BREAKOUT 3: If You Don't Tell the Story, Someone Else Will

Sponsored by City of Leduc

Too often, sport and events succeed in spite of the system around them: volunteers carry outsized risk, hosts stretch beyond capacity, and communities deliver exceptional experiences—while the broader value and narrative are defined elsewhere. When we don’t clearly articulate our story, others fill the gap: funders reduce sport to line items, sponsors chase surface-level exposure, and decision-makers miss the full value of hosting.

This session explores how owning your narrative - as a sport organization, event host, or destination - can lay the foundation for success across bids, sponsorship, fan engagement, participant growth, and legacy outcomes.

Drawing on case studies from TORQUE’s portfolio and beyond, including work supporting bids like the World Juniors and Invictus Games, driving revenue and engagement for events such as the World Juniors and Vancouver 7s, and broader storytelling partnerships with organizations like the Canada Media Fund, Hudson’s Bay, and the Canadian Olympic Committee - this session will show how strong storytelling:

• Positions sport and events as strategic investments, not discretionary spending

• Makes invisible contributions visible, from volunteer effort to community risk and return

• Aligns sport outcomes with tourism, health, economic development, and inclusion priorities

• Builds emotional connection that drives sustained support, not one-off wins

Participants will leave with practical insight into how to move beyond hype and attendance-based narratives toward clear, compelling stories that influence decisions, attract partners, and support more sustainable hosting and growth over time.