Under the auspices of the Association of Canadian Advertisers, the objective of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada is to recognize companies that have maximized their investments in sponsorship marketing by developing innovative leveraging strategies that drive business results. The Toronto-based organization is now inviting entries for its 3rd Annual Sponsorship Marketing Awards.

Categories are: sports, arts & entertainment, cause (for not-for-profit programs), special interest (programs that drive business results in areas other than the first three on this list), plus two new categories introduced for this year’s competition: sustained success (for programs that demonstrate delivery of business results over three consecutive years or longer), and small budget (for programs budgeted at less than $100,000 annually, which includes rights fees and activation).

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28, and entries will be accepted in either English or French (accompanied by an English translation). Eligibility is limited to programs that have taken place within the past 36 months (Jan. 2004 – Jan. 2007), with the single exception being for the sustained success category. Nicole Dubé, directrice du marketing, Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec, is chairing a judging panel that will review entries. The winners will be announced at SMCC’s annual conference on April 23 in Toronto.

Entry rules and guidelines are available at: www.sponsorshipmarketing.ca.