Upcoming Events with OFN
Industry Calls – First Tuesdays of the month @ 3PM via Zoom
Upcoming
- May 9: Going Beyond Earned and Owned – Examining digital options to replace traditional media buys REGISTER NOW
Date: Tuesday, May 9
Time: 3:00 – 4:00PM EST on Zoom
As the event industry moves into our busy season, the digital airways are flooded with awareness campaigns. Are your digital advertisements and social feeds doing enough to put bums in seats? How best can you reach your target audience and yield meaningful conversions? In this session, we’ll be examining digital media strategies and best practices like programmatic advertising to achieve your marketing goals.
Our Presenters
Tom O’Malley
Founder and CEO, Smart Tap Solutions
Tom is a passionate digital media specialist who understands business and how to use powerful ad platform technology to create awareness and drive website traffic. Over the past 18 years, Tom has developed a deep understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem and its benefits, as well as its potential points of failure. Tom’s work experience includes positions such as Director of Digital Media – Eastern Ontario for Metroland Media Group (a division of Toronto Star) and Digital Media Sales Specialist for Postmedia Network Inc.. He serves his clients well with his in depth knowledge of the new marketing mix. He credits his background in the high-tech sector (as a System Analyst) along with his Sales experience (SAAS & Automotive) for his ability to create effective strategies that work for each client’s unique situation.
Heather Starke, HBA, MA (Journalism)
Marketing & Communications Lead at Heather Starke Solutions Inc.
Heather started her career in journalism as a reporter, then special projects editor at Maclean’s magazine – later working for TorStar as a managing editor. She pivoted into marketing and communications after that, and has built a successful track record working on creative strategy and marketing development over the past 20 years. Heather specializes in the tourism, economic development, and lifestyle home sectors. As an independent consultant, she provides project management, writing and editing, as well as digital marketing and communications.
Past
- February 7: Party Safer & Naloxone Training with Ottawa Public Health and Event Central FIND RESOURCES HERE
- March 7: Fundamentals in Building a Code of Ethics/Conduct FIND RESOURCES HERE
- April 4: Examining Tourism Funding Options for Festivals, Special Events and Fairs
OFN AGM and Member Meeting
By popular demand, OFN is excited to announce our first in-person AGM and Member Meeting since 2019.
When: May 24, 2023
Where: Ottawa City Hall
More information coming soon – keep an eye on your inbox.
FestConnect
We are happy to reintroduce, based on your feedback, OFN’s FestConnect series. These informal Member meet-ups are an opportunity for the festival community to gather in-person, meet, and discuss important topics in the industry.
Stay tuned for upcoming FestConnect dates – subscribe to our #OttFestBiz newsletter
Thank you to all who attended our FestConnect in February which was focused on volunteer management!
OFN Volunteer Fair
On Friday April 21, OFN held a Volunteer Fair to celebrate National Volunteer Week and promote volunteerism at Ottawa’s festivals, fairs and special events.
Thank you to all of our Members and network partners that participated in this fun and engaging event!
The large turnout represented the diverse opportunities to engage in our industry and it was encouraging to see so many fantastic connections being made between Members and interested volunteers.
Did you attend the volunteer fair? We’d love to know how your experience went. A survey will be sent to all participants to collect your feedback.
For those who could not attend and would like to share volunteer opportunities, make sure to sign up to Volunteer Connect to advertise those positions. Membership with OFN includes unlimited listings on Volunteer Connect. The platform is gaining users every day and can help boost your recruitment efforts.