DPAA, the global trade marketing association, hosted its annual Canada Summit in Toronto on June 17, drawing about 400 attendees from agencies, brands, media organizations, and ad tech and sales firms.

Held at the MaRS Centre, the event featured discussions on innovation, creative strategy, measurement, and the role of digital out-of-home (DOOH) in marketing campaigns.

A key focus of the summit was how creativity, sports and entertainment partnerships, and campaign outcomes are shaping the future of DOOH advertising. Speakers from organizations including Adapt Media, Adelaide, Canadian Gaming Association, IKEA Canada, Intuit, Mastercard, NBCUniversal, Skip, Vertical Impression, and WPP Canada shared insights into current industry trends.

Women leaders represented 80 per cent of speakers at this year’s event, highlighting the growing presence of women in senior roles across the sector.

A few session highlights included:

• Mastercard’s Shawna Miller discussed the company’s use of sports and entertainment partnerships to support B2B marketing efforts and create fan experiences.
• Intuit Canada’s Gah-Yee Won explored how video content supports the TurboTax brand
• Moira Gilderson of Dentsu and Jonelle Ricketts of IKEA Canada discussed adapting creative campaigns for DOOH environments.
• Other sessions examined the role of DOOH in entertainment launches, sports betting marketing, and campaign measurement.
• During a panel on real-world attention and omnichannel impact, Adelaide and Skip announced a new partnership focused on campaign performance and audience engagement.
• The summit concluded with a case study on Rethink Breast Cancer’s public service campaign, discussing how OOH advertising can support awareness and action through personal storytelling.

DPAA president and CEO Barry Frey said the event reinforced the importance of industry collaboration and in-person connections. “DPAA Canada Summit is a proven, authentic community of professionals, an ideal opportunity for them to congregate, collaborate, co-ordinate, and not only have real-life conversations that led to real business deals, but also an opportunity to sync up their calendars to discuss future partnerships—the ultimate outcome,” said Frey.