500+ Marketers, One Big Announcement: Your SocialPacific 2025 Recap is Here

From keynotes to community moments, see what made Vancouver’s biggest marketing event unforgettable.

November 05, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend,

Last week, more than 500 marketers from across Canada gathered in Vancouver for SocialPacific 2025, the west coast stop in the SocialNext event series.

It was a day packed with ideas, energy, and one very big announcement, SocialNext has officially acquired Marketing News Canada, uniting our platforms to expand the way we share stories, trends, and community across the country.

From the first keynote to the final applause, SocialPacific reminded us why events like this matter, not just for marketing insights, but for genuine connection and creativity.

Coming Up

Special Edition: SocialPacific 2025 Recap

Ideas That Stuck

If one word captured the spirit of SocialPacific this year, it was attention.

Speakers explored how marketers can earn focus, not just fight for it, and attendees left feeling re-energized and refocused. The average session content rating was an impressive 9 out of 10, with comments like “fun,” “practical,” and “inspiring” leading the feedback.

As Cher Lee shared in her standout presentation The Untapped Power of Earned Media:

“Attention isn’t fading, it’s focusing.”

That insight became one of the most quoted lines of the day, and a reminder that creativity still wins when it’s purposeful, people-first, and fun.

Attention & Connection

The day opened with HighLevel’s keynote, a forward-looking session on how automation and AI can streamline marketing so teams can focus more on creativity and connection.

By the end of the day, Terry O’Reilly brought the conversation full circle with his closing keynote, Obey All the Rules, Miss All the Fun. His talk reminded everyone to take risks, challenge conventions, and bring joy back into the creative process.

“When you have fun, your creative gets undeniably better,” Terry told the crowd.

Each attendee left with a copy of his new book, Against the Grain, a perfect takeaway from a day that balanced new ideas with timeless creative wisdom.

Community & Creativity

SocialPacific’s sessions hit that sweet spot between inspiration and action.

  • Ben Wise and Darren Chiu’s The Art & Science of Behaviour mixed psychology with creativity, and was called “smart, engaging, and fun.”

  • Brooke Hahn’s hands-on session at the pre-conference workshops presented by MiQ on community-building encouraged marketers to co-create content with their audiences.

  • Warren Thompson’s Marketing in the Age of Overwhelm resonated with its message of clarity and focus.

  • Scott King’s Soup Is Just a Hot Smoothie earned both laughs and love for its bold ideas on reframing creativity.

Between automation, storytelling, and strategy, the big message was clear: Canada’s marketers are ready to slow down, focus deeply, and create work that matters.

That’s a Wrap

SocialPacific 2025 reminded us why these gatherings matter, authentic conversations, actionable insights, and a real sense of community.

From automation to attention, every session reinforced the same truth: great marketing happens where creativity meets connection.

Catch the full story, speaker highlights, and photos from the day in our Marketing News Canada recap.

Community Spotlight: Manuel Rodriguez on What Makes Great Marketing Gatherings Work

One attendee’s perspective captured SocialPacific beautifully. Manuel Rodriguez, Marketing Manager at Able & Howe, a fractional CMO agency that helps established companies break through growth plateaus and build independent, in-house marketing engines, shared a reflection that struck a chord across the community.

With over a decade of experience turning strategy into momentum, Manuel has worked with high-growth startups and seasoned SaaS brands alike, blending storytelling and strategy to create campaigns that move people and markets.

His post from SocialPacific 2025 reminds us what great marketing (and great events) are really about: authenticity, creativity, and connection.

🌶️ Marketing to marketers is like cooking for chefs. Everyone at the table already knows the recipe, the shortcuts, and the tricks. You cannot fake flavor. I realized it while I cleared my kitchen table after SocialPacific 2025. I laid out the tote bags, business cards, my badge, the new Terry O'Reilly book, even the conference lanyard. Each one signaled something better than swag. 🎬Each one signaled intent. The SocialNext Events team accomplished something most industry events try to do and rarely pull off. They made marketers feel seen. They delivered content we could use, in a room full of people we actually wanted to meet, wrapped in an experience that felt light instead of noisy. That is not easy. 💡 Good marketing is not volume. Good marketing is setting the right stage so people want to say yes. On that day they did exactly that. They gave the community a place to gather, trade ideas, and remember why we do this work. 👏 To the organizers, speakers, partners, and the people I met there, thank you. You did not just run an event. You ran a masterclass in marketing to a room of marketing chefs. 🎟️ Grateful to Able & Howe for making it possible to attend Social Pacific 2025. A day that refueled both the marketer and the creative in me.

Follow Manuel Rodriguez on LinkedIn and learn how Able & Howe helps companies build confident, self-sufficient marketing teams that drive lasting growth.

SocialPacific 2024 - Neil Zeller

SNMA Webinar Calendar

Wednesday, November 5 | 10 AM MST/12 PM EST
Reputation in Real Time: How to Ace PR and Build Trust in the Digital Age
Learn how to build trust and credibility with insights from Vaishali Gauba, former CBS journalist and PR strategist.

Wednesday, November 12 | 10 AM MST/12 PM EST
Micro-Communities over Mass Reach: The New Era of Social Media Strategy
Forget chasing viral fame and learn how to turn small, passionate audiences into your biggest growth engine. Natasha Chilcott of Marr Media Group shares the secrets to thriving through micro-communities and authentic connection.

Thursday, November 20 | 10 AM MST/12 PM EST
Office Hours with Jordan Laker
A casual Q&A for business owners and agency leaders ready to make smarter financial decisions, minus the jargon.

SocialPacific 2025 - Neil Zeller

SocialNext: Ottawa (January 29, 2026)
Public, nonprofit, and private-sector marketers unite for a day of strategy and storytelling in the nation’s capital.

SocialNext: Toronto (April 9, 2026)
A fast-paced, insight-filled day for agencies, brands, and content leaders shaping what’s next in digital marketing.

SocialWest (May 28-29, 2026)
The newest stop celebrates creativity, culture, and community in one of Canada’s most dynamic cities.

SocialNext: Montreal (June 11, 2026)
Canada’s largest marketing conference turns ten with three days of learning, connection, and celebration.

Canadian Marketing & Business Weekly Brief

Staples Canada Offers $50K Holiday Relief — A new survey shows 82% of parents, teachers, and small business owners feel overwhelmed by holiday to-do lists; Staples is stepping in with a $50,000 “Holiday Heroes” contest to make the season a little easier.

Questrade Approved to Launch Questbank — Questrade has received federal approval to open Questbank, a new Schedule I institution that will compete directly with Canada’s Big Six and expand digital-first banking options for Canadians.

joni Named One of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies — Victoria-based B Corp joni has cracked The Globe and Mail’s Top 20 list after 2,000% growth, proving that sustainability and social impact can drive serious business success.

Inside Canada’s Budget Overhaul — Strategist and community organizer Terra Loire Gillespie breaks down how Budget 2025’s new Capital Budgeting Framework will change federal spending, and which sectors shaped the shift.

Building Trust in a Digital-First Economy — At Canadian Business Evolution 2025, Mastercard Canada’s Erin Elofson and Borrowell’s Eva Wong explored why innovation only works when customers trust the tech behind it.

The Subscription Box Powering Small-Town Commerce — Ontario-based Acre-75 Gift Box Co. is turning small-town craftsmanship into big-city growth through a subscription model that now drives six-figure revenue and national reach.

Digital 2026: Global Trends Reshaping Canadian Marketing — The latest We Are Social × Meltwater report shows social discovery overtaking search and AI adoption topping one billion users, redefining how Canadians connect, create, and spend online.

How 1,500+ Marketers Are Using AI to Move Faster in 2025

Is your team using AI like the leaders—or still stuck experimenting?

Masters in Marketing’s AI Trends Report breaks down how top marketers are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Breeze to scale content, personalize outreach, and drive real results.

Inside the report, you’ll discover:

  • What AI use cases are delivering the strongest ROI today

  • How high-performing teams are integrating AI into workflows

  • The biggest blockers slowing others down—and how to avoid them

  • A 2025 action plan to upgrade your own AI strategy

Download the report. Free when you subscribe to the Masters in Marketing newsletter.

Learn what’s working now, and what’s next.

Coast-to-Coast Jobs Roundup

Have a great story or big news to share?
We’re always looking for fresh campaigns, smart strategies, and standout wins from Canada’s marketing community. Send us your news at [email protected] and you could be featured in an upcoming edition.

Thanks for reading and being a part of the MNC community!

We’re so happy you’re here.

Marketing News Canada

Reply

or to participate.