How a Volunteer-Driven Idea Became Saskatchewan's Biggest Marketing Event

For over a decade, Saskatchewan's marketing community has had a home base, and it started with a problem most prairie marketers knew all too well.

Back in 2013, marketing professionals across the province were growing in numbers, but many were doing it alone. "Marketing departments at companies were often a department of one," says Harley Rivet, co-founder of the Saskatchewan Professional Marketing Association (SPMA) and President of Deep Dish Digital. "It could be isolating without other like-minded people to bounce ideas around with."

There was no major networking event in the province built specifically for marketers, and the numbers weren't there yet to launch a formal chapter of the Canadian Marketing Association. So Rivet and a group of passionate volunteers decided to forge their own path.

The result was FUZE, an annual marketing and communications conference that has since grown into the largest event of its kind in Saskatchewan. On May 7, 2026, it returns to the Remai Modern in Saskatoon for another full day of keynotes, panels, and community building, this time under the theme "A Better You For A Better Brand."

From a Pitch to a Flagship

The first FUZE almost didn't happen. Rivet pitched the idea to a handful of Saskatchewan advertising agencies, and it was MGM Communications (now known as Frankly) that stepped up as the founding title sponsor. Around the same time, the Saskatoon chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) was exploring a similar idea, and the two organizations decided to pool resources and host together.

What followed was a completely volunteer-run event that no one expected to become annual. "We didn't know it would become an annual thing," Rivet recalls, "but the first year was such a success that it became a flagship event for the SPMA."

The IABC partnership lasted two years before the demands of running multiple events under their own banner pulled them in a different direction. Rather than fold, the SPMA carried FUZE forward on its own and it's been running ever since, with a two-year pause during COVID being the only interruption in over a decade.

Bringing the Big-City Conference to the Prairies

One of FUZE's most deliberate design choices is accessibility. For many Saskatchewan marketers, travelling to larger conferences like SocialWest or U.S.-based events simply isn't feasible. FUZE is built to close that gap.

"FUZE is designed by the SPMA to feel closer to a larger, big-city conference — something that isn't always easily accessible to Saskatchewan businesses," says Kamila Wyszomirski, current SPMA President and Marketing & Digital Content Specialist at McKercher LLP. The conference brings in external speakers with expertise attendees might otherwise have to leave the province to access, while also spotlighting local voices through curated panels featuring Saskatchewan-based leaders.

It's a deliberate balance, and one that also makes room for something larger conferences often miss. Most years, FUZE makes a conscious effort to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into its programming, a reflection of Saskatchewan's unique culture and the business community's ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

A Community That Keeps Growing

When FUZE launched, digital marketing was just finding its footing. Social media strategy and online targeting dominated the conversation. Thirteen years later, those topics are table stakes, and the discussions have evolved accordingly, moving into brand strategy, community building, leadership, and local case studies.

The attendees have evolved too. A whole new generation of marketing professionals now makes up the FUZE crowd alongside the veterans who've been there from the start. "We like to think we're part of the reason for the profession's growth and community," says Wyszomirski.

This Year: The Marketer Behind the Brand

The 2026 theme, "A Better You For A Better Brand," arrives at a moment when the industry is reckoning with pace, pressure, and the rapid rise of AI-driven content. Rather than lean into the tools and tactics conversation, FUZE is turning the lens inward, exploring personal branding, workplace culture, and what it means to build confidence and resilience as a professional.

"The idea is that more knowledgeable, more self-aware professionals ultimately contribute to stronger organizations," says Wyszomirski. "Taking care of yourself, finding focus, and continuing to grow as a professional are not separate from doing great work — they're essential to it."

In an industry that never stops moving, there's something quietly radical about a room full of people who chose to slow down, show up, and invest in each other. That's always been the spirit of FUZE, and after 13 years, it's not going anywhere.

FUZE 2026 takes place on May 7 at the Remai Modern in Saskatoon. Tickets are available now at saskmarketing.com, with member discounts available for SPMA members.