Celebrating Community
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CELEBRATING COMMUNITY 100 Years of the Calgary Stampede In 2012, we celebrated much more than our Centennial. We celebrated the early mornings and late nights of our volunteers; the generosity of our donors; the enthusiasm of our visitors. We honoured the dedication of crowds that brave the downpours and blazing heat. The pride of a winning cowboy. And the dignity of a losing one. We celebrated the amazement in children seeing life in a whole new way. And the timeless bond between people and animal. We rode, dressed, dined, toasted and two-stepped. We did it for a young, energetic city that loves to gather. We realized the free spirit, the cowboy spirit, within us all. And we rode alongside the great characters within this epic, one-hundred-year story. In our 100th year, we celebrated the future of our community. One bound together by a vital, collective spirit. One fueled by the western values that grow more relevant in a changing and challenging world. Above all we celebrated our potential, knowing that we will always be Greatest Together. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Core values and brand 2 Message from president and chairman of the board and the CEO 6 Calgary Stampede in the community 8 Awards and recognition 10 Milestones of the Calgary Stampede 14 Leadership 17 Royalty 19 Government partners 20 Sponsors 24 Calgary Stampede Foundation 26 Volunteers 42 Employees 44 Financial reporting CORE VALUES AND BRAND About us The Calgary Stampede is a volunteer supported, not-for-profit community organization that preserves and promotes western heritage and values. The Stampede contributes to the quality of life by promoting volunteerism, investing in youth and agricultural programs, providing world-class event facilities and offering a unique western experience for the world to enjoy. Values At the root of the Calgary Stampede brand are the core values of western hospitality, integrity, pride of place and commitment to the community. These values connect us to our past, to the present and to our future. Vision Our vision is to create a world-class, year-round gathering place in the heart of our great city. We will achieve our vision by: 1. delivering exceptional experiences that entertain, educate and engage visitors; 2. building inspired spaces to bring our community together to celebrate; and 3. further energizing the brand that has come to define our city. 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND THE CEO L to R: Vern Kimball, chief executive officer, Michael Casey, president and chairman of the board Dear Supporters, Our Centennial year was inspiring and extraordinary. Under the banner of “We’re Greatest Together,” we created a lasting legacy in the hearts and minds of Calgarians, Albertans and visitors from across Canada and around the world. During our July festival, we created the experience of a lifetime for a record 1.4 million visitors. And with the many events and programs we either hosted or supported prior to Stampede, it’s clear that we engaged the community in deeper and broader ways than ever before. Our successes are thanks to our community supporters, guests, volunteers, employees and partners. We’re proud of, and humbled by, what we have accomplished together. Planning for the Centennial began in 2010 when we brought volunteers and staff together to articulate our Centennial vision. Three goals emerged that would drive our Centennial plans: to create the experience of a lifetime; to showcase Alberta to the world; and to build a legacy for our citizens. Creating the experience of a lifetime This year, we engaged the community in fresh ways and added new components to our Stampede celebrations. You can read more about our community engagement activities later in this report, but here are some highlights. One hundred days before the Centennial Stampede, we invited the city to a public kick-off event over the lunch hour in Olympic Plaza. More than 6,000 Calgarians joined us on March 29 to share in the Centennial excitement as we made some major Centennial 2 announcements. Guests also experienced a little taste of the Stampede, with a sneak peek performance from Paul Brandt, headliner for the 2012 TransAlta Grandstand Show. Our Four Corners events presented by BURNCO took the Stampede out to the city’s four quadrants in May and June. These mini festivals combined local singing and dancing talent with Stampede favourites to deliver an old-time community fair. They were a great warm-up to the Centennial Stampede. The Calgary Stampede, Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta hosted a public White Hat Drop in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver on May 9. The contest saw participants hoping to find one red envelope hidden among dozens of white cowboy hats laid out in public spaces. The three winners received a once-in-a-century prize package to experience the Calgary Stampede during our Centennial. To further connect with Albertans, we went on the road and into communities in southern Alberta. Dubbed the “White Hat Round Up” we supported local events with some Stampede hospitality, a little entertainment, and of course some white cowboy hats! And on July 6, our Centennial Stampede began with our legendary Parade, led by the 2012 Parade Marshal, the iconic cowboy and poet Ian Tyson. To mark the strength of our historical relationship with southern Alberta First Nations, the seven chiefs of Treaty Seven were our Honourary Parade Marshals. To see the chiefs in their full regalia was indeed an honour as we recognized the Treaty Seven tribes’ original participation in 1912. The special events and programs added to our Centennial Stampede were numerous: • Each night, after the excitement of the chuckwagon races, the TransAlta Grandstand Show took to the stage. Century was headlined by Canadian country music superstar Paul Brandt — the first time we’ve had a star headline each night of the Stampede. • Another crowd-pleaser was the daily RCMP Musical Ride. Locals and visitors got the chance to see the equestrian display daily during the Rodeo. • A new thrill rollercoaster Outlaw, named after the famed Stampede bull and the longest temporary freestanding zip line in Canada, added to the excitement. • The Agriculture 100 display allowed visitors to see and learn about every facet of Stampede agriculture — past, present, and future. • A brand new venue for 2012, Bell Centennial Plaza entertainment stage showcased a diverse collection of fresh Alberta talent every day. • Garth Brooks helped us celebrate our Centennial with a special performance during our concert series. Needless to say, this was an event that drew fans from across North America and beyond. • New and only for 2012 — we featured the ENMAX Corral Show TAILS, a celebration of the tenacity of the early settlers and the spirituality and proud heritage of the First Nations of Treaty 7. • As an exclamation mark to our Stampede weekends, simultaneous fireworks were set off in all four quadrants of the city in recognition of the community support we have received. Light up the City presented by TransAlta was the largest and most sophisticated fireworks event ever held in Canada. We are still receiving letters and notes from community members telling us how much they loved our Centennial events and how these events connected neighbours who had never met. 3 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND THE CEO Showcasing Alberta to the World With one time funding support of $5 million from the Government of Canada through the Canadian Tourism Commission and tremendous support from Travel Alberta, we communicated the Stampede’s Centennial to global audiences. Amelia Crowshoe, our Calgary Stampede Centennial Indian Princess performed her jingle dance in China and India; The Calgary Stampede Food truck hit the streets of New York; The Queen and Princesses represented the Calgary Stampede at the world’s largest travel trade show in Berlin; the Keister Family Fiddlers fiddled through Asia; Harry the Horse hung out with one of our rodeo athletes on the Great Wall of China; and Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicked off his trade mission in China showcasing our Centennial. More than 8,900 international travellers booked trips to Canada in the six months leading up to the Centennial celebrations as a direct result of marketing campaigns in Brazil, Germany, South Korea and the UK. These incredible opportunities not only showcased the Calgary Stampede in our Centennial year, but highlighted Alberta and Canada as travel destinations. Building a Legacy for our Citizens A number of projects and developments ensured that 2012 would leave a legacy. Renovations were completed on our Agriculture Building just prior to Stampede and immediately after it concluded, work began on the new Agrium Western Event Centre. This state-of-the-art, world-class facility will allow us to showcase agricultural events year-round. A massive and stunning new bronze sculpture, By the Banks of the Bow, was unveiled in June. By the Banks of the Bow serves as an icon of our equine and agricultural past. In June, local philanthropist, rancher and businessman, Bill Siebens made a remarkable gift to the Calgary Stampede — an 8,000-acre ranch in southwestern Alberta. Valued at more than $11 million, it is the largest private gift ever received by the Stampede Foundation. In operation as a cattle ranch for close to 130 years, the OH Ranch will allow us to engage urban and rural audiences in new and meaningful ways through educational and outreach programs. This year also marked the 10th Anniversary of Stampede School. More than 7,000 students, approximately 1,000 parents and 300 teachers have participated in the program since it began in 2002. We continue to create legacy for youth through programs such as the Stampede School, in which young people develop strong roots in our western culture and heritage through experiences that enhance personal growth, citizenship, leadership and education.