IMPAC takes breather as funding delays, staff changes force re-thinking of direction

Canada’s national multimedia lobby could have a very different look by this fall as it grapples with the departure of a key executive and too little funding. The Interactive Multimedia Producers Association of Canada (IMPAC) has lost general manager Claude Dugas to ZAQ Inc. As well, crucial project funding from the federal government has been delayed. Board members are expected to meet at the Banff Television Festival to discuss new ways of doing business to keep itself alive. The association was founded nearly two years ago as an umbrella lobby group for the various provincial new media associations. Initial funding came largely from the Quebec provincial government, which bankrolled some of the group’s initial work in the areas of funding and human resource initiatives. That cash was to have been supplemented by project funding from Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada which would provide the young association with revenues to carry on operations. The federal election, and delays with the new Canadian Digital Cultural Content initiative postponed project approvals, and the group now finds itself with only membership dues to support itself. As a result, the board is examining options such as corporate sponsorship and a president/committee structure to accomplish its goals. The association may also expand its membership beyond the current provincial bodies. Brian Wood, head of Manitoba-based New Media West says he’s taken charge of IMPAC’s day-to-day operations while the board looks for a new general manager and funding opportunities. "You have to be willing to be flexible in our environment – which is still unstable and the business models are coming together," he says. "Our interest is to create an environment where companies can grow and use IMPAC as a medium to help them get their message out. To date, we’ve been relatively good at that, but I don’t think we’ve been good enough. We still have a ways to go." Part of that flexibility may include inviting technology companies into the fray. Wood says convergence has to be addressed by the association as other groups begin talks across sectoral lines. "There’s still that rift between the technology people and content," he says. "We have to pull our collective efforts together in some form to bridge the gap between the technology and the content." He says three recent reports written for Canadian Heritage, on sponsorship models, human resources and communications, will form a basis for discussion between it and other organizations. IMPAC may have to rely more heavily on volunteers to do committee work under the auspices of a newly created president’s office, he adds. Wood has been charged by the current board to run operations while the group hammers out a time when it can meet to discuss re-structuring issues. But he says there’s no rush to put anything together or hire a new executive until the new year. "We’ve got a couple of windows this year (Banff and Baddeck). We want to clean our act up this year and really get ourselves in a new mode," he says. "I think we have a full year for IMPAC ahead, and some interesting discussions with other groups across the country."

IMPAC takes breather as funding delays, staff changes force re-thinking of direction

News | 05/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

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