{"id":7842,"date":"2026-02-24T12:47:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/pr\/confluence-awards-unveils-powerhouse-jury-and-sponsors-ahead-of-canadas-first-national-creator-awards-program\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:47:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:47:15","slug":"confluence-awards-unveils-powerhouse-jury-and-sponsors-ahead-of-canadas-first-national-creator-awards-program","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/pr\/confluence-awards-unveils-powerhouse-jury-and-sponsors-ahead-of-canadas-first-national-creator-awards-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Confluence Awards Unveils Powerhouse Jury and Sponsors Ahead of Canada\u2019s First National Creator Awards Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Confluence\n

Confluence Award Logo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Industry leaders from Western Union, Est\u00e9e Lauder Companies, IKEA, Guerlain, join as judges and sponsors to shape the future of Canada\u2019s creator economy<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Canada\u2019s creator community is a cultural and economic force\u2014and this is its stage.\u201d<\/b>\n
\u2014 Joycelyn David<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, February 24, 2026 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — Canada\u2019s first national awards program celebrating the diversity, creativity, and cultural impact of the country\u2019s creator community, today announced its inaugural jury panel and official sponsor partners. The announcements mark a significant milestone ahead of the award’s live ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto on March 26, 2026. <\/p>\n

The six-member jury brings together senior leaders from some of Canada\u2019s most recognized brands alongside global marketing and communications expertise. The sponsor roster spans financial services, luxury beauty, event production, and technology\u2014reflecting the breadth of industries invested in Canada\u2019s growing creator economy. <\/p>\n

The 2026 Jury <\/p>\n

Confluence Awards<\/a> has assembled a jury that reflects the program\u2019s core commitment to structural diversity\u2014industry leaders who bring distinct professional lenses and lived cultural perspectives to the evaluation process. Each judge will assess nominees using a transparent 100-point rubric across five criteria: Content Quality & Creativity, Community Engagement, Consistency & Reliability, Impact & Influence, and Authenticity & Values. The inaugural jury members are: <\/p>\n

Ranjit Sarai, Vice President of Digital GTM, Western Union Canada \u2014 A seasoned fintech leader whose career spans co-founding the fintech STACK and leading digital, payments, and product innovation teams across consumer and financial organizations. <\/p>\n

Taryn Fisher, Communications, Social Media & Corporate Affairs Lead, Est\u00e9e Lauder Companies Canada \u2014 With 15+ years of experience across luxury beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands spanning North America, Europe, and South Africa, Taryn specializes in multi-ethnic, multigenerational communications strategies. <\/p>\n

Danyal Syed Ali, Country Consumer & Customer Insights Manager, IKEA Canada \u2014 With 14+ years of experience across CPG, retail, and tech, Danyal specializes in turning data into strategies that grow brands and capture market share. He holds an MS in Marketing from Columbia Business School. <\/p>\n

Olfa Khenessi, Senior Public Relations & Partnerships Manager, Guerlain Canada (LVMH) \u2014 A PR and communications professional with over a decade of luxury sector experience, leading brand visibility and reputation strategies for one of the world\u2019s most prestigious beauty houses. <\/p>\n

Belle Baldoza, Global Marketing and Communications Leader \u2014 The brand and communications strategist behind TikTok\u2019s explosive global growth and a force behind Netflix, Spotify, and Airbnb\u2019s rise as cultural brands. Now Director of Brand Marketing at Voices, Belle was named one of PRovoke Media\u2019s Global Influence 100: Rising Stars. <\/p>\n

Shaharyar Irfan, Global Director of Business Development & Partnerships, AV Communications \u2014 Recognized by Peak Magazine as one of Canada\u2019s Emerging Leaders, Shaharyar drives strategic expansion across Canada, the US, and UK, with deep experience across fashion, beauty, food, automotive, and financial services. <\/p>\n

Official Sponsors and Partners
\nThe program\u2019s sponsor lineup represents a cross-section of industries recognizing the value and influence of Canada\u2019s diverse creator community: <\/p>\n

Presenting Sponsors: AV Communications & Klever Kaos
\nPlatinum Sponsor: Western Union
\nBronze Sponsor: Est\u00e9e Lauder Companies Canada
\nProduct Sponsors: Guerlain, Echo & Ember
\nTech Partner: Tulong Technologies
\nMedia Partner; RIVO<\/p>\n

A Defining Moment for Canadian Creators
\n\u201cWhen we launched Confluence Awards, we made a promise: recognition where it\u2019s overdue,\u201d said Joycelyn David, Owner & CEO of AV Communications (AVC<\/a>). \u201cToday\u2019s jury and sponsor announcement shows the momentum is real. When brands like Western Union, Est\u00e9e Lauder, IKEA, and Guerlain step up alongside a jury of this caliber, it confirms what we\u2019ve always known: Canada\u2019s creator community is a cultural and economic force\u2014and this is its stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tonia Au
\nAVC
\n+1 416-866-8882
\nemail us here<\/a>
\nVisit us on social media:
\nLinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Confluence Award Logo Industry leaders from Western Union, Est\u00e9e Lauder Companies, IKEA, Guerlain, join as judges and sponsors to shape the future of Canada\u2019s creator economy Canada\u2019s creator community is a cultural and economic force\u2014and this is its stage.\u201d \u2014 Joycelyn David TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, February 24, 2026 \/EINPresswire.com\/ — Canada\u2019s first national awards program … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7843,"template":"","class_list":["post-7842","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases\/7842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadabiznews.ca\/press-releases\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}