Industry leaders gather at POP CAN CRIT 2017

On October 27, more than 150 people attendedPOP // CAN // CRIT 2017: Marketing and Promotion of Architecture in Canada, the second annual symposium, at the Design Exchange in Toronto. The event was co-presented by Spacing Magazine and the Design Exchange: Canada’s Design Museum. POP // CAN // CRIT looks critically at contemporary topics relevant to the Canadian architecture profession.

The national event welcomed industry leaders in marketing, advocacy, photography, media, digital representation and architecture to speak about the current state and future of marketing and promotion for the profession in Canada. Topics that were addressed included, Marketing as a Tool for Architecture, Advocacy + Activism, Image, and Icon and Branding.

Highlights from the day included candid discussions with marketing and business development personnel in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. They examined the definition of marketing as it relates to architectural practice, as well as communication resources for architects. Speakers and moderators encouraged the profession to value their time, talent and knowledge, while remembering to share the value of architecture with the public. 

In the panel on Advocacy and Activism, architects and advocacy organizations discussed the roles and responsibilities of architects in communicating about architecture and their work to the public. The panel also stressed the importance of advocacy organizations such as the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in providing a strong unified voice for the profession.

POP // CAN // CRIT 2017 is funded in-part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

To learn more about the day and follow the conversation, please visit spacing.ca/popcancrit as well as social media with the hashtag #popcancrit.