Contributed by Professor Kevin Corriveau
On the November 15-17 weekend, 47,115 individuals throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe converged on Toronto’s International Centre to take part in the Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo – and St. Clair was there.
The Expo is Canada’s largest and longest-running show, with two events per year.
This event featured guests included Ray Bourque, Mike Bossy, Mats Sundin, Jayna Hefford, Dominik Hasek, Trish Stratus and many more.
At the helm of the show was a contingent of St. Clair Sport and Recreation Management students from the School of Business and Information Technology: Drew Howsen, Spencer Croft, Anthony Scussolin, Meghan Schneider, Adam Benezrah and Cole Seguin.
They served as marketing and operations assistants for the show, led by faculty member Jeremy Renaud, who also serves as the show's Assistant General Manager.
"This was a tremendous experience for all of us," said second-year student Cole Seguin. "We were able to see how a bigger event was run, while developing a variety of skills that we can use going forward."
The students were responsible for managing several facets of the show through a variety of programs, autograph sessions and experiences, while interacting with special guests, sports legends and Hall of Famers.
"We are very grateful for the support of these students. They were provided with on-site training, enhanced experiences, and the ability to make decisions on the front line," said Renaud. "They were critical in helping the show execute partnership agreements with Upper Deck, Ultra Pro International, and PSA/DNA, along with promotions which enhanced the attendees’ experiences."
Renaud looks forward to bringing a Sport Management contingent to the Spring show.
Also, he is currently being reviewed by ownership to take over as the convention's General Manager in 2020.
