WORK EXPERIENCE - BY COMPANY

Tourism Calgary

Destination Brand Specialist | 2022 - present

Brand Development

  • Function as the main source of brand guidance for Tourism Calgary, providing ongoing support to staff to ensure alignment with brand standards
    across all marketing materials.
  • Led the Brand Evolution Project (more information under Project Management), ensuring a seamless transition to the new brand identity while
    maintaining consistency and coherence in all materials.


Brand Activations

  • Coordinated brand activations, such as at Folk Fest, where we introduced branded “friendship tarps” to encourage interactions, reinforcing our
    brand personality of being the “friendliest city in the world.”


Marketing Collateral & Creative Design

  • Designed and produced a variety of marketing collateral, including event posters, digital ads, backdrops, and brochures, ensuring alignment with
    Tourism Calgary’s branding and marketing goals.
  • Led the Together for Jasper initiative by designing the wordmark and producing marketing materials that were distributed widely to support wildfire
    relief efforts.
  • Developed communication tools (business cards, PowerPoint templates, and newsletters) as part of a Brand Bridge Plan, temporarily incorporating
    select elements from the civic brand “Blue Sky City” to maintain Tourism Calgary’s presence, while the official brand was being developed behind
    the scenes.


Community Engagement Initiatives

  • Collaborate with 100+ industry partners as the liaison for Tourism Calgary, managing the distribution of marketing assets, which has helped save
    over $4M in asset development costs through the Hero Asset Development Project (more under Project Management).
  • Led the User-Generated Content (UGC) Collaborations, such as the Summer Photo Contest, which resulted in over 1,000 submissions. Paid and
    promoted select small creators, with their work appearing in business publications and other outlets.


Email Marketing

  • Conducted a comprehensive audit of seven company newsletters, refining strategies to better target specific audiences and ensuring that each
    piece of communication remained on-brand and purposeful.

Marketing

Certificates, Competencies, & Skills

Marketing

  • Software: SimpleView | MailChimp | Constant Contact | Canva | CrowdRiff
  • audience targeting | B2B | B2C | brand activations | brand development | brand management | campaign management | communication tools | community engagement | content creation | cross-departmental alignment | email marketing | graphic design | market research | marketing campaigns | marketing collateral design | newsletter audits | partnership marketing | strategic planning | storytelling | UGC management


Project Management

  • Software: AirTable | Asana | Excel | Canva | Dall-E
  • asset development | budget forecasting | budget management | creative briefs | creative director | cross-departmental audits | logistics coordination | market research | performance reporting | post-production management | problem-solving | process optimization | production manager | project coordination | reporting & analysis | RFP process management | stakeholder collaboration | storytelling | timeline management | vendor management


Business Development

  • Software: Microsoft VBA | AI | ChatGPT | Visual Studio | HTML | CSS | CrowdRiff
  • compliance management | costumer journey mapping | data analysis | digital asset management | external partner collaboration | process improvement | protocol development | relationship management | resource allocation | staff empowerment | staff training | system implementation | workflow automation


Photography, Video, & Content Creation

  • Software: Photoshop | Illustrator | InDesign | Adobe Creative Cloud | Canva | CrowdRiff
  • asset development production | asset management | asset organization | content development | content performance analysis | creative direction | data-driven reporting | digital asset organization | gap analysis | licensing agreements | metadata analysis | photography shoot logistics | ROI analysis | team training | video production

Project Management

Hero Asset Development Production (completed)

  • As the lead project manager for a $1.5M asset development production spanning 18 months, I coordinated the creation of 33 finished videos, 62
    b-roll vignettes, and 528 hero images. These assets have been used extensively by both Tourism Calgary and external partners to promote
    Calgary. Here’s a breakdown of the project phases:
  • Pre-Production
    • RFP Process: Assisted in the creation and selection of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, ensuring that all project requirements were
      clear for potential vendors.
    • Creative Briefs: Developed six creative briefs that led to the production of 13 distinct videos, each with multiple cut-downs and aspect ratios,
      resulting in 63 total video outputs. In additional to the 62 b-roll vignettes and the 500+ images.
    • Location and Model Coordination: Created and maintained a robust production spreadsheet with data on 80+ locations, 60+ models, and
      scheduling details, which was heavily relied on by a production crew of over 30 individuals. I was also responsible for coordinating
      communication with industry partners about the selected locations, securing their buy-in and input on shot lists.
    • Shot List and Visual Direction: Generated a detailed shot list, utilizing AI tools to clearly convey our creative vision to partners like Colin Way
      (photographer), Sherpas Cinema (filming company), and PARK Productions. This ensured alignment with the desired visual outcomes across all
      assets.
    • Logistics: Booked tech scouts, secured models, and acquired volunteers for the shoots, with a focus on ensuring diversity and inclusivity in
      representation. Coordinated production meetings to align all stakeholders, from wardrobe selections to location scouting and timeline
      management.
  • Production
    • On-site Coordination: During the shoot, I ensured that all staging, wardrobe, and styling were in line with our creative vision. As volunteer
      coordinator, I managed a diverse pool of talent, ensuring the proper representation of Calgary’s unique offerings and demographic diversity in
      the content.
    • Wardrobe and Styling: Worked closely with the production team to ensure wardrobe selections aligned with each location, models, and the
      needs of different videos, including leisure, business, and sport.
    • Real-Time Problem Solving: Oversaw shoot days to ensure everything ran smoothly, from technical setups to handling last-minute
      adjustments. Facilitated daily check-ins with the crew to maintain a seamless workflow.
  • Post-Production
    • Content Organization: Managed the meticulous process of reviewing, selecting, and editing over seven hours of footage to create 62 b-roll
      videos that highlighted the best scenes from filmed locations. Organized footage in Master Contact Sheet and included time stamps in each
      video description to enhance user experience for future productions.
    • Image Selection: Established a streamlined process with photographer to review and select 528 images. Ensuring alignment with the original
      briefs and project objectives. Managed multiple rounds of revisions to guarantee the final assets reflected the brand’s vision and quality.
    • Video Production: Worked with film company to finalize 13 hero videos, each requiring multiple cut-downs and aspect ratios for a total of 63
      individual videos. Reviewed edits for diversity, storyline strength, and correct branding elements such as logos, URLs, and visual consistency
      across all business units (Leisure, Business, Sports). More information under Project Management - deep dive.
    • Legal Documentation: Ensured all necessary legal paperwork was completed and correctly stored, including production contracts, location
      permits, drone permits, and model release forms. This comprehensive documentation process ensured compliance and safeguarded the
      project.
    • Internal & External Communication: Distributed the assets to internal staff and 80+ participating partners, encouraging widespread use across
      their marketing materials.
  • Post-Launch Results - The assets from this project were widely adopted, both internally and externally, contributing to significant brand exposure
    and promotional efforts for Calgary:
    • Internal Use: The videos, b-roll, and images were integrated into Tourism Calgary’s website, newsletters, and marketing collateral. They were
      also featured in prominent broadcast spots like the Rogers Charity Classic Golf Tournament.
    • External Use:
      • YYC Airport Authority used our b-roll footage to create an award-winning video submission for best airline marketing by an airport at the
        Routes America 2024 Conference.
      • Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation leveraged the footage to produce a video revealing Calgary’s new event center.
      • Calgary Economic Development, in collaboration with the City of Calgary, used the assets for the launch of the new civic brand to the
        community.
      • Numerous hotels and tourism industry partners incorporated the images and footage into their marketing efforts, driving further
        awareness of Calgary’s tourism offerings.
  • Performance Reporting: Created a comprehensive project summary report that outlined deliverables by location, diversity, industry, and content
    format (video, b-roll, photography). This report was used in executive updates and post-mortem meetings with key stakeholders (photographers,
    production companies, film crews) to evaluate successes and identify areas for improvement in future productions.


Tourism Calgary Brand Evolution (in progress)

  • Lead Project Manager for the $600K+ Brand Evolution Project, Responsible for coordinating audits, discovery sessions, logistics, and timelines
    across departments to consolidate Tourism Calgary’s brand identity and align with strategic goals.
  • Stakeholder Collaboration & Reporting: Act as the primary liaison between Tourism Calgary and ZGM (our marketing agency), creating briefs for
    all brand touchpoints and ensuring alignment with scope, deliverables, and budget. Provide regular reports and documentation to C-suites and
    executives, enabling data-driven decisions on brand evolution strategies such as logo and business name changes.
  • Transition to Single Logo System: Played a pivotal role in making the case for transitioning from a multi-logo system (in place for nearly 60 years)
    to a single, unified logo. This decision greatly enhanced brand clarity, consistency, and market presence.
  • Comprehensive Tracking System: Developed and manage a robust Excel-based timeline that tracks each brand touchpoint, including individual
    deadlines, statuses, and deliverables. This document is crucial for the project’s success and is heavily relied upon by ZGM and stakeholders to
    monitor progress, scope, and budget.
  • Discovery Sessions & Brand Touchpoints Audit: Led in-depth discovery sessions with department managers to audit and identify 200 brand
    touchpoints. These were categorized into four main areas: Brand Guides, Tradeshow Booths, Digital, and Brochures & Informative Materials,
    allowing for more structured brand evolution planning.
  • Cross-Departmental Synergies: Ongoing audits of brand touchpoints to help identify synergies between departments, allowing for resource-
    sharing and increasing efficiency. This alignment is strengthening the brand’s consistency and optimizing internal processes, ensuring all efforts
    ladder up to the overarching brand strategy.
    • Uniforms: A key focus is developing a brand-aligned, fashion-forward capsule wardrobe for staff. Currently, there is no consolidated process for
      uniforms, identifiers, or SWAG, with each department acting independently. This project is working to bring uniformity and alignment across
      departments. We are preparing to go to RFP and involve Calgary’s fashion community, further emphasizing the brand’s commitment to
      community ties.
    • Software/Programs: The audit also revealed that various platforms and external graphic designers were being independently contracted by
      different departments to create marketing collateral. This project aims to reduce the number of programs and external contracts, streamlining
      processes and finding efficiencies across departments by leveraging shared resources.
  • Ongoing Research & Brand Playbook Development: Continuously conduct research on industry best practices to inform the development of the
    Brand Playbook, ensuring it meets the needs of Tourism Calgary’s three business units—Leisure, Meetings & Conventions, and Sports—and
    resonates with the organization’s three key audiences: Leisure, Industry, and B2B. We are now transitioning to an interactive landing page to make
    the brand easy to use, update, and share with internal staff and industry partners.

Photography & Video

Asset Management

  • Oversee the entire asset inventory, ensuring that all assets produced and used are aligned with the brand’s identity and standards.
  • CrowdRiff Management: Established CrowdRiff as the centralized system for licensed, brand-aligned assets, organized for easy access by category
    or keyword, with streamlined processes for licensing and asset uploads.
  • Asset Performance Analysis: Generate visually informative reports from raw CSV data, analyzing the performance of over 2,000 assets stored in
    CrowdRiff. These reports are used to study asset performance enforce gap analysis report, helping to identify which assets are performing well
    and informing future production needs.
  • Gap Analysis Report: Organize the metadata of existing assets in AirTable to provide a clear layout of the asset inventory and help identify gaps to
    guide future production needs.
  • Asset Development Production: Play a pivotal role in organizing all logistics for asset development, including preparing briefs, securing license
    agreements, creating shot lists, and coordinating models, wardrobe, and tech scouts.
  • Training & Guidance: Provide ongoing training and guidance to staff, equipping them with the right tools to align with brand standards and use the
    asset management system effectively.


Audit & Clean-Up:

  • Led a comprehensive 12-month audit of images and videos stored across various locations to identify brand-aligned, up-to-date assets with proper
    licensing. Centralized all assets into one location, implementing a folder organization structure that mirrors the one used in CrowdRiff.
  • All assets now follow a consistent naming convention to ensure easy identification of location, photographer, and year.
  • Centralized organization system not only for images and videos but also for their corresponding license agreements and model release forms. All
    documentation is now consistently organized and easily accessible.

Business Development

Empowering Staff

  • Spearheaded the adoption of Canva by submitting all the paperwork to secure Canva Enterprise for free, leveraging our not-for-profit status. I set
    up the brand kit with all necessary brand elements and conducted comprehensive staff training, ensuring teams could streamline their workflows
    and create routine marketing collateral in-house, significantly reducing costs. I continue to oversee the material produced to ensure it is brand
    aligned and remain available to provide design guidance as needed.
  • Established CrowdRiff (our Digital Asset Management (DAM) system) as the single source of truth for finding licensed and brand-aligned images
    and videos. Assets are organized in a strategic folder organization system to meet the team's needs, making it easy to find assets by browsing
    categories or using keywords. Additionally, a streamlined process was created to acquire new images and videos, ensuring correct license
    agreements are in place and assets are efficiently uploaded into our DAM.
  • Developed a clear protocol for license agreements by creating a tiered system to guide staff in selecting the appropriate license when acquiring
    new assets. This ensures that internal staff know which licenses to use, while industry partners and content creators are fully informed about the
    rights being requested for marketing purposes. The system includes fillable PDFs for license agreements and model release forms, along with a
    process for acquiring user-generated content (UGC) correctly. Comprehensive training was provided to equip staff with the tools needed to
    request proper documentation and maintain compliance. More information under Business Development - deep drive.


Process Improvement

  • Leveraged coding skills in Visual Studio and Microsoft VBA to automate repetitive tasks like extracting metadata from CrowdRiff, filling in PDFs
    from email body, and streamlining spreadsheet workflows.


Ongoing Training & Relationship Management

  • Provide continuous training and build strong relationships with staff to help them transition into new processes. With some employees having
    been with the company for over 35 years, I respect the value of what has worked over time and seek to thoughtfully integrate these practices
    with new processes. This approach not only supports staff but also strengthens our efforts in achieving the company’s objectives.