U SPORTS - 52nd Vanier Cup Financial Report by PIX

52 aRCELORMITTAL DOFaSCO nD

VanIER CUP FInaL REPORT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2016

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO: TITLE SPONSOR OF THE VANIER CUP

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TaBLE OF COnTEnTS

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Table of Contents

HISTORY OF THE VANIER CUP U SPORTS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE

2016 GOALS & OBJECTIVES ACCREDITATION ALL-CANADIAN FOOTBALL AWARDS BANQUET ANCILLARY EVENTS COMMITTEES GAME DAY: FAN EXPERIENCE GAME DAY: OPERATIONS COMMERCIAL Marketing Communications Ticketing Sponsorship

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STADIUM OPERATIONS

APPENDICES A – Calendar of Ancillary Events B – Sales Summary & Sponsorship Sales C – Vanier Cup Financials

STAFFING & RESOURCES TEAM AND COMPETITION SERVICES TRANSPORTATION & PARKING VOLUNTEERS 52ND VANIER CUP WRAP-UP & 53 VANIER CUP START-UP

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Executive Summary

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Executive Summary U SPORTS, formerly known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), in partnership with the Government of Ontario, City of Hamilton, Hamilton Tourism, McMaster University, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, the Hamilton Ti-Cats and many others in the Hamilton community developed a partnership to bring the Vanier Cup to Tim Horton’s Field in 2016 and 2017. U SPORTS assumed the leadership of the Vanier Cup bringing the event organization and execution back in house. To help U SPORTS achieve their goal of excellence and to utilize the power of partnerships, industry leaders and community influencers were asked to take part in a collaborative Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in an advisory capacity. The goal of the LOC was to provide guidance, direction and assistance while ensuring the success of the Vanier Cup and aiding in showcasing the City of Hamilton on a National level. The LOC was comprised of a Chair, Glen Grunwald, Athletic Director at McMaster University, an Executive Committee and an Operational Committee. The Operational Committee consisted of four sub-committees with Terms of References: Tickets & Sponsorship, Events, Marketing and Volunteers. U SPORTS hired an Event Manager in March 2016 to lead the committees and U SPORTS staff, along with operational elements and ticket sales for the Vanier Cup. Marketing and Sponsorship staff from the U SPORTS office worked with the sub-committees in their respective areas. In addition to committee meetings, various events took place to help increase momentum leading up to Vanier Cup. The Event Manager worked 2 days per week at McMaster University in Hamilton and the rest of the week out of the U SPORTS Office in Richmond Hill. In mid-October, the Manager resigned from the position to take a job elsewhere. With only five weeks to go and slow ticket sales, U SPORTS Sport department took the lead and contracted Sport Department within U SPORTS and contracted three additional staff for Ticketing, Marketing and Event Management. As U SPORTS was undergoing a new re-brand and with low ticket sales for the Vanier Cup and the Flag Football Tournaments, Cosmos Sports was hired to help with group sales.

Marc-Antoine Varin (#42 Université Laval) Alexander Hovington (#3 Université Laval)

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Executive Summary

The Vanier Cup momentum started to started to build once the teams were known. On Tuesday, November 22nd, Vanier Week was the official kick off when LOC members, Sponsors, City Officials, Vanier Cup Stakeholders, Volunteers and U SPORTS delegates assembled to thank everyone for their help and to celebrate the 52nd Vanier Cup. Unfortunately, as an event the 52nd Vanier Cup did not meet the primary goal of meeting attendance expectations but did meet the secondary objective of meeting budget. Ticket sales did pick up in the last few weeks however, not enough to meet our goal of a sold out stadium. A detailed assessment of the 52nd Vanier will form the basis of the strategy for ensuring both objectives are met relative to the 53rd Vanier Cup. Game day production and promotion was extremely successful with a great opening ceremony, exciting football game, entertaining promotions and a well-executed production by the U SPORTS on-field Producer, Stadium Operations, and by our TV broadcast Partners, Sportsnet and TVA. The 52nd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup co-broadcasted by Sportsnet and TVA Sport delivered a great game watched by over 500,000 people across Canada. Feedback from both teams was very positive and the focus on the players and their performance will continue in 2017.

History of the Vanier Cup The Vanier Cup trophy was created in 1965 when General Georges P. Vanier, then Governor General of Canada, graciously granted permission to the Canadian Save the Children Fund to name the trophy awarded to the winners of Canada’s University Football Championship, then called the Canadian College Bowl. EVENT PLANNING TIMELINE Friday, July 1

• Ticket Pre-Sale • 100 Days Business Brunch

Thursday, August 18

• Ticketing Launch • Media Conference

Friday, November 4

• Street Festival

Monday, November 14

• Vanier Cup Volunteer Training • Vanier Cup Qualifying Games with

Saturday, November 19

• Mitchell Bowl and Uteck Bowl • Vanier Cup Kick Off

Tuesday, November 22

• Invitation only to thank Sponsors, LOC • Members and the Volunteers

Wednesday, November 23

• Participating Team Arrivals • Vanier Cup Opening Media Conference,

Thursday, November 24

• Team Practices & All-Canadian Football • Awards Banquet

Friday, November 25

• Team Practices & TV Production Site Visit • VIP Kick off Breakfast, FAN FEST & 52nd

Saturday, November 26

• Vanier Cup Game

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History

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For the first two years, in 1965 and 1966, the Canadian College Bowl was an invitational event featuring two teams selected by a national panel. The first winners of the Vanier Cup trophy were the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in 1965, and General Vanier personally presented them with the Vanier Cup at the Varsity’s athletic banquet in the Spring of 1966. The Canadian College Bowl and the Vanier Cup trophy took on a new dimension in 1967 when the Bowl was officially declared the CIAU National Football Championship (now U SPORTS National Football Championship), with semi-final playoffs to determine the two teams that would meet in the final. In 1982, the name of the championship game was changed from Canadian College Bowl to Vanier Cup. The Vanier Cup’s most valuable player is awarded the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy. Ted Morris was a former Toronto Argonauts player and coach who championed the cause for the development of young Canadians to further their football careers. Ted Morris passed away in 1965, the year the Canadian College Bowl was organized. The Bruce Coulter Award is presented to either an outstanding offensive or defensive player from the Vanier Cup game. The selection is dependent on the selection of the Ted Morris Trophy. Bruce Coulter was Head Football Coach at both McGill and Bishop’s Universities and was the Director of Athletics at Bishop’s for 30 years. The award is appropriately designated since Coulter was both a Defensive Back and Quarterback with the Montréal Alouettes in the 1950s. The Vanier Cup was hosted at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton in 2004, 2005 and 2008. The 52nd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup was hosted at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton on November 26th, 2016 with the championship returning to Tim Horton’s Field for 2017.

VANIER CUP FACTS: Laval Rouge et Or have won the most Vanier Cups at 9, including 2016

The Vanier Cup is played between the winners of the Uteck & Mitchell Bowls

Western Mustangs have the most Vanier Cup appearances at 12

17 teams have won the Vanier Cup

41 of 51 Vanier Cups have been hosted in Toronto

7 active teams have never appeared in the Vanier Cup

The 48th Vanier Cup was the most attended Vanier Cup with over 37,000 people in attendance

McMaster has participated in 3 Vanier Cups, winning the championship in 2011

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Championship Structure

U SPORTS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Event

Date

Result

Dunsmore (RSEQ)

Laval 20 Montreal 17

Yates Cup (OUA)

Laurier 43 Western 40

Nov. 12, 2016 Hardy Cup (CanWest)

Calgary 46 UBC 43

Loney Bowl (AUS)

St. FX 29 Mt. Allison 8 SEMI-FINALS

Event

Date

Result Laval 36 Laurier 6

Uteck Bowl Nov. 19, 2016

Calgary 50 St. FX 24

Mitchell Bowl CHAMPIONSHIP Event

Date

Result

ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup (52nd)

Nov. 26, 2016

Laval 31 Calgary 26

RECENT VANIER CUP CHAMPIONS 2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Laval Rouge et Or

UBC Thunderbirds

Carabins de MontrÃ©al

Laval Rouge et Or

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Title Sponsor

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ArcelorMittal Dofasco ArcelorMittal Dofasco is the Title Sponsor of the 52nd and 53rd editions of the 2016 and 2017 Vanier Cups, respectively. ArcelorMittal Dofasco plays a key role in North America’s advanced manufacturing supply chain working with the top automotive, energy, packaging and construction brands to develop lighter, stronger and more sustainable products – from cans to cars. Founded in 1912, they are Hamilton’s largest private sector employer with more than 5,000 employees shipping 4.5 million net tons of high quality flat carbon steel annually. ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s iconic motto is Our Product is Steel. Our Strength is People is a true expression of their belief that people are the company’s competitive advantage. Underpinning this are their values of Quality, Sustainability and Leadership – brought to life by generations of employees who have come to work for more than 100 years creating world class products, processes and services. Corporate responsibility is paramount to their operations and their commitment spans four pillars: • Investing in people • Enriching our community • Making steel sustainable • Transparent governance Combined, their company and employees invest approximately $2 million annually in education, arts and culture; health and social services; the environment as well as sports and recreation, while their Team Orange volunteers work with local charities, organize fundraising events, donate blood, and log thousands of volunteer hours each year. ArcelorMittal Dofasco has been an influential supporter of U SPORTS sports since 2014. This partnership is built on their desire to help support excellence, student-athletes and the leaders of tomorrow, as well as stay true to their commitment to their corporate responsibility pillars of investing in people and enriching our community. As a proud supporter of the City of Hamilton and U SPORTS, ArcelorMittal Dofasco was a driving and influential force in returning the Vanier Cup to Hamilton.

Université Laval

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2016 Goals

2016 GOALS & OBJECTIVES The Goals and Objectives of the Vanier Cup were to:

Fill the Tim Hortons Field Stadium (15,000) (excluding Upper Bowl)

Increase the profile of university football in Canada

Create partnerships with local businesses, tourism and the City of Hamilton

Build partnerships with the football institutions and football student-athletes

Enhance partnerships with TV partners including Sportsnet & TVA along with increasing viewership

Generate revenue

Engage all Universities to come together and celebrate football and university sport life

Build and enhance U SPORTS content on social media and increase number of followers

Celebrate student-athlete achievements

Provide a great fan experience

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INTRODUCTION

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Adam Sinagra (#12 University of Calgary)

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Accreditation

Accreditation ACCREDITATION SYSTEM FOR MEDIA, VOLUNTEERS & STAFF • Sport Systems was used as the accreditation system for the media (mainly), volunteers and staff • Participating schools were thrilled to have their accreditation and requested extras to share with their staff • The online accreditation system was easy to use, post on website and was accessible

For VC53, will look to: • Adjust and fix access levels: -- Have two online entry forms on the Vanier Cup website – one for ‘media’ and one for ‘other working capacities’. Media would only be given the option to attend the Gala and have the Media Conference information on the website (but would not require accreditation). Media accreditation should ONLY be for those covering the Game (and the week leading up to it). Blank accreditations were handed out to media who showed up to cover the media conference and were not returning during the week or for the game -- Pre-set access levels on the online form before the site goes live – i.e. Photographers get “F”, Media get “M” to reduce manipulation • The Tiger-Cats use P-M-F-L as their access levels (Premium, Media, Field, Locker Room) -- U SPORTS needs to better clarify access levels and have an access list at the accreditation table -- When executing the mail merge, the excel file needs to be set up with different columns for ‘Name’ and ‘Organization’ -- Add four columns for access levels: “P” “M” “F” “L” and have each letter indicated beside the person’s name if they require that level

COLLECTION OF NAMES & CREDENTIALS • Each Department/Area lead were responsible for collecting the names of those requiring accreditation and uploading it themselves into the system • Provide accreditation to VIPs

ACCREDITATION DESIGN & PRINTING • Have the same background for all accreditation -- Made it more efficient to organize accreditations -- Consistent look for security -- Allowed for changes to access levels to any pass holder

For VC53, will look to: • Use The Printing House in Hamilton for VC53 as they accommodated last-last minute requests for formatting and printing accreditation (they paused other orders to ensure ours were met)

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Accreditation

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ACCREDITATION PICK-UP • U SPORTS identified one location to pick up accreditation which was mainly for media – at Tim Horton’s field

For VC53, will look to: • U SPORTS to assign one individual who will be responsible for all accreditation • Need to determine a procedure & approval process for names missing from the accreditation list • Include a list of all individuals working at the game (not just officials, but their name)

ACCREDITATION PLAN For VC53, will look to: • Determine a process whereby TiCats staff who are no working the event cannot enter all areas and attend the game for free in the Club Level • Review location for accreditation pick-up

SPECIAL PASSES – ESCORT BADGES & WRIST BANDS • Escorting privilege badges were created and valuable • Avoided making accreditations for every person who had small roles in the event – ie. anthem singer, participating fans on the field, Argyles etc. • Wristband accreditations were implemented for small groups such as McMaster, T.Litzen, TiCats Alumni, etc.

Université Laval vs. University of Calgary (November 26, 2016)

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Accreditation

SAMPLE ACCREDITATION AND WRIST BANDS Access: Main Club Level Only

Access: Escorting Privileges

Estimated Quantity: 500

Estimated Quantity: 12

Notes: There is also an identical VVIP badge

Notes: Anyone with this badge can escort any number of individuals with limited access 26 Nov 2016 Tim Hortons Field

26 Nov 2016 Tim Hortons Field

ESCORTING PRIVILEGES

VIP

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Access: Club Level Only Specifically Club 1 Estimated Quantity: 65 26 Nov 2016 Tim Hortons Field

Notes: Regular VIP Accred. does not have access to Club 1

Red Wristband - Business Alliance Lounge - Opening Ceremony

Dinos VIP

Yellow Wristband - Ti-cats Alumni - Alumni Lounge - 50

Access: Club Level Only Specifically Club 11 Estimated Quantity: 65 26 Nov 2016 Tim Hortons Field

Blue Wristband - Field Access - Opening Ceremony - Production Team

Notes: Regular VIP Accred. does not have access to Club 11

Silver Wristband - McMaster Alumni - Caretakers Club - 100

Gold Wristband - Half-time Show Field Access - 200

Rouge et Or VIP

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- Entertainment - 200

- 150 people - Ticket + Wristband - No exceptions

Awards Banquet

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ALL-CANADIAN FOOTBALL AWARDS BANQUET Thursday, November 24th 5:30pm Cocktails 6:00pm-9:00pm Dinner & Awards Banquet EVENT MANAGEMENT • U SPORTS hired a contractor, Mark Bowden, who worked in Hamilton to organize the Banquet. He did a wonderful job and ensured all needs and requests were met

VENUE (SERVICE STAFF) • Hamilton Convention Centre (HCC) staff were professional and accommodating • The banquet received many value added elements including expansion of the menu to family style with a variety of offerings, chair covers, sponsorship and sponsor gobos (provided at no charge from SoundBox)

MENU • Family style service was used for dinner

For VC53, will look to: • Review meal format while ensuring the Student-Athletes are well fed • Review providing food for media as very little were in attendance

U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians

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Awards Banquet

DÉCOR – U SPORTS BRANDING • The new U SPORTS branding was captured in the lighting and staging, as well as black and red chair covers, napkins and tablecloths • The U SPORTS gobos with the new logo and the custom wine labels on each table helped with branding within the room

For VC53, will look to: • Determine additional ways to use the U SPORTS brand

BANQUET TICKET SALES • Ticket Sales had a late start, but there was a full house in the end • 99% of ticket sales came from those who already have a connection to U SPORTS football including universities, sponsors and the active members of the host city organizing group. There is little proof showing that “fans” purchased tickets • Sold over 400 tickets and the week of the Banquet hit the initial capacity

TICKET OUTREACH • Outreach was made to all universities, players, coaches, AD’s, SID’s, University Presidents, sponsors, partners, government officials and stakeholders • It is important to note that due to the cost of staging such a banquet, complimentary tickets were not available

TICKET DELIVERY • Similar to VIP tickets, it would have been beneficial and appropriate to deliver these tickets ahead of time with a thank-you note • Some tables received their tickets ahead of time, some did not • There was confusion at the registration desk because organizations who received their tickets ahead of time did not distribute to their guests

For VC53, will look to: • Determine a ticket delivery process and procedure to identify whether guests receive tickets ahead of time or if pick up is on site • Determine the venue for the banquet as soon as possible in order to begin ticket sales promotions. Many businesses and University Athletic Departments set their 2017 budgets in the Spring • Get ticket sales launched early, while budgets are being finalized • Engage local Friends of Vanier Cup group to sell tickets • Refine targets for mailings to those with a direct connection to U SPORTS football rather than the general public or football fans

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Awards Banquet

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TICKET PROMOTIONS • It was valuable to print promotional flyers for the dinner and mailing them to notable Hamiltonians, local businesses, political figures, and all U SPORTS football coaches and athletic directors

ATTENDANCE • The Mayor was in attendance and participated in the opening ceremony • Representation and support from the City of Hamilton and its Councillors is important. There were last minute ticket purchases from Revenue Generation and the Manager of Recreation Facilities

ROOM LAYOUT • Having the cocktail reception in the large ballroom rather than crowded into the foyer worked very well. It allowed for some added entertainment with PigSkin Pete DJing and the McMaster Cheer Team doing routines

For VC53, will look to: • DJ set-up in the center of the room would avoid the “empty look” instead of being positioned along the back wall • Open the entire air wall with stanchions vs. having the guests move through the narrow entrance • No adjustments required for layout of the dining area • Place a table beside the podium for the trophy being presented • Have two podiums with two emcees in order to have bilingual presentations • The backdrops were popular for award winners and for post-event photos • Review the location to take photos of the award winners (rather then on stage which delays the flow of the banquet timing)

RUN OF SHOW • The evening moved at a reasonable pace – positive feedback regarding the 3-hour evening was shared by many • To keep the flow of the evening, it is important to remind the award winners they have a specific amount of time in which to give their acceptance speech

For VC53, will look to: • Prepare additional copies of the run of show for those who need it (control who these are distributed to)

WRANGLERS • Volunteers helped to wrangle athletes after they received their awards which was valuable

For VC53, will look to: • Assign a wrangler to bring presenters/speakers/sponsors to the “green space” ahead of their appearance on stage. This would ensure they are prepared and ready

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Awards Banquet

• Prepare a ‘cheat sheet’ of presenters (including photos), which would help the wranglers identify the presenters in the audience • Assign and select award presenters and trophy helpers • Assign wranglers to guide award winners to and from the stage and ensure they carry their award from the stage to the appropriate place

SPONSORS • There were many sponsors who purchased a table but did not attend the banquet (ie. Josten’s, SunLife), which caused a number of empty seats in premium locations. With an earlier confirmed date/venue for 2017, there should be plenty of notice for partners to commit

For VC53, will look to: • Request sponsors to present awards on the stage • Find sponsors for the following: -- Cocktail reception (tailgate - lends itself to a vehicle partner) -- Picture with the Vanier Cup -- Dinner partner -- Video partner -- Volunteer sponsor -- Post event sponsor -- Souvenir sponsor (pin? giveaway?)

TECHNICAL • Used Soundbox • No technical issues • Good operators and technical crew

VIDEO PRODUCTION • The collection of material from SIDs and the production of the video is very time consuming

For VC53, will look to: • Review the format and length of videos, along with timing of final videos

PHOTOGRAPHY • Having a photographer on hand is essential

For VC53, will look to: • Review where photos can be taken instead of in front on the stage – this delays the run of show

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Awards Banquet

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MEDIA RELATIONS • There were no media in attendance • A media release announcing the event and the winners was made

For VC53, will look to: • Design a specific media relations campaign

WEBCASTING • The awards banquet was not streamed on-line and it is not a priority for 2017

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Hugo Richard (#4 UniversitÃ© Laval)

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INTRODUCTION

Ancillary Events

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Ancillary Events The Ancillary events included Flag Football Tournaments, Opening Media Conference, Kick-off Event, Football Awards Banquet and Alumni events

ANCILLARY EVENT - MARKETING & PROMOTIONS • Marketing and promotional efforts were only started 5 weeks prior to VC • Graphics and promotional flyers were created and sent to OFA for distribution – 5 weeks • Communication (emails or calls) to all the teams was unknown • OFA works part-time in office thus did not have the capacity to fully monitor progress, outreach or respond to inquiries • Both the Catholic and Public school boards said they would distribute Vanier Cup materials internally. However after being sent flyers to hand out at events and to students, neither gave definitive answers of how they were all handed out

ONLINE REGISTRATION • Eventbrite was easy to use for registration but expensive charging a fee per use • If any events take place next year, OFA should run the registration

LOCATIONS OF EVENTS • For the Flag Football Tournament, locations were confirmed at McMaster University and off-site field, but canceled a week prior when there were very few registrants

2017 EVENTS For VC53, will look to: • Reduce the number of flag football events drastically, and perhaps all (except for the combine) and involve the All-Canadians

Tyler Crapigna (Kicker, McMaster University) 50th Vanier Cup (2014)

• Partner with an organization currently running an event • Determine a strategy on how to reach the students through the school board and ensure they are receiving Vanier Cup materials • Consider a Corporate Football Challenge Concept

See Appendix A for the Calendar of Ancillary Events

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Local Organizing Committee

Local Organizing Committee & Additional Committees LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE • The Local Organizing Committee consisted of 60 local business and sport leaders and met monthly to receive updates

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE • The Executive Committee consisted of 17 members from business and sport leaders in the Hamilton community • The Committee did not meet, however they were present during events hosted in Hamilton and available to help when required

GENERAL FEEDBACK • Monthly committee meetings were very poorly attended (with the exception of the inaugural meeting) and when held, the focus became an update rather than identifying opportunities

For VC53, will look to: • Re-evaluate the purpose and responsibilities of committee members. Review the value of a small committee made up of Sponsorship, Marketing, Ticketing and Events • Provide specific responsibilities to committee members to ensure they feel valued and that their time is not wasted. Consider a “Friends of Vanier Cup” concept.

SPONSORSHIP & TICKETING COMMITTEE • The Sponsorship and Ticketing committee had members who were great advocates for sport in Hamilton and were well connected in order to establish new potential partnerships • Brian MacDonald provided tremendous assistance to U SPORTS in creating and growing partners and opportunities • Ed Minich did a wonderful job in helping to deliver a number of sponsorships and ticket sales (Hamilton Port Authority and Hamilton Airport). Ed Minich did a wonderful job in helping to deliver a number of sponsorships and ticket sales (Hamilton Port Authority and Hamilton Airport).

For VC53, will look to: • Have committee members provide introductions/warm calls, but shift the responsibility for selling packages to the LOC or U SPORTS to ensure that messaging and deliverables are consistent

MARKETING COMMITTEE • The Marketing Committee met once per month and identified marketing and community initiatives within the community • Members of the Marketing Committee brought value to the table, especially from the Chair, Robert Hilson

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Game Day: Fan Experience

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EVENTS COMMITTEE • The Events Committee met/had conference calls once per month to review upcoming events and the status of operations • Mark Alfano, TJ Kelly and Andreanna Hudson were a tremendous help and brought much value to the group. TiCats Stephen Day provided assistance from the TICats where possible.

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE • Although intentions were set out to have a volunteer committee in place, it never came to fruition

Game Day: Fan Experience STREET FESTIVAL - TO DRIVE AWARENESS • There were events planned by the Events Committee to engage local fans • Attempted to bring out the fans during the Street Festival however, the date was booked on Remembrance Day and when the date shifted to Nov 4, there was very little turn out and bad weather

FANFEST - TO ENGAGE FANS • The Fanfest was scheduled from 11:00am-12:30pm prior to gates opening and was well attended. There was music and entertainment • Fans in attendance loved it • Redbull stage with two performers - Fans loved it! • All-Canadians autograph table

For VC53, will look to: • Include sponsor activations (local and U SPORTS) • Have power drops for sponsors if needed. Bates Audio could facilitate this with a generator

IN-GAME PROMOTIONS

PROMOTIONAL SCRIPTS

• A separate script was produced outlining the alignment of promotions throughout the game with game production, broadcast production and video board activities

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Game Day: Fan Experience

ENTERTAINING AND ENGAGING PROMOTIONS • Attendance may have been down for the Vanier Cup game itself however, in-game promotions was entertaining and engaging • Received positive feedback about the promotions and activities • Activities included: -- Engaging the fan bases of the two participating schools: • The Fan Relay featured a contestant wearing a Calgary jersey, and another wearing a Laval jersey which gave fans a reason to cheer • Mascot dance-off between Calgary and McMaster (since Laval didn’t have a mascot) • Mascot races

HALFTIME • Tokyo Police Club (TPC) enjoyed the experience • TPC appreciated U SPORTS ensuring fans were in front of the stage • TPC had a solid show and production • Could have announced and conducted a meet and greet with the band and used as contest for winners or sponsors • Some feel the half time show is an excellent property to market as a sponsorship asset • Sportsnet broadcast is live which makes it very valuable. However, we must ensure the band is popular and relevant

STAFFING & RESOURCES • Used Brock University Sport Management students on the Promotions Team -- Every member of this team was extremely valuable, knew how promotions should be executed, did whatever was asked of them, and most importantly did not interrupt the flow of the game or closing ceremonies -- They did an amazing job in setting up the stage for closing ceremonies, gathering Laval and pushing them towards the stage, and handing out the Championship hats immediately after the final whistle Calgary Dinos fans

IN-GAME HOSTS • One-camera in-game promotions worked well with the Host Taylor • Video was used on the videoboard – Alex, Cameraman and Adam Marshall (Video operator) all worked together in Sync

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Game Day: Operations

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Game Day: Operations IN-GAME PRODUCTION • It took many hours and conversations to arrive at a final production plan, which included a balance between a CFL and University level production • The previous Vanier Cup host, Université de Laval, was a great resource along with the TICats and other consultants. Our final staffing set-up was the following: -- Bilingual PA Announcer – Ben Chapdelaine -- Scoreboard Operators – McMaster University Staff assisted by TiCats Personnel -- Bates – provided technical support for Ribbon Boards -- Video Board Operator – Adam Marshall – was fantastic -- Adam required an assistant to help him with speaking to Alex – On-Field Producer and coordinated promotions/ graphics on the screen with what was going on with in-game promotional activations and in-game host -- In-Game Hosts -- In-Game On-Field Producer – Alex Francis, U SPORTS stepped up to execute and did a great job along with help from other U SPORTS staff who organized and gathered opening ceremony participants (200 cadets, Argyll band, the Army, Fly Bys, Coin Toss with Delegates etc….)

PRODUCTION SCRIPT • The production script took many hours to develop and needs to be started 3 weeks prior to VC. Below is a sample section of the script. A production script is separate from a promotional script, but they must be aligned as sticking to the times impacts one another as well as broadcast and what is seen on the videoboard

For VC53, will look to: • Build on our current script templates and update with in-games promotions. Ensure everyone works together with the Promotions Team to create a promotions script, while also working closely with the Videoboard Operator • Need to determine whether PA Announcer stays in the booth or comes down to the field for Post-Game

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Game Day: Operations

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SAMPLE SCRIPT: Time

11:00:00 AM

Clock Time (-82:00)

12:00:00 PM

(-72:00)

12:00:00 PM

(-72:00)

12:00:00 PM

(-72:00)

12:15:00 PM

63:00:00

12:30:00 PM

45:00:00

12:34:00 PM

(-38:00)

12:40:00 PM 12:42:00 PM 12:45:00 PM 12:45:00 PM 12:48:00 PM

(-24:00)

12:55:30 PM

(-16:30)

12:51:30 PM

(-20:30)

12:54:00 PM

(-18:00)

1:00:00PM

(-12:00)

12:56:00 PM

(-16:00)

1:01:00 PM

(-11:00)

Action Warm-Up

CALL TO OPEN GATES

STADIUM CLOCK SYNCHRONIZED

Lead Security

START THE GAME CLOCK / PRE GAME MUSIC

ARMED FORCES (40) to position in VOM ARGYLL SUTHERLAND (10) REGIMENT, FLAG PARTY (150 cadets) AMD CEO & U SPORTS CEO GRAHAM BROWN TEAM FLAGS IN POSITION HISTORY OF THE VANIER CUP (3:28min) ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP (3:00min) INTRODUCTION WELCOME RULES OF THE STADIUM (1:30min) WELCOME ARMED FORCES ARMED FORCES MAKE TUNNEL LAVAL LEAVES LOCKER ROOM

(-10:00)

CALGARY LEAVES LOCKER ROOM

1:02:00 PM

(-10:00)

LAVAL HYPE VIDEO (30 SEC)

1:03:00 PM

1:03:30 PM

(-9:45) (-9:00)

CALGARY HYPE VIDEO (30 SEC)

(-8:30)

CALGARY ENTERS THE FIELD ARGYLL SUTHERLAND REGIMENT, FLAG PARTY AND RCMP TO WALK OUT AMD CEO & U SPORTS CEO GRAHAM BROWN.

1:05:00 PM

(-7:00)

1:05:00 PM

(-6:00)

DIGNITARY PRESENTATION & COIN TOSS

1:08:00 PM

(-4:00)

NATIONAL ANTHEM

1:10:10 PM

(-1:50)

First Fly By - 2xCF18

1:11:00 PM

(-1:00)

1:11:55 PM

(-0:05s)

1:12:00 PM

0:00

PRESENTATION OF GAME OFFICIALS

Notes

Welcom to #Vanier52 Welcom to #Vanier52 START CLOCK AND THE PRE-GAME MUSIC

Welcom to #Vanier52

“

Welcom to #Vanier52

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Welcom to #Vanier52

“

Welcom to #Vanier52

OPENING CEREMONIES BEGINS

Video Board GAME MATCH UP BOARD GAME MATCH UP BOARD

GAME MATCH UP BOARD

GAME MATCH UP BOARD GAME MATCH UP BOARD GAME MATCH UP BOARD

Left Side Wing

Right Side Wing

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

Matt to get Graham and Sean in POSITION SOT

VIDEO

Welcom to #Vanier52

SOT

VIDEO

Welcom to #Vanier52

PA SOT PA PA

Welcom to #Vanier52 VIDEO

Welcom to #Vanier52

J&A GET ARMED FORCES INTO POSITION HOLD IN MIDDLE VOM

Video PA Video PA

PA LIVE WIRELESS MIC

HOLD AT LOCKER ROOM UNTIL LAVAL IS GONE, THEN HOLD IN MIDDLE VOM 30 SECONDS

U S PORTS

Welcom to #Vanier52 Welcom to #Vanier52 Welcom to #Vanier52 Welcom to #Vanier52

30 SECONDS

Welcom to #Vanier52

TUNNEL RUN OUT - SEND RIGHT Welcom to #Vanier52

HISTORY OF THE VANIER CUP ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP GAME MATCH UP BOARD RULES OF THE STADIUM ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP ROAD TO THE VANIER CUP LAVAL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO LIVE FEED CALGARY HIGHLIGHT VIDEO LIVE FEED

U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO U SPORTS LOGO

LOGO LOOP

SPONSOR LOGO LOOP LOGO LOOP

SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP

U SPORTS

LAVAL LOGO

U SPORTS

LAVAL LOGO

U SPORTS

CALGARY LOGO

U SPORTS

CALGARY LOGO

Welcom to #Vanier52

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS

AMD LOGO

CEO from ARCELOR MITTAL DOFASCO - SEAN Welcom to #Vanier52 DONNELY & CEO of U SPORTS GRAHAM BROWN

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS

AMD LOGO

Welcom to #Vanier52

CANADIAN FLAG

U SPORTS LOGO

Welcom to #Vanier52

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS LOGO

PERFORMED BY DANA SWARBRICK - J&A to have wireless mic on hand

KICK OFF

Welcom to #Vanier52

TUNNEL RUN OUT - SEND LEFT Welcom to #Vanier52

Second Fly By - 2xCF18 KICK OFF

LED

“

Matt

LAVAL ENTERS THE FIELD

Gates Open

“ “

VISITING COACH SIGN Official OFF ON GAME SHEET HOME COACH SIGN OFF Official ON GAME SHEET WARM UP ENDS - TEAMS LEAVE THE FIELD

1:02:00 PM

1:02:15 PM

Music

GAME ON

Welcom to #Vanier52

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS LOGO

Welcom to #Vanier52

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS LOGO

Welcom to #Vanier52

LIVE FEED

U SPORTS LOGO

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP SPONSOR LOGO LOOP

Marketing

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Commercial: Marketing The following are the paid promotions and advertising for the 2016 VC: • Programmatic Digital Ad campaign with Steve Young -- 4-week campaign generated 4.7 million impressions (169% higher than projected) -- Targeted to males 18-44 from Oakville to Niagara, Hamilton, Kitchener, and London -- Creative swap a week before the Vanier Cup that featured a team match-up graphic and increased conversions by 100 -- Had a click through rate that was twice the industry average • Bowl Game Creatives for USports.ca/website and team sites -- Splash page and web banner promoting watching the Bowl Games, and buying Vanier Cup tickets -- Web banner was animated and featured game times/TV information on the website continually in the week leading up to the games -- Graphics were distributed to the individual schools, and used on Social Media to improve awareness of Bowl Games • Radio Promotions and Contesting -- Ticket contesting on Fan 590, KX 94.7, CHML 900 & Rock 107.9FM -- Occurred during high-volume time slots to promote the game -- Fan 590 included a contest page on Sportsnet.ca for a chance to win a Vanier Cup prize pack including tickets -- Radio ads and traffic tags were spread out over four weeks and focused on the Hamilton market -- TSN 1150 had two 30 minute Vanier Cup roundtables that sparked conversation locally about the game and the storylines in it -- Included with the radio ads purchased by U Sports • Hamilton Spectator Coverage -- There were on going marketing efforts in the Hamilton Spectator including ads, promotion of Horizon Utilities Fan Fest twice per week -- The Spec insert each week provided a summary of when it is, how you can get tickets, and brief information on the history of the game • Vanier Cup Ticket Tweets (began November 12th) -- Bilingual tweets that promoted the Vanier Cup, TV Information, Tokyo Police Club, and the Horizon Utilities Fan Fest -- Scheduled once in the morning and once in the afternoon to reach followers when they were most likely to be heavy users on social media • Hamilton Transit Advertisement -- Purchased 8 King ads from Streetseen Media at a discounted rate, and then received 9 additional ad spaces, as well as a video ad for no additional cost • On Hamilton Transit Buses : 1 Full Back Ad; 8 Partial Mural Ads; 8 King Ads; 20 second video promoting Vanier Cup ticket sales • Value of $58,595 worth of advertisement for $4800

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Marketing

For VC53, will look to: Use Billboards • Despite the value that U SPORTS received from the Hamilton Transit ads, they were very locally-focused (side and back of buses). Pattison Billboards has the billboard spaces in and around Hamilton and provide packages with billboards of different sizes, areas, and targets

Assemble a Street Team • Assemble a student street team, through either McMaster or Brock, to attend activations and events to hand out flyers and serve as local contacts whenever Vanier Cup promotion is necessary

PROMOTIONAL TARGETS The following are the groups U SPORTS targeted with various promotions: School Alumni Associations • Graphics and Eblasts were developed to target the School Alumni Associations. Each of the 27 U SPORTS football schools have extremely large alumni bases, and the respective Alumni Associations have local chapters (Toronto, Ontario, Eastern Canada)

For VC53, will look to: • Set-up viewing parties of Bowl Games across the country depending on school and alumni base • Have Alumni Associations packages ready to go once VC finalists are known to include a call to purchase tickets and to distribute material to their list in the GTA

Local Schools & School Boards • Flyers and graphics were sent to local schools and school boards through various LOC members

For VC53, will look to: • Determine how to best distribute promotional material to school boards digitally or flyers • Target high-population elementary or secondary schools and have print materials for students to bring home to their parents • Include game information, promo code, Ticketmaster.ca, theme and a call to action to buy and not wait until the very end, but not limit late sales such as “while supplies last”

Fraternity and Sorority Competitions • U SPORTS did not target fraternity and sorority groups

For VC53, will look to: • Target the Greek communities at McMaster and Brock who both have very strong Greek Life communities

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Marketing

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

• Fraternities/Sororities love competing and raising money for charity • Various Chapters who could sell Vanier Cup tickets to students, and graduated members of their respective organizations while competing to be the top-selling Fraternity or Sorority -- Winning Chapter could be given a $1000 donation to a charity of their choice by U SPORTS and have the cheque presentation at the Vanier Cup during a commercial break to reinforce U SPORTS’ community outreach

Regional Football Associations outside of Hamilton • Niagara Regional Minor Football had a 52nd Vanier Cup promo discount, but this should be distributed in-person at events in Niagara to parents

For VC53, will look to: • Target Niagara Region football teams as it has a strong tradition of football, and population that typically travels to big events because not many are held in Niagara

Tiger-Cat Fans • U SPORTS attended various TICats games with banners and handed out flyers

For VC53, will look to: • Inquire about exposure on Videoboards as fans at Tim Hortons Field seemed to be fixated on the video board whenever an interview takes place on the board with a Tiger-Cat player • Use on-site panel of video board such as interviews before, during, and after Tiger-Cats home games • Tap into Mike Morreale, who is also the colour commentator for the Vanier Cup on Sportsnet • Look into ticketing promotion with Tiger-Cats

All-Canadians Program • The All-Canadians Program is used at the Vanier Cup as a Promotional opportunity for the Vanier Cup, for football and for young footballers in the region • U SPORTS did not organize an event for the All Canadians to attend however they did attend the FanFest Autograph Signing Session

For VC53, will look to: • Assign a volunteer to manage the All-Canadians for: -- Arrival & departure -- Bus Travel -- Participation in a Combine Event -- Autograph table at fan fest, on-field segments…) -- A scheduled commercial break to honour them on the big screen but was never communicated to the AllCanadians, and they were shown in the stands and interviewed

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Marketing

MARKETING IMAGERY • Strategic images from games and teams throughout the year were hard to use in promo materials

For VC53, will look to: • Request specific photos for marketing purposes such as action shots, photos of fans having a great time • It would be more impactful if we have images of every team who have a line of scrimmage photo or running out of the tunnel photo. This would be our look for head-to-head graphics when we get closer to Vanier Cup and Bowl Games

ST FX X-MEN & X-WOMEN

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 TIM HORTONS FIELD 1:00PM KICK-OFF

USE PROMO CODE: XMENVC AND SAVE 30% NOW

VANIERCUP.COM GROUPS: 1-877-825-2016

AFFORDABLE. FAMILY. FOOTBALL.

2017 MARKETING PLAN • U SPORTS is currently working on developing the 53rd Vanier Cup Marketing theme and key messaging for all marketing initiatives and materials (Experience vs Game) • U SPORTS will be building a marketing plan by April 2017 to include Promotional and Advertising Opportunities

2017 MERCHANDISE PLAN • Merchandise plan will be available for the 53rd Vanier Cup

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

INTRODUCTION

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Brendon Thera-Plamondon (#83 University of Calgary)

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Communications

Commercial: Communications COMMUNICATIONS STAFF & PLAN • There was no Communication Manager in place until September and thus there was no communications plan

For VC53, will look to: • Create a Communications Plan by April 1 • Develop a process to gather and share team content (pictures, video highlights, logos, stories, rosters, past game stats, etc.) • Include a calendar of announcements – examples of timelines from others -- Grey Cup 2016 released their Halftime Show on September 6th -- Super Bowl 51 in February 2017 released their Halftime Show on September 30th -- 52nd Vanier Cup Halftime Show was announced on November 17th -- Fan Fest Announcements / Tailgate Announcement • Create a strategy between marketing, ticketing and communications • Create an editorial calendar in collaboration with the teams and conferences

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS For VC53, will look to: • Determine ways to improve internal communications such as a newsletter

CONTENT STRATEGY For VC53, will look to: • A storybank will be created • Coordination with SIDs will happen earlier in regards to content, social media, communications and marketing material • Create a content strategy

BROADCASTING • U SPORTS has a good relationship with Sportsnet and TVA and conducted weekly meetings in October and November • U SPORTS liaised between Team’s SIDs in the weeks leading up to the game • U SPORTS provided access to schools materials (pictures, video highlights, etc.) through the media box

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Communications

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

MEDIA RELATIONS • Hired a Consultant to assist with Media Relations and story pitching • Managed media requests in coordination with SIDs

For VC53, will look to: • Use a media monitoring tool to target media and journalists to better keep track of our coverage • Identify stories to push in the media all season long (build the momentum, create icons. etc.) • Determine a content strategy in alignment with Marketing and Partnerships

MEDIA OPERATIONS • The stadium had a good set up for media. Due to the slow elevators, the security and stadium operations worked closely with media to hold the elevator for their travel up and down • Great turnout at the opening Media conference at the stadium on the Thursday • There was good coverage from the local media of each team

For VC53, will look to: • Rent / acquire another photocopier as there were a lot of jams

SOCIAL MEDIA • Social Media Activities included: -- Instagram -- U SPORTS Facebook page -- Video Content (highlights and special features) that was produced by Mo & Bawe from Brock • There were multi-channel live-coverage of the games (Bowl Games + VC) • Live-coverage of the Football Awards Banquet (graphics, contest, etc.) • Live-coverage of Conference games • U SPORTS worked closely with SIDS on social media activations • U SPORTS hired consultants to do social media content and activations

For VC53, will look to: • Improve on the quality and rhythm of posts • Design a social media communications strategy • Create a storyboard • Use a monitoring tool to track results of actions • Provide all schools a detailed action plan including guidelines, timelines, graphics to use, coordinated posts, etc. • Set regular meetings to share latest updates • Create the media box at the beginning of the season • Identification of profiles and stories

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Communications

SOCIAL MEDIA TWEET BANK • All social media posts promoting Vanier Cup should be consistent beginning when tickets go on sale

VIDEO COVERAGE • Throw to Vanier is a great concept to engage each individual school to become excited for the Vanier Cup

For VC53, will look to: • Have more video content to push the promotion of the game, as well as the student-athletes who hope to be in it and include the following content: -- Get to know your U SPORTS Football players’ series • Each football school is informed in August and provides one (energetic, well-spoken) player to do a brief video interview (can be filmed on a cellphone) -- 7-part series posted once a week leading up to the Vanier Cup • 3-4 player interviews per post • Call to action to buy tickets, or watch on TV at the end of every video -- Schools, Athletic Departments, and Players will retweet and share because they like to show their friends when they are in the spotlight • The U SPORTS Minute -- A weekly video on Mondays recapping the weekend that was in U SPORTS -- 60-90 seconds keeps viewers engaged -- Leading into Bowl Games and Vanier Cup, you can do an extra show per week that specifically discusses what consumers need to know about the Games, Players, Things to Watch, Broadcast Info, Ticket info -- CFL does a similar concept, where they increase videos leading up to the Grey Cup so that fans are constantly seeing it on their social media timelines, and that whenever information is released (half-time show, participants, award nominees), it is a verbal call to action

PARTNER & STAKEHOLDER SOCIAL MEDIA PUSHES • There is the opportunity for more social media support from Partners & Stakeholders

For VC53, will look to: • Activate the social media platforms for sponsors -- Adidas (2.93 million followers), Adidas Canada (17,000 followers) -- Coke Canada (30,000 followers) -- Wilson (4,000 followers) • Activate CFL to promote again -- The CFL at no charge pushed out our Vanier Cup match-up graphic on Twitter in the week leading up to the game -- The CFL offered to use our U SPORTS Snapchat story and have it appear on the CFL’s story (more followers) for free, but not sure if they were given final approval by the Communications Department

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Communications

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

INSTAGRAM For VC53, will look to: • Include a ticketing call to action on all Instagram posts promoting the Vanier Cup • Develop a Tweet Bank to include ticketing call to action -- Outreach to CFL, TiCats, local sponsors and partners to tweet, retweet, repost and promote on social media -- Work with partners such as CFL (23,000 followers) to promote our Snapchat on their pages for no cost and this was never followed up -- Ensure all posts include correct player images, spelling of names, stats

HAMILTON SPECTATOR • Hamilton Spectator Content -- Was Written by U SPORTS Correspondents on Vanier Cup History, TiCats Vanier Cup memories, and Final Four Team Preview -- Would look to have a more professional writer to write long-form stories

AFFORDABLE. FAMILY. FOOTBALL.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 TIM HORTONS FIELD 1:00PM KICK-OFF

USE PROMO CODE: THESPECVANIER52 AND SAVE 25% NOW

VANIERCUP.COM GROUPS: 1-877-825-2016

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Communications

Social Media Metrics FACEBOOK Engagement Chart • Reach – 107,231 • November 23-27

TWITTER Net Likes • Impressions – 722,831 • Engagement – 22,406

TWITTER TRENDING TOPICS IN CANADA Nov 26, 2016 • TrudeauEulogies • #Vanier52 • #MICHvsOSU • Castro • Ohio State • Vanier Cup • Ron Glass • Coupe Vanier • Rouge

• #Vanier52 -- 3.5M impressions -- 2.1M reach -- Trended #2 in Canada

Vanier Cup Trophy

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Communications

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

INSTAGRAM Follower Growth

Interaction Chart

Profile Engagement Rate

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Communications

SOCIAL MEDIA KEY METRICS (FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER) Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

• Reach – 597,779 (140% Increase)

• 2.4M impressions (33% increase)

• 23.1% Increase in followers

• 30% Increase in page views

• 87K profile visits (15% increase)

• 1500% increase in profile engagement

• 35,574 Engagement (60% increase)

• 66% increase in avg likes

• 1000+ new followers

WEBSITE: USPORTS.CA (Oct. 31st – November 30th) Demographics: • Unique Visitors: 36, 489 (number of actual people that visit the site) • Page Views: 70, 671 (total number of pages a visitor looks at on our site) • Average Duration: 00:00:50

WEBSITE: CIS-SIC.CA Demographics: • Visits: 167.7 K (the number of times the website was visited, without regard to repeat visitors) • Average Duration: 00:02:45 Most visited pages: • /action/sports/liveupdate (live statistics) • /sports/fball (football home page) • /sports/fball/2016-17/schedule (football schedule) November 26th (Vanier Cup) - 6,399 visits

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Communications

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

WEBSITE: VANIERCUP.COM Demographics: • Visits: 105, 951 • Visitors (Unique): 59, 960 • Average Duration: 00:00:54 • Best Week: November 21 – 27th -- Visits: 72, 604 -- Visitors (Unique): 41, 459 • Best Day: November 26th, 2016 -- Visits: 45, 273 -- Visitors (Unique): 26, 373

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

ANALYTIC COMPARISONS (CIS-SIC.CA TO CONFERENCES):

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Communications

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

ANALYTIC COMPARISONS (CIS-SIC.CA TO SIMILAR SITES):

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Communications

STATISTICS • U SPORTS managed the game day statistics and set up, as well as final execution of stats • Live stats on video board did not work (TiCats problems with network) • There was a lack of communication between stats crew, U SPORTS, and McMaster

For VC53, will look to: • Clarify roles/procedures in advance; information needs to be communicated (e.g. who is doing stats, what is expected from them, etc.). • Loop in U SPORTS stats sooner into the planning (3 months in advance) • Connect U SPORTS and McMaster stats together earlier

Laval Rouge et Or celebrating their victory with the Vanier Cup

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Ticketing

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Commercial: Ticketing TICKETING PLANNING/TICKETMASTER • U SPORTS worked with TiCats and Ticketmaster

For VC53, will look to: • Hire a Manager of Ticketing - 10 months with expertise in ticketing, outreach and sales • Gain access to the ticketmaster system early to reduce restrictions and troubleshooting issues • Access real time reporting • Access to accessible seating • Option to send out e-tickets and mobile entry • Change the name on line to just Vanier Cup • Determine a more organized approach to Comp ticket request • FAMILY Packages including merchandise will be developed ahead of time

PRICING For VC53, will look to: • Prices were too high to appeal to elementary schools and youth clubs. Pricing suggestions for 2017: -- Lowest price @ $15 – fees included -- Highest price @ $50 – fees included -- Family of 4 would still be spending minimum $90 for an outing -- No cents’ • Implement the ME+3 idea for families – 4 tickets for the price of 3 -- Provides additional free advertising as there is a ME+3 web page and newsletter that goes out through TM channels • Limit it to 2 discount levels for next year – 15% (small groups) and 30% (large groups) -- Incentive to organize a larger group • Will target the public school and youth football club demographics with lower pricing • Provide family pricing

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Ticketing

2016 PRICING Tickets; Regular

Base Price

Fees Breakdown

Final

Yellow

$ 23.50

$1.00 + $5.00

$ 29.50

Grey

$ 36.50

$1.00 + $5.00

$ 42.50

Green

$ 49.00

$1.00 + $7.00

$ 57.00

Purple

$ 150.00

$1.00 + $7.00

$ 158.00

PRICING MAP • Map pricing will have price cat 1 beside cat 3 in the upper bowl (incorrect in 2016) • The Stadium needs to fix pricing breakdown for section and category capacities • Accessible seats were never broken up into price categories and not identified in map • Will change colours for ticketing options -- Psychological studies have shown that there are marketing advantages to certain colours for sales: • Red creates a sense of urgency and call to action, associated with excitement and passion (Cat 1) • Blue is most commonly preferred by men, stimulates productivity and promotes trust in a brand (Cat 2) • Orange is used to draw in impulsive shoppers and an encourage decision making, promotes enthusiasm (Cat Fees) • Ticketmaster fees and TiCats fees & suite split need to be reviewed. Ticketmaster fees of $5 and $7 services fees are their lowest standard fee that they post on their smallest events – this will not change for 2017 • Very little uptake from the TICats eblasts and ticketing outreach • Will recommend a change in timing for exercising first right of refusal for TiCats suites holders (3 weeks is too late)

TICKETING SALES AGENT – COSMOS • Cosmos were presented with 11 different contact lists as well as a list of football events taking place in the weeks leading up to Vanier – tournaments, combines, registrations, end of season parties -- Corporate packages were sold to our partners and stakeholders -- Cosmos sold close to 700 tickets and 4 corporate packages • TLITZEN may attend again, however their marketing initiatives will be closely watched and we will approve all marketing material. We will also have a closer watch on tickets and ensure they follow the safety code

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Ticketing

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

TICKETING SEATING For VC53, will look to: • Create School Supporter Sections -- Fans usually want to sit behind their team’s bench, but having the sections directly across from each team’s bench designated as the school supporter section at Tim Hortons Field could allow for the TV-side to be more filled, and include the die-hard fans that should be on TV as much as possible • Sponsored Giveaway for the first X number of fans -- Fans love free swag, and as we saw at the 52nd Vanier Cup, they went crazy for the U SPORTS T-Shirt toss. Having a unique, cool, Vanier-branded giveaway for the first (e.g.) 5000 fans, it could entice fans to not only show up early, but increases their perceived value that a ticket includes. A giveaway, Halftime Show, and the football game is a much better event than just the game itself -- Look into renting a machine

TICKET PROMOTIONS For VC53, will look to: • Create Family Ticket Packages -- There were so many ticket promo codes for students, alumni, and local groups for the 52nd Vanier Cup, but there wasn’t anything for a family who had not seen, or did not have access to a code -- Family four-pack in the Grey seats i.e. 4 tickets for $100 • McMaster Recruitment -- Pitch McMaster to use the Vanier Cup as a recruitment tool for future students -- Reserve a block of seats for faculty, recruitment, and future students to attend -- Even if McMaster isn’t in it, it can show students the excitement about local events and the university experience • Sales & Ticketing Outreach -- Create a call centre in-house -- 3 interns who are dedicated to making calls and sales -- Opportunity to build contact lists for future events -- Will have a dedicated 1-800# • Sales Timing -- Ticketing outreach will begin earlier in order to properly hit all the markets effectively -- Process and identifying demographics and key groups will be determined - 6 months (not a few weeks)

OUTREACH STRATEGIES • Football Clubs -- Include a one-pager of the Vanier in every football club in Ontario

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

Ticketing

-- Contact clubs about including the lowest ticket price for group tickets in the cost of their team registration fee -- Promote original group package ideas -- Offer value added packages to include Jumbo-tron feature, Picture on the field after the game, Create own supporter section, In-game activations and mascot visits • Sponsors, Partners, Stakeholders -- Look to Sponsors, Partners, LOC, Stakeholders, City of Hamilton and Their Partners, Member Universities and the CFL for more sales outreach support • Football Member Institutions -- Outreach to each of the 27+ schools was great, just not enough -- Individual promos codes were built for every team -- Promo flyers were made for distribution with school colours and uniform – print and digital files • We will ensure schools see promos before final, getting their permission for logo use • School Boards -- School boards needs to be better engaged • CFL/Argos Partnership -- Develop an Argos/CFL partnership – add $15 do your season ticket holder renewal and it will include a Vanier Cup Ticket -- Same with playoff on-sale – add on to ticket packages • TiCats -- TiCats outreach allowed 3 e-blasts and a few tweets • We recognize that the TiCats have their own club to focus on thus we need to re-evaluate our promotions and in-game production requirements with them. • Online/TV reaction suggests that TiCats ticket holders and fans did not see any promotion of the Vanier Cup at games or e-blasts • Hamilton Businesses -- The City of Hamilton introduced U SPORTS to a large list of Hamilton business contacts who were football enthusiasts for VIP invitations and comp tickets only

EVENT OUTREACH • An outreach plan is being developed alongside ticketing • Hire a Street-Team that will be assembled with a group of 6-8 volunteers for activations whereby attend events throughout the year and at registration times in order to promote the event amongst football families

U S PORTS

201 6 VAN IER C UP REPORT

Ticketing

WE ARE UNIVERSITY SPORT

• Develop cool and engaging activations to draw people in – football skills pop-ups • Opportunities to collect contact information, sell on-site, interest group organizers, promote affordability and group package incentives

CORPORATE PACKAGE • Too many packages were being offered and confused the marketplace including U SPORTS Corporate package, Cosmos, Groups, Committee, Family, Participating and Non-Participating Schools. • For 2017, packages will include: regular priced tickets, school discounts (not top level), and large group discounts (top level)

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS • There will be more collaboration across all departments as everything goes back to a call to action for ticket sales • There was no sense of urgency to purchase early -- Promo codes should be cut off by a specific time in order to create sense of urgency -- There needs to be incentives to purchase early -- Experiences -- Perks -- Monetary value

BOX OFFICE/WILL CALL/STADIUM • TiCats ticketing managers need to share information with U SPORTS Ticketing Manager as there were issues with running out of change and missing Comp Tickets. They were unaware that we payed $1 per comp ticket so these tickets went unused

Tim Horton’s Field Hamilton, ON

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Ticketing

Ticketing: VIP Hospitality, Invitations & Gifting • Sport SYSTEMS (same system used for accreditation) was very useful • Ability to customize which groups had access to each event and ability to invite one person to multiple events • Simple to send out reminder email to everyone who had not replied

For VC53, will look to: • VIP invitations will be sent out earlier – 2 months to allow time for individual follow up • Will have a more coordinated approach as we currently have a VIP list already produced • Ticket delivery will be arranged ahead of time and include a letter from Glen Grunwald and Graham Brown • Invitations to Sponsors vs. what is the contracted amount in sponsor agreements needs to be determine

INVITATION BREAKDOWN

CATERING • Catering was a smooth process working with Levy • $5 food vouchers were given to each volunteer and we were only charged for what was redeemed on that day • Great customer service – conducted daily calls during the last week to make sure any details were not missed • They offered to meet with each of the participating schools in order to give them a tour of the group suites and make sure that they had everything they would need

For VC53, will look to: • Will determine catering needs ahead of time for officials, volunteers, teams, media, media conferences, press box, U SPORTS Staff

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Ticketing

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Ticketing Outreach (Cosmos Sports) MINOR FOOTBALL/MINOR SPORTS Positive Feedback: Many of these groups indicated a high level of enthusiasm and excitement towards the game. They greatly appreciated the number of promotions and discounts available to their groups, and were more than willing to distribute information as it was passed along. Moreover, a number of coaches indicated this event as being an excellent way to conclude their respective season. Common Objections: A common objection faced amongst this particular market segment was in regards to scheduling conflicts. A number of teams and leagues were in the last weeks of their respective seasons, and thus had to take into consideration conflicts with tournaments and playoff games. In addition, there was an inherent lack of interest from coaches’/league heads to assist in organizing players and families as a group to come out to the game. The lack of individuals within this market segment who were willing to take on the group leader role made it difficult to gain traction with teams and their families.

SCHOOLS Positive Feedback: Many of those spoken with at the secondary level indicated that this was the perfect event for their graduating studentathletes. Majority of coaches were well aware of the event, and had already been provided with a substantial amount of information/promotions about the week leading up to, and the event itself. Common Objections: Most commonly cited reason for being unable to attend was due to budgetary concerns. Many Principals spoken with referred to their particular school as being ‘less economically sound’ and therefore could not afford to subsidize the cost for their students and/or ask students to pay for both bussing and tickets to the event. Another recurring objection amongst coaches and principals spoken with was in regards to the time of outreach. Key decision-makers at both the elementary and secondary level indicated there was simply not enough time to lay the groundwork for a field trip such as this, as it required a substantial amount of administrative details in order to have it approved at the superintendent level. One objection of note that was made by several elementary-level personnel was in regards to the appropriateness of the event for younger children. While it was reinforced that this was an event for all ages, it was often difficult to overcome the perception of a university football game being attuned to a younger audience. While not necessarily something that is wholly controllable, it was a particularly unique objection that should be taken into consideration in the future if possible.

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Ticketing

CORPORATE HAMILTON (CHAMBER OF COMMERCE) Positive Feedback: A number of businesses indicated an interest and enthusiasm in the event. We often found individuals were eager to hear more about the opportunity for next year, and had a number of employees who may engage further for the 2017 event. Similar to the response from minor football groups, there was a tremendous willingness to assist in the distribution of information to employees and clients. Common Objections: The primary objection facing these groups was in regards to budget and scheduling for the event. Many organizations in the corporate community had already spent their budget for the year on other events, and did not have the resources to purchase tickets for an employee outing/client appreciation event and this point in the season. Secondly, in regards to scheduling, this was noted as a particularly busy time of year for businesses, as many were starting to wrap up for the year, and had already planned events around the holidays for their employees.

OTHER (INTRAMURALS GROUPS/BUFFALO FOOTBALL) Positive Feedback: From an intramurals perspective it was clear that there was a substantial amount of support for the Vanier Cup event. Many schools â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in particular UofT, York, and Ryerson â&#x20AC;&#x201C; indicated that the event would be a highly suitable alternative for students who could not afford to attend the Grey Cup. Although all institutions spoken with had indicated their receipt of offers from U Sports already, they were more than willing to redistribute through their respective communication networks to their intramurals participants. Common Objections: In regards to intramurals groups, all of the schools spoken with had already received a promotional offer directly from U Sports.

DATA ASSESSMENT - REVENUE DATA The breakdown provided below illustrates revenue generated by different ticket/package types as well as what percentage of the final revenue total each type accounted for:

Revenue Overview: TYPE

REVENUE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

$32,000.00

GREEN LEVEL

$4,320.00

SILVER LEVEL

$5,788.50

YELLOW LEVEL

$1,189.85

CLUB LEVEL

$3,750.00

GALA TICKETS

$1,250.00

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION

$8,000.00

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Sponsorship

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Commercial: Sponsorship RELATIONSHIP WITH LOC • Meetings were held throughout the year to discuss protected categories and available assets • Bi-weekly calls were held with the City of Hamilton revenue generation team to discuss updates in sponsor sales both at a national and community/local level • The LOC needs to ensure that only assets within a proposed list by U SPORTS are available and sold

CATEGORIES • Categories blocked by U SPORTS were: Auto, FI, Pro Services, Telco, Tech • Categories where a current U SPORTS partner/or renewal opportunity existed were also protected: TIMEX, Porter, Wilson, Sun Life, AMD, Fox 40, Adidas • Revenue share determined off of NET sponsorship value (60 U Sports/40 LOC) • U SPORTS was pursing the 5 categories as a part of larger scope partnerships. Categories were protected until pre-determined dates (July 31) – timeline from category being available to LOC and date of event was tight

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL SPONSOR VS. NATIONAL SPONSOR • There was some confusion at times regarding whose responsibility it was to pay for local activating partnerships and for coordinating their activations thus, moving forward, together, U SPORTS & LOC will: -- Determine how the cost of production/creative activation will be built into the contract of any LOC partners

PLANNING & TRACKING • Google doc or similar live document will be used where both parties update status’ of conversations -- Need status reporting from LOC and U SPORTS -- Will assist with progress of meetings/ discuss strategies

SPONSORSHIP PLAN/STRATEGY • U SPORTS will develop a Sponsorship Plan that includes the following: -- Ticket sales package for Sponsors will include promotions/discounts/supporter sections/corporate rooms/ suites -- A summary of fixed costs/services required from an event logistics/game day and target businesses accordingly -- Target businesses for game day activations/give-aways or pre-promotion programs -- Produce a rate card and business packages for various levels (full sponsor package, auxiliary event package,

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Stadium Operations

advertising/rate card, ticket bundles) -- Provide rate card and sales materials (deck) to the LOC to use at a local level to ensure that messaging and communication is consistent in the market -- Provide advertising/promotional value in exchange for services – VIK partnership

See Appendix B for the Sales Summary and Sponsorship Sales

HOST HOTELS: • The Host hotels were the Homewood Suites and the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, both located in Hamilton • The Host hotels provided great service to U SPORTS and the Participating Teams • There is very little selection for hotels that can accommodate two football teams, officials, family, fans and University staff in Hamilton • U SPORTS negotiated all pricing ensuring a blended rate as there was various pricing at both hotels and charged back the schools accordingly • Teams require rooms for student-athletes, coaches as well as meeting rooms and rooms for their meals

For VC 53, will look to: • Provide the participating schools their invoices before December 31, 2017 • Inquire with the Conferences on who requires a meeting room ahead of time • Determine best process on sharing team rooming lists and requirements between hotel and participating teams

Stadium Operations STADIUM STAFFING SERVICING • The Stadium staff were always accessible, very accommodating and very honest. Very professional and a pleasure to work with

LOAD IN AND OUT • U SPORTS will need to have someone on-site at Tim Hortons Field for deliveries, to sign-off on deliveries and to direct deliveries to the appropriate location in the building

ELEVATORS ARE VERY SLOW • Need to give yourself time and forward plan if you need to use the elevator prior to and during the Vanier Cup Games

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Staffing & Resources

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ROOM ALLOCATION & SET-UP • Needed to make room for half-time performers and thus moved room allocations around at the last minute • Moved performers from beside Laval dressing room as they required practicing and were too noisy • Mike Hammond from the City was very accommodating when we had to find a location for the 200 cadets to stand and wait during rehearsal and then for the Opening Ceremonies

Staffing & Resources: Organizational chart (FROM JANUARY – SEPTEMBER 2016)

2016/17 Vanier Cup

Local Organizing Committees:

CIS SIC MANAGER, VANIER CUP

VANIER CUP LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CHAIR: Glen Grunwald VICE CHAIR: Kyrie Hillier

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OPERATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Sub-Committee Chairs

CO-CHAIR: Ron Foxcroft

CO-CHAIR: Sean Donnelly

VICE CHAIR: Glen Grunwald

MEMBERS: Tony Valeri Matthew Green Dr. Rich Agro Therese Quigley Russ Jackson Neil Lumsden Gord Grace Robert Findlay Todd White Bob Morrow Laurie Davidson Lesley Stewart Keanin Loomis Pat Daly Toni Kovach Cecelia Carter-Smith

CHAIR: Glen Grunwald VICE CHAIR: Kyrie Hillier

TICKET & SPONSOR SUB-COMMITTEE

EVENTS SUB-COMMITTEE

MARKETING & COMMUNITY SUB-COMMITTEE

VOLUNTEER SUB-COMMITTEE

CHAIR: Brian MacDonald Ex Officio: Kyrie Hillier

CHAIR: Robert Hilson Ex Officio: Kyrie Hillier

CHAIR: Heather Beale Ex Officio: Kyrie Hillier

MEMBERS:

Shawn Small Matt Delich Ward Dilse Mark Farrugia Ed Minich Ryan McHugh Jeffery Welsh Mike Morreale Don Edwards Josh Peacock Michawl Giftopoulos

Wally Gabler TJ Kelly Rob Gatto Mike Hammond Greg Maychak Andreane Hudson Ward Dilse Steve Day Alexa Soares Michelle Ball Michael Grobe

Richard Do Couto Alana Henderson Ken Welch Peggy Chapman Alexandra Francis Katie Mueller Ward Dilse Jamie Nunn

Note: the Org Chart changed after the Event Manager resigned in September 2016, and with under 5 weeks to go, U SPORTS’ Chief Sport Officer took the Vanier Cup lead along with three additional contractors in the areas of Ticketing, Marketing and Event Management.

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Services

Team & Competition Services MEDICAL • Doctors -- The two doctors coupled with the doctors that traveled with the teams allowed us to be very prepared in case of emergency • Stadium Set-up -- The stadium was set up and prepared for worst-case scenario -- St John’s Ambulance was there as well as EMS, which was organized through the City of Hamilton contract -- The head of security understood his role (as he has the same job for the TiCats) • Medical Processes & Protocols

For VC53, will look to: • Need to refine the protocols and better understand U SPORTS medical processes and protocols and that of the teams • Insurance/Liabilities -- Vanier Cup staff, players and fans were covered under their own/U SPORTS insurance policy

DOPING CONTROL • DCO was professional and experienced • A room was set up and available with a washroom and separate door, as well as seating to wait

For VC53, will look to: • We require 4 volunteers only including at least one bilingual chaperon • We should schedule the chaperons to arrive later, or give them tickets into the stands for the first half of the game • Include at least one bilingual volunteer in our requirements

OFFICIALS • We had 7 referees plus standby referee • Referees arrive on the Wednesday prior to the game, hold meetings on Thursday, attend Broadcast site visit on the Friday and Officiate the Vanier Cup Game on Saturday • Rental vans were reserved for the officials so they could come and go as they please

For VC53, will look to: •

Require a bilingual official

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Transport & Parking

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Transportation & Parking • The transportation and parking tasks were assigned too late • We acquired parking spaces for Broadcast Partners – Sportsnet (30) & TVA (10) • For every parking lot, you need to ensure additional costs for lot rental space, snow plowing, security, additional lighting, power requirements, equipment, insurance, garbage/dumpsters, or any port-o-potties or handwash stations at off-site parking lots • U SPORTS were required to pay for parking and included options below: -- Lot A was strictly off limits at all times. No exceptions. If vehicles are parked there, they will be ticketed or towed at the owner’s expense. *THUS NO ACCESSIBILITY OF VIP PARKING WAS AVAILABLE TO U SPORTS -- Lots A, B, and C are on-site lots of Tim Hortons Field and are City of Hamilton property -- Pending TiCats game, Lots B and/or C could be available for during the week and VC Game Day -- Off-site Parking at King George School (237 spots) and Prince of Wales School (10 spots) as a cost through the TiCats -- Lot “E” which is the Dominion Glass site (Chapple St. & Lloyd Street). Need lighting and to determine open/ close gates. *U SPORTS went with this option but another closer parking lot did the same thing and we only had 4 cars in the lot. • Buses were able to pull up to Gate A and drop off the players and park on the west side of the stadium • -1 day, we were notified we could park along the street in front of the main entrance of the north side of stadium and notified team guests – we were able to direct Mayors and Presidents of Schools to this area

For VC53, will look to: • Coordinate parking sooner as we need to book with school board ahead of time

Volunteers GENERAL • Approx 50 volunteers were required for Vanier Week and the Vanier Cup game • Volunteer Training was hosted two weeks before the Vanier Cup at Tim Hortons Stadium. It was very well organized by Volunteer Lead Heather Beale and the Stadium staff took the volunteers on a site tour

COMMUNICATION WITH VOLUNTEER LEAD For VC53, will look to: • Increase communication with Volunteer Lead on planning to identify volunteer needs on game day and ancillary events • Ensure Volunteer Lead is more integrated • Send U SPORTS staff contact information • Include more meetings or calls between U SPORTS and Volunteer Lead

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Transport & Parking

ROLES For VC53, will look to: • Determine roles and define expectations to volunteers ahead of time (drivers, etc) • Identify French speaking volunteers • Continue to use volunteers at the Gala (to help set up rooms, check guests in) • Departments to provide requirements – 6 months and Volunteer Lead to share volunteer names and resumes back to U SPORTS departments for approval

VOLUNTEERS • Volunteers were a tremendous help at the registration desk, welcoming guests and gathering performers and award winners at the Awards Banquet

For VC53, will look to: • Provide volunteers with a uniform in order to identify themselves as volunteers • Ensure the Volunteer Lead or U SPORTS staff is tasked with the distribution of their uniform (which was the intention in 2016)

GAME DAY For VC53, will look to: • A more refined check-in process and location • More defined roles for parking assistance, fan fest, inclusion of AMD volunteers

UNIFORM For VC53, will look to: • Volunteers require a uniform • U SPORTS staff to distribute Volunteer apparel morning of the game in separate room. (Apparel was given by volunteers to other non-volunteers and as a result ran out of uniforms)

OUTREACH For VC53, will look to: • Reach out to Sport Event Management Programs at Post-secondary level, city and school district sport and recreation activities, francophone centres

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52nd VC Wrap-Up

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52nd Vanier Cup Wrap-Up & 53 Vanier Cup Start-Up Despite its lack of attendance, the 52nd Vanier Cup showed that the passion of Canadians who want the game to be a success is still strong, and that having more time to promote the Vanier Cup and a new plan listed below can allow it to be even more successful in 2017. We believe that the biggest gaps came down to the execution of local promotions, maximizing the content pushed across social media, and staggering announcements and promotions to ensure that consumers were aware of what the Vanier Cup is, when it is happening, and why they should care. With the Horizon Utilities Fan Fest and Tokyo Police Club Halftime Show being announced in November, it forced the marketing materials (print, digital, radio) leading up to the final month to only speak to the game itself. We need to sell the Vanier Cup as an event, not just a football game! By announcing aspects of the Vanier Cup earlier, it gives them more time to think about if the event is worth their while, and most importantly to spread the message of what is going to take place. Earlier planning, key learnings from the 52nd Vanier Cup and the hiring of a Ticketing Expert will maximize interest and attendance of the 53rd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup. We should see dramatic improvements to what is already a fantastic event! • Additional Human Resources -- Hired a full-time Ticketing Manager with additional ticketing sales support -- Full-time Communications Manager with media relations assistance from a Consultant -- U SPORTS staff support for hotels and corporate events -- Mark Bowden will return to assist in organizing the Football Awards Banquet, provide Group Sales Support and be U SPORTS on the ground contact for the LOC • Earlier Planning -- Plans are currently being produced for Marketing, Communications, Ticketing and Sponsorship -- Starting Outreach earlier with School Board, Football Clubs • Ticketing -- Higher Comp Ticket program -- Ticketing Sales -- Ticketing Outreach • Outreach -- We are putting together a Street Team of Students to go to events and sponsor activations to promote the Vanier Cup -- As recommended last VC, we are reaching out to the School Boards April/May -- Earlier outreach with the institutions • Invitation System -- We have established local invitation lists and an electronic invitation system • Football Gala Awards Banquet -- The same format will be used

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52nd VC Wrap-Up

• In-Game Production & Promotion -- Will use the 2016 scripts as templates • Improve internal Communication -- New Local Organizing Committee (LOC) structure to ensure all members are included in the planning and outreach of VC 53 -- Look to have a “Friends of Vanier Cup” Group meet a certain time per year to assist in spreading the word -- Hire local resident and event Consultant Mark Bowden as U SPORTS representative on the ground • Announcements -- Make all announcements earlier to help with Vanier Cup awareness and help with ticket push • Sponsorship -- Looking to increase sponsorship support with earlier planning

Université Laval vs. University of Calgary November 26, 2016

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INTRODUCTION

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aPPEnDICES U S PORTS

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Appendix A

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Appendix A

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Appendix A ANCILLARY EVENTS The following was the planned ancillary event schedule. Please note some of these events did not take place. Sat. Nov. 19

9:00am - TBC

Day 1: OFA Flag Football Tournament

McMaster TBC

Flag Football Clubs

Sat. Nov. 19

9:00am – 5:00pm

Coaches Clinic

McMaster TBC

Local Coaches

Sun. Nov. 20

9:00am – 5:00pm

Officials Clinic

McMaster TBC

Officials

Mon. Nov 21

9:00am – 4:00pm

Day 2: OFA Flag Football Tournament

McMaster TBC

Elementary (Boys)

Tues. Nov 22

9:00am – 4:00pm

Day 3: OFA Flag Football Tournament

McMaster TBC

Elementary/High School (Girls)

Tues. Nov 22

TBC

Vanier Cup Kick Off / City Social

Lister Block

Media, Partners

Wed. Nov. 23

9:00am – 4:00pm

Day 4: OFA Flag Football Tournament

McMaster TBC

High School (Boys)

Wed Nov 23

Team Arrivals

Thurs Nov 24

AM/PM

Conference Meetings

Thurs Nov. 24

11:30am – 1:00pm

Coaches/QB Media Conference

Tim Horton’s Field

Media

Thurs Nov. 24

6:00pm – 10:00pm

All-Canadian Football Awards Dinner

Convention Centre TBC

All- Can. Athletes Vanier Cup Teams Partners, Media

Thurs Nov 24

9am-5pm

Officials Meeting

Homewood Suites

Game Officials

Thurs Nov 24

9am-5pm

CUFCA Meeting

Homewood Suites

Football Coaches

Fri. Nov. 25

9:00am – 5:00pm

Officials Clinic

McMaster TBC

Officials

Sun. Nov. 20

9:00am – 1:00pm

OFA Combine

McMaster TBC

Regional Football Ages 14-18

Fri. Nov. 25

9:00am – 5:00pm

Coaches Professional Development

McMaster TBC

Coaches

Fri. Nov. 25

12:00pm – 4:00pm

All-Canadian Skills Competition

Players Paradise TBC

All-Can. Athletes Local fans/athletes

Fri. Nov 25

9:00am – 4:00pm

Day 5: OFA/OUA Flag Football Tournament

McMaster TBC

University, College Athletes

TBC

OUA Athletes, Coaches

Tim Horton’s Field

Partners and LOC

McMaster TBC

Southern Ontario Ages 14-18

Fri. Nov. 25

TBC

Alumni / Coaches Social

Sat Nov 26

8am-10am

Punt, Pass Kick

Sat. Nov. 26

10am-12noon

VIP Kick-Off Brunch

Sat Nov 26

10am

Opening Ceremonies Rehearsal

Sat. Nov. 26

9:00am – 1:00pm

OFA Combine

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Appendix B

Appendix B SPONSOR REVENUE & SPONSORSHIP SALES The Chart below is a summary of the Local Partners financial support.