Province of BC 2010 Business Summit

Merchandising the Games: Marketing and Moving Products

Speakers:

• Scot Smythe, Senior Vice President, Sponsorship and Event Marketing, VISA International
• Bob MacKerricher, President, Northern Gifts Specialties Inc.
• Jocelyn Desy, Director of Sales, Royal Canadian Mint

Summary:

While the 2010 Winter Games are still two years away, more and more Olympic and Paralympic merchandise is taking centre stage on store shelves. With VANOC expecting the sales of licensed products to total more than $600 million, how can B.C. manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers tap into this part of the Olympic experience?

The speakers provide insight on their experiences; from the point of view of an Olympic sponsor and a licensee of VANOC Merchandise. Scot Smyth from VISA and Jocelyn Desy from the Royal Canadian Mint discuss the ways in which their ties to the Olympic brand have enhanced their own brand, while Bob MeKerricher spoke of his company’s journey in learning, bidding and ultimately winning a contract to produce plush toys for the 2010 Winter Games. While not all companies have the capacity to enter into sponsorship agreements with VANOC, companies will have an equal opportunity to bid for licensing rights leading up to the 2010 Winter Games.