Early in my career I remember hearing a quote about how we only get a few good opportunities and if you don’t grab onto them you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. For me the AdClub has always been one of those amazing opportunities that I’m glad I grabbed onto.
About ten years ago my manager at the time was Adam Flinders who also happened to be the AdClub’s Vice President. He encouraged me to join the AdClub to meet new people and help further my career. Over the ensuing years I hosted two successful Golf Day events, traveled to Africa with the NABS team to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, learned many new skills and developed dozens of close friends. I never would have guessed that volunteering with the AdClub would be such an enriching experience that would leave such a lasting impact on my life.
While the AdClub was initially a place for me to network and meet new people, over time I was able to see the full scope of the organization. Yes its events are a fun way to spend time with clients or reconnect with old coworkers but they can also be a window into a larger advertising industry. Thanks to the AdClub I’ve met everyone from students just starting their career to industry legends who often have wild stories from generations past. I’ve learned about the latest tech platforms, major issues facing our industry, visions for the future all while admiring those leaders who give their time to help others grow.
Seeing the larger scope of the AdClub also introduced me to their giving which over time I have realized is the AdClub’s greatest strength. Since the AdClub is a not-for-profit a large portion of our revenue is donated back to our industry. Our scholarships to post-secondary schools help the next generation of students while we also make regular donations to NABS. I’ve seen first-hand how these donations have changed people’s lives for the better and it’s all due to the support of our AdClub sponsors and attendees.
While the AdClub has brought me many happy memories there were also plenty of challenges. One of the first was taking over Golf Day after a period of record low attendance and revenue. There was immense pressure to turn around the event and return it to its former glory. Admittedly I was extremely nervous about hosting this massive event and not having anyone show up. Through the hard work of my committee we hosted a very successful Golf Day both from a revenue and attendee perspective. Afterwards I felt a new level of confidence that I could achieve anything through hard work, a feeling that is still with me many years later.
The greatest challenge during my time with the AdClub would have to be the pandemic. In a blink of an eye we went from hosting 10+ events a year to zero. We had no revenue coming in and had to stop all our giving. It was a very challenging time and it was impossible to predict one month, three months or even a year ahead. I give a lot of credit to our former President Frank Aballini for pivoting us to online events and starting the AdClub Central newsletter. Eventually we figured out how to sell sponsorships for our virtual events which allowed us to start giving again. As the pandemic subsided we were able to go back to live events. Based on the progress we made this year I feel the AdClub is headed in a positive direction and poised for great success in 2023. I can’t think of anyone more perfect to take over our organization then our new President Amanda Newell and Vice President Caitlin Neve who both share my strong love and passion for all things AdClub.
Lastly I want to share a big thank you to all of the board members, committee members and sponsors who have contributed to the success of the AdClub over the past ten years. Most of all a big thank you to all of the close friends I’ve made through the AdClub. There are way too many to name here but hopefully I’ll see you all soon.
Chris Ramey
President, Advertising Club of Toronto