SPEAKERS
We are pleased to present the following speakers, panelists and instructors.
BRENT BAROOTES
President and CEO, Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists
For over three and a half decades, Brent Barootes has been at the forefront of sponsorship and partnership marketing. As President and CEO of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists®, he has helped a diverse range of clients – including major corporations, non-profits, charities, municipalities and sports organizations – to create and optimize their sponsorship strategies and revenues.
Brent's expertise is further underscored by his Amazon Canada best-selling book, "Reality Check – Straight Talk about Sponsorship Marketing." A seasoned speaker, Brent is known for his engaging style and has presented at numerous conferences, as well as delivered a compelling TEDx talk on "Busting the Work-Life Balance Myth." He currently resides in Nanaimo, BC.
JERILYNN DANIELS
Regional Director, Community Marketing and Citizenship, RBC
Jerilynn Daniels is the Regional Director, Community Marketing and Citizenship for RBC, Alberta and Territories, a position she has held since 2011. In 2006 after more than 12 years in not-for-profit working in roles ranging from front line support to Director of Fund Development and Communications, Jerilynn made the move back to the corporate world. She now works at her dream job, fulfilling her love of community with the desire to work in a corporate environment. Jerilynn is responsible for Community Investments, Sponsorships, Marketing and the RBC Olympian Program for RBC in Alberta and Territories.
A passionate community supporter, Jerilynn serves on the Board of Non Profit Chamber, is a member of the advisory council for the Haskayne School of Business and an advisory member to Dress for Success Calgary.
A graduate of the University of Calgary, Jerilynn has been fortunate to have worked her entire career in Calgary.
In 2010, Jerilynn was the recipient of the Hazel Gillespie Community Investment Leadership Award, the first Community Investment professional to receive the award after Hazel herself. In 2012 she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in community locally and internationally, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 and the King Charles III Coronation medal in 2025. In October 2024 she was named as one of 17 outstanding Canadians in Corporate Social Impact by Future of Good.
She resides in Cochrane with her husband, two teenaged children and her very spoiled dog, Luna. In her spare time, she loves to cook and travel.
RUSSELL REIMER
Founder, Small Victories
Over the past two decades, Russell has worked with global brands and sport properties that are redefining the future of fandom through emerging youth culture, progressive technology, and city-stopping major events.
Russell is the Founder of Small Victories — a consultancy specializing in major event bid development and sport tourism strategy — and his clients and projects include SailGP Canada, X Games Calgary, Red Bull Crashed Ice Edmonton, JUNO Awards Calgary and the Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
VICTORIA MAHONEY
Owner, Harmony Marketing
Victoria owns a boutique marketing agency in Toronto that specializes in marketing, partnerships, and communications.
Named one of the top 40 under 40 for event professionals in North America in 2025, Victoria is the lead on all Harmony Marketing clients and is the co-producer of the Toronto Waterfront Festival and Sugar Shack TO in Toronto.
Victoria was instrumental in bringing the World’s Largest Rubber Duck to Toronto in both 2017 and 2023 which had a combined attendance of just under 1 million people. Victoria specializes in festival and event marketing and sponsorship and has extensive experience in media relations, event management, social media and government relations.
In her spare time, Victoria teaches tap dancing classes in the east end of Toronto. She also loves to travel and has visited all 7 continents and over 40 countries.
YOERI GEERITS
Advisor, Commercial Rights & Naming Rights Strategy
Yoeri Geerits is a commercial strategist with 20+ years of international experience across sponsorship, sports business, finance, and strategic advisory. He represents YouGov in Canada, where he has managed and supported the company's sports and sponsorship portfolio for over a decade.
Through his consultancy threesixtythree inc., Yoeri advises brands, rights holders, venues, and agencies on sponsorship strategy, naming rights, valuation, commercial partnerships, and market intelligence across sports and entertainment. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles with ING Group across Europe, Asia, and North America — including a pivotal role in ING's entry into Formula One — and subsequently led Nielsen Sports Canada.
Yoeri holds a Master's in Finance from the University of Brussels and is based in Calgary.