Re-imagining Customer Relationships:

Strengthening Loyalty and Affiliation With Cultural Initiators

In this professional development session, learn more about the Re-imagining Customer Relationships project, a collaborative, national, open-access research initiative that explores innovative ways to foster audience loyalty and engagement in the performing arts. The session will share preliminary findings from the first field study, Supporting Initiators, and provide an update on the second, Trialing Membership Offers. Participants will also take part in a facilitated discussion and hear firsthand testimonials from field study participants. 

Topics for Supporting Initiators include:

  • Defining an initiator

  • Key trends and themes uncovered in the research

  • A typology of initiators

  • Practical recommendations for effectively engaging initiators 

Alt Hotel Ottawa

Wednesday, December 3

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Talk led by:

Élodie Santos

Élodie Santos is a PhD student in Marketing at HEC Montréal. Her research focuses on the emergence of loyalty behaviors in cultural institutions and on how these organizations can derive value from them. Her work aims to better understand how audiences build long-term engagement with institutions and how these behaviors can inform their marketing strategies. Before starting her PhD, Élodie worked as a digital communications consultant, supporting organizations in developing their online presence and brand strategy. She has also taught marketing and communications, further strengthening her interest in the connection between academic research, professional practice, and teaching. Her research interests include loyalty, cultural consumption, and innovative approaches to audience engagement.

Talk led by:

Renaud Legoux

Renaud Legoux is a Full Professor of Marketing at HEC Montréal. He received his PhD in Management with a concentration in Marketing from McGill University. Before embarking on his academic career, he worked as a manager in the cultural sector. He has contributed to the publication of research on arts marketing, the marketing/finance interface, and service failures in major journals, including Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and International Journal of Research in Marketing.

Featuring:

Julie Fossitt

Currently living on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Huron-Wendat, Julie Fossitt is currently the Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development for the City of Kingston.

In 2015, Julie was awarded the John Hobday Award in Arts Management by the Canada Council for the Arts and in 2016 she earned both her Certificate in Cultural Planning from the University of British Columbia and her Masters Certificate in Marketing Communications Leadership from the Schulich School of Business. In 2019, she completed the Cultural Leadership Program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Julie is a part-time instructor of Market Research and Consumer Behaviour at St. Lawrence College and completed her Masters in Education at University of Toronto in 2024. She completed her Certified Fundraising Executive Certification (CFRE) in 2025. 

In 2022 and 2023, Julie was the co-chair of the City of Kingston United Way Workplace Campaign and is a member of the 2024 United Way Day of Caring committee. You can connect with Julie on LinkedIn.com/in/JulieFossitt. 

Featuring:

Marie-Eve Chaput

Passionate about the performing arts sector, Marie-Eve Chaput brings over twenty years of experience in box office management, event coordination, and audience services.

Since 2018, she has held the position of Box Office, Client Services, and Business Development Coordinator at SPEC du Haut-Richelieu, where she oversees show programming, ticket sales logistics, and marketing strategy.

Previously, she spent ten years at Ticketpro Canada as an Account Manager and Community Manager, developing strong expertise in show programming, sales planning, and digital promotion.

She has also contributed to the success of several major cultural organizations, including the Just for Laughs Festival, Théâtre Palace de Granby, and the North American tour of Cavalia, where she played key roles in box office management, team coordination, and customer service.

Throughout her career, customer service has remained at the heart of her strategic decisions, guiding her choices and actions to deliver a high-quality audience experience and strengthen the connection between the public and the performing arts.