By: Leslie Hacker, CPRS Vancouver, Vice President. Founder of Hacker Communications
Our 2025 AGM was our most widely attended CPRS event in recent history. With a timely cultural phenomenon, a powerful keynote, and a room full of curious, passionate communicators, the event was a reminder of what’s possible when strategy, storytelling, and shared values converge.
Headlining the evening was Adam Grossman of BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), who took us behind the scenes of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and its staggering $157 million economic impact on Vancouver alone. In his keynote, Grossman revealed how PavCo helped turn three sold-out concerts into a transformative opportunity for local businesses, nonprofits, and the broader community.
The secret? Strategic communications and radical collaboration.
Months before the tour arrived, PavCo initiated a coordinated campaign across sectors from Destination Vancouver to BIAs, TransLink, and small businesses, ensuring local organizations could leverage the moment. Whether it was Swift-themed donut boxes, illuminated signs across the city, or tourism packages inspired by the Eras Tour, Vancouver came alive with activations driven by collective storytelling.
What made it work wasn’t just the magnitude of the event, but the values behind it. Instead of selling high-value concert tickets for profit, PavCo launched the BC Place Community Leadership Program, raising $2 million for local charities and engaging more than 30 organizations province-wide. Their communications team ensured these efforts stayed grounded in authenticity, letting stories of impact spread organically through media and social channels.
From consistent media messaging to thoughtful fan engagement and crisis planning, the team demonstrated the full potential of PR, not in the form of a last-minute press release, but as an embedded function guiding every stage of the experience.
Vancouver’s response was financially impactful as it was emotional. Local pride, business uplift, and community benefit proved that when PR leads with strategy and heart, it doesn’t just promote events, it shapes culture.
CPRS Vancouver is proud to bring these conversations to our community. We host events like this to spark ideas, deepen connections, and celebrate what’s possible when collaborating across industries. Thank you to Adam, and to every attendee who showed up with energy and curiosity.
Here’s to a new year of bold programming and to a profession that knows how to turn moments into movements!
