E N D
CONCEPT Quo Vadisis an annual conference for students and young professionals with Polish ties to meet and initiate new projects for their community. Its overarching goal is to build a strong, viable, Polish community on the global scale that is very active on the local scale.
AGENDA For three days, students and young professionals 18-35 years old gather for an action-packed weekend of lectures, workshops and team-building activities that leave them with the skills and support they need to be successful in their communities back home, both professionally and personally.
DELEGATES Previous Quo Vadis conferences united hundreds of people in the fields of science, law, engineering and business from top North American universities and from respected organizations across North America: Google, Research in Motion, Investor’s Group, National Geographic, and the Government of Canada, just to name a few. All delegates are chosen based on their professional profiles and exceptional leadership track records. These people have proven leadership capability, a very entrepreneurial mindset, and solid professional networks.
TORONTO Quo Vadis was first held at the University of Ottawa in 2009, traveling to the University of Windsor in 2010 and settling at the University of Toronto in 2011. This year is set to be our biggest and best yet, with over 200 delegates from 17 countries across two continents, representing every professional field imaginable. The Polish government has also just confirmed its sponsorship of 50 delegates from Western Europe to attend this now-massive event.
VIPs HEZenonKosiniak-KamyszPolish Ambassador to Canada WaldekRaczkowskiEconomist, Ford Motor Company Prof. Frank Simpson PhDGeology Professor, University of Windsor WojciechDzięgielVice-Consul at the Polish Consulate in Toronto Hon. BogdanBorusewiczSpeaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland Hon. Jason Kenney PC, MPCanadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Lt. Col. Walter PerchalPhDCanadian Military Advisor & Business Professor, York University Tony MuszynskiBA, LLBCanadian Immigration Lawyer, Private Practice Dr.AndrzejWielgoszMD, PhDCardiologist & Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa Mike KujawskiMarketing & Social Media Strategist, Public Sector Marketing Though we are still compiling a guest list for this year, a sampling of speakers from past conferences provides an excellent indication of what to expect.
VISIBILITY Quo Vadis is the single largest event for young Poles outside of Poland. It is extremely well advertised in Europe and North America, through radio, television, print and social media. We guarantee our sponsors are widely recognized and ensure their aid is showcased prominently in our advertising.
SPONSOR BENEFITS First and foremost: great publicity. Being a Quo Vadis sponsor ensures you are seen both in Poland and in the wider Polish community abroad. Your brand becomes tied with what’s new and fresh in this budding community of upper-middle class entrepreneurs, academics, artists, scientists and business people.
COMMUNITY Secondly, you get to be part of a unique, youth-led event that has already drawn approval from several large corporations. In supporting this initiative, you will have joined the ranks of other notable sponsors like the University of Toronto, the City of Toronto, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada, and the Government of the Republic of Poland.
WORD-OF-MOUTH Lastly, Quo Vadis’ reputation of being a fun, excitement-driven leadership event will rub off on your company—not only among the hundreds of students and young professionals directly involved in the conference, but also among the thousands of people who will hear about the conference through word-of-mouth when our delegates return back to their homes... and everyone knows this is the best form of advertising there is.
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE Your name will be associated with the most active, fun and remembered part of the conference: the Leadership Challenge scavenger hunt where students will be running around Toronto’s downtown core, snapping pictures and solving puzzles in a race to the finish. Year after year, delegates have confirmed that this part of the conference is the one that leaves them with the fondest memories and forges the closest friendships.
RESULTS Quo Vadis is the starting point for many of the most visible initiatives in the Polish diaspora; initiatives that continue to provide students and young professionals with mentorship, networking and professional development in between such events as Quo Vadis. To date, spin-off initiatives have included the creation of: › PISK, a network of Polish student clubs from 20+ Canadian universities, › YPCPA, a Polish-Canadian professional network numbering in the hundreds, › YouNxt, a cultural network uniting Polish-Canadians through art and media. … as well as dozens of smaller, local initiatives across Canada and the USA.