploma Business Administration ’94, and MBA ‘02 - all from Laurier. A longtime Laurier supporter, Brian became the Director of Alumni Relations at Laurier in September 2002 and is responsible for the overall alumni operation.
Brian co-ordinates the business operations of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Relations Office. Brian has 15 years of experience working in a university environment in a variety of departments including development, marketing and athletics.
His recent projects have included an alumni directory, the launch of four new Affinity partners, an Alumni Wine Program, and a new alumni travel program.
Session Four (a): Monday, June 5, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
"Pack Your Bags:" Alumni Travel
Following on the popular Fireside Chat from Conference 360, this is a mediated open forum discussion planned exclusively for travel planners. This is your chance to discuss hot button issues, learn about what makes a travel program successful, and to share tips and ideas. Join us for an informal information sharing session to discover best practices amongst your colleagues.
Daphne Tao
Manager, Alumni Travel
University of Toronto
Daphne has managed the alumni travel program at the University of Toronto since 2001, and has developed the largest alumni travel program in Canada, offering 27 exciting destinations each year with about 400 participants annually. During her five years at UofT, she developed a client focused marketing campaign introducing a new brand, a unified print, direct mail and online presence and a redesign of the program’s signature Explore the World brochure. Daphne was responsible for the alumni travel programming and sponsorship at CCAE Conference 360 in Toronto. Prior to UofT, Daphne was at Queen’s University for six years where she managed the alumni travel program and advertising sales for the Queen’s alumni magazine. Daphne has traveled as an ambassador of the University of Toronto with groups to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Greece, China, Russia, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Croatia.
Session Four (b): Monday, June 5, 10:30 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
Note: Session runs concurrently with Four (a)
The Value of Affinity
This presentation will explore the value and strength of affinity-based relationships for both commercial suppliers and the associations with whom they form partnerships. “Affinity marketing,” states Luc Wathieu, “if well understood, is one of the most promising forms of exchange in contemporary markets characterized by advances in communication and information technologies.”
Luc Wathieu
Associate Professor
Harvard Business School
An associate professor at Harvard Business School, Luc Wathieu is a behavioral economist widely respected for his research into consumer involvement and customer focus on quality. His papers have appeared in leading journals such as Management Science, Marketing Science, and the Journal of Consumer Research. Dr. Wathieu has included TD Meloche Monnex’s unique business model in his teaching material for Harvard’s MBA Program, and in 2003, published an article about it as an innovative example of marketing techniques. Dr. Wathieu received his Ph.D. in Management (specialization in Decision Sciences) from INSEAD (France) in 1995, and his M.Sc. degree in economics from the University of Namur (FUNDP, Belgium).
Session Four (c): Monday, June 5, 11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Note: Session runs concurrently with Four (a)
Partner-Sponsored Session:
MBNA Canada
Marketing and Business Integration
Download this presentation
This presentation will describe a more integrated marketing approach to affinity marketing. In the current marketing environment organizations must take advantage of the various marketing touch points already in place with their partners to stay competitive.
Terry Sheahan
First Vice President
MBNA Canada
Terry Sheahan provides leadership as the Director of Group Development for all MBNA Canada’s affinity and co-branded relationships. Terry has held a number of senior management positions at MBNA Canada in key customer impact areas. He was MBNA Canada’s first account executive giving him an indepth knowledge of many groups and of all processes related to our affinity relationships. Before joining MBNA Canada, he spent 10 years as an Executive Director within the Canadian National Sports system: five years with the Canadian Luge Association and five years with Biathlon Canada.
Session Five (a): Monday, June 5, 1:30 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Developing Great Partnerships
As Executive Director of Alumni and Advancement at York University and former VP of Manulife Financial, Naguib Gouda knows both sides of the affinity business dynamic. In this panel discussion he will pose questions to affinity directors and affinity partners who together have developed a strong working relationship.
Moderator: Naguib Gouda
Executive Director, Alumni & Advancement Services
York University
Naguib Gouda is the Executive
Director, Alumni and Advancement
Services at York and is a graduate
of the University. Prior to his
appointment at York, he held
senior executive positions in
marketing and project
management at Manulife
Financial Corporation and the
Bank of Montreal, where he worked from 1989 to 2001. He is
a highly skilled, multilingual communicator with extensive
corporate experience and a lifelong commitment to
volunteering for community organizations. He has served on
numerous boards and committees, and worked as a volunteer
fundraiser for organizations such as the Learning Partnership,
Sheena’s Place, The Toronto Distress Centre, and SafeHaven.
He currently contributes his volunteer time to Bereaved
Families of Ontario and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto. Naguib
maintained an ongoing connection with York after graduation,
often returning to campus as a guest lecturer for York’s iBBA
program at the Schulich School of Business. He was appointed
to his position at York in 2004 and currently manages a team of
35 staff. He earned an MBA from York’s Schulich School of
Business in 1984, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from
McGill University, earned in 1981. He and his spouse, Jennifer,
are the proud parents of Beth.
Panel Members:
Michael Burns
Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Affinity Relations
Clearsight Wealth Management
Janis Horne
Director, Alumni Relations
Simon Fraser University
Richard Lim
Vice-President, Affinity Market Group
Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc.
Dan Robertson
Associate Director, Affinity Partners and Business
Queen’s University
Session Five (b): Monday, June 5, 1:30 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Note: Session runs concurrently with Five (a)
Partner-Sponsored Session: Alumni Travel A.H.I.
Canadian Alumni Travel Trends
Explore the demographics and psychographics of the Canadian alumni traveler. Discuss their travel preferences and discover the best way to select tours to offer. Also, review the latest in "hot" travel destinations for the alumni traveler.
Mike Hull
Alumni Holidays International
Session Five (c): Monday, June 5, 2:20 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sponsorship: Big Revenue?
In this session we will discuss the role of sponsorship within an educational institution: what makes a good proposal, how long should a contract be, what are sponsors looking for and most importantly when to say no to a sponsorship opportunity. Bring your questions to the table at this informal discussion on what has become one of the hot issues for many universities and colleges.
Kyle Winters
University of Toronto
Session Six (a): Monday, June 5, 3:15 p.m. - 3:55 p.m.
Partner-Sponsored Session: Power Within
Great Opportunities: New Affinity
Programs from the Power Within
and Alumni Plans/Vonage
Power Within is known internationally for bringing world class speakers to the stage to discuss issues of concern to an educated community. Now a series of national speaker events have been developed using the affinity marketing model to encourage the participation of universities and colleges across the country. In this session you will be presented with a model for revenue generation and alumni event programming. Additionally, Power Within will outline its other international events which will be of outstanding service to your alumni community.
David Sersta
Vice-President, Business Development
Power Within
Session Six (b): Monday, June 5, 4:05 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
We Learn From Our Mistakes
As a follow up to our best practices workshop, this completely off -the-wall session invites you to share partnership ideas that may not have gone quite the way that you had hoped. Eight outstanding "misfires" will be invited to share what they hoped to achieve and most importantly what went wrong. And yes - there will definitely be prizes!
Sandra-Lynn Spina
Director, Marketing Communications
Concordia University
Sandra-Lynn Spina, the current president of CCAE, has worked for Concordia University, her alma mater, in various capacities since 1977 and, in 1997, she became Director of the Marketing Communications Department. She is responsible for the planning and execution of advertising and communications programs in support of university recruitment, retention and fundraising. Since taking over directorship of the department, Sandra has led her team through several successful campaigns, many winning awards at both the national and international levels. She is currently serving on the Concordia Alumni Magazine Editorial Board and on Concordia’s Board of Governors' Communications Sub-committee. She also serves as a policy-making commissioner in communications and marketing for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and sits on the Board of CASE District I. In her spare time, Sandra has served on the Board of La Famiglia Bojanese di Montreal (and was even featured in a Concordia advertisement highlighting her Italian heritage) and was recently recognized by l’Associazione Famiglia Bojanese for her achievements. She serves on the Board of the Design Management Program of Champlain College (St. Lambert), enjoys a good mystery novel, drools over Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, briefly attempts any diet thrown her way, cooks countless mouth-watering Italian meals and will talk your ear off about her 22-year-old daughter! Sometimes, she even sleeps.
Session Seven (a): Tuesday, June 6, 9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
Affinity Engines
Abe Geiger
Director of Marketing
Affinity Engines
Session Seven (b): Tuesday, June 6, 9:50 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Great Ideas for Collaboration
In this session we will identify specific projects for collaboration that we hope to pursue as a national organization. This session will allow us to set objectives for next year's national conference in further developing our commercial partnerships.
Barney Ellis-Perry
Director of Professional Affairs, UBC Alumni Affairs
University of British Columbia
Barney is a UBC graduate now in his second position at UBC.
As the Director of Professional Affairs for Alumni Affairs at
UBC he leads a team responsible for the development of valued
connections and services that generate revenue and resources
to enhance the lives of alumni through engagement with their
university and each other.
Kyle Winters
Director of Marketing Programs
University of Toronto
Bonus Session: Tuesday, June 6, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
FIPPA'S Implications on your Commercial Activities
This additional session has been set up for those Ontario universities and colleges now faced with implementing the new Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act specifically as it pertains to the use of personal information for commercial purposes.
Louis Guay
Counsel, TD Meloche Monnex
Please indicate which sessions you may be interested in so we can select the right sized rooms.
