DealMaker Canada 2023 Recap

We had a record-breaking number of clients make the trip to The Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto for our final DealMaker event of 2023. Attendees included top advertisers, publishers, and agencies across all regions of North America who got together to prove that doing business shouldn’t be this much fun, and as always, it was!

Our eager attendees pre-scheduled more than 300 meetings to strategize for Q4 and beyond—the room was filled with laughter, dealmaking, and exciting conversation! Attendees learned about the advancement and success of our Canadian market, heard growth metrics from our executive team, listened in on the Unlocking the Power of Partnerships panel, and learned more about new publisher partners Venngo, Prince of Travel, and Klarna during our Publisher Showcase.

Here are the highlights from this year’s DealMaker Canada:

Panel Discussion: Unlocking the Power of Partnerships

Amidst client meetings, attendees had the opportunity to listen in on compelling content from thought leaders in the affiliate space. This year’s panel focused on unlocking the potential of unique partnerships and how being at the forefront of change can bring success to advertisers, publishers, and agencies.

The panel tackled the everchanging world of affiliate and the regulations that have shifted the way everyone does business, focusing on the shift to GA4 and the implementation of Law 25 in Quebec. Other topics included the importance of having a Canada-first approach when entering the market, with panelists noting the nuances in the market compared to the US or other regions, and the importance of trust and transparency when starting an affiliate program.

Attendees praised the insightful panel and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation moderated by Charlie Calabrese, President of All Inclusive Marketing, and the following panelists:

• Erin Kerr, Strategic Brand Partnerships, FlipGive
• Noah Shelson, Strategic Account Manager, Capital One Shopping
• Andrew Noonan, Loyalty and Performance Based Partnerships, Aeroplan

DealSpace Cocktail Reception & Networking

As the name implies, DealMaker is all about making deals, and we did just that! The day was filled with opportunities to schedule one-on-one meetings and network with the industry as a whole. In fact, our attendees scheduled more than 300 individual meetings during our one-day event!

Our DealSpace cocktail reception, sponsored by Venngo, was a dedicated time for showcasing partners and for great conversation! DealMaker attendees chatted and connected over food and the Venngo-rita, a delicious lime margarita, while perusing our featured DealSpace sponsors.

Overall, DealMaker Canada was an absolute success, in fact, Krysta Gutteridge, Senior Director of Business Development for our Canadian market had this to say, “Year over year DealMaker Canada grows and evolves, it provides our Canadian clients and partners a space to connect in-person, across all verticals in our industry. The value this event brings to our clients is unmatched, every year I have clients approach me to share what this event means to them and how much they appreciate Rakuten Advertising for investing in Canada.”

We wanted to extend our gratitude and appreciation for our events team, we couldn’t have accomplished DealMaker Canada without their leadership and support!

To stay up to date on upcoming Rakuten Advertising events, check out our events page.