Thom de Cant
Managing Director
BIO (pdf)
Thom de Cant has a successful track record leading event marketing teams both within the retail and nonprofit sectors that spans more than two decades. His primary focus areas include brand development, event planning and execution, publicity, media relations, corporate meeting planning, hospitality marketing, corporate alliances and cause marketing.
Thom directed the event marketing and publicity teams during the repositioning and turn-around periods for Mervyn’s, a division of Target Corporation. He created, developed and managed the Grand Opening Celebrations for nine new Mervyn’s stores located in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The strategy included a series of events that showcased celebrities, local sports figures, key vendors and numerous consumer incentives. Both business and company image were significantly improved after the implementation of his team’s event marketing and publicity plans.
During his tenure at Target Corporation, Thom became recognized for compelling events that built brand character, drove traffic and raised awareness of Target’s outstanding community spirit. He led a cross-company cause marketing initiative to develop, plan and execute AIDS Walk for Target, Dayton-Hudson and Mervyn’s. The event strategy positioned Mervyn’s as the number one fundraising team in the United States with over 15,000 walkers documented, and $1mm raised.
Thom has been honored for his innovative event marketing programs and was named “Marketer of the Year” by the leading trade publication, PROMO (Promotion Marketing Worldwide) for developing local celebrity programs with football legend Joe Montana and Gold Medalist ice skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi. Both event marketing programs received national media attention. In March 2010, he received a Gold RACie (Retail Award for Creativity, innovation and excellence) for best “Integrated Marketing Campaign” from the NRF (National Retail Federation) for the EBRPD’s (East Bay Regional Park District) 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Thom is a dedicated believer in giving back, and has served as a Board Member for HIFY (Health Initiatives for Youth) located in San Francisco, and the Minneapolis Aquatennial Association, a high profile nonprofit in the Twin Cities. He has also served as an advisor for the Women’s Sport Foundation, which focuses on the fair treatment and advancement of women in sports.
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