Convention Luncheons
Rick Mercer (SOLD OUT)
Monday, May 12, 2008
11:30am – 1:00pm
Roundup Centre – Hall C
Sponsored by:
Think This Hour Has 22 Minutes ... Think Made In Canada ... Think Talking To Americans... Think The Rick Mercer Report. Now you understand why Rick Mercer has become "Canada's Unofficial Opposition." He understands what amuses, delights, and occasionally enrages Canadians about our politicians, our media elite and our great neighbour to the south, and has the comedic skills and satirical sensibility to translate that into some of the funniest television on the planet.
Rick Mercer is without a doubt one of this country's most highly respected writer/actors, having garnered many awards and accolades since he burst on to the stage at the National Arts Centre in 1990. He has won numerous Gemini awards for his writing and performances, the Sir Peter Ustinov Award at the prestigious Banff Television Festival, and was the 2004 recipient of The National Arts Centre Award at the Governor General's Awards for the Performing Arts. He is also the only civilian to be awarded the Canadian Arms Forces Commander Land Force, Command Commendation—this in recognition of his ongoing support of Canada's armed forces, which has included several visits to Canadian troops in Afghanistan. But the awards only tell a small part of the story. Mercer has become Canada's most celebrated entertainer because of his ability to connect with ordinary Canadians. Nowhere is that better illustrated than in his historic one-hour CBC special, Rick Mercer's Talking to Americans, which attracted 2.7 million viewers across Canada, making it the highest rated comedy special in the history of Canadian television. The special drew rave reviews and media attention across North America and the world.
Hailing from St. John's Newfoundland, Mercer premiered his one-man show at Ottawa's National Arts Centre (NAC) in 1990. Show Me the Button, I'll Push It became a national hit and was performed from St. John's to Vancouver. His second one-man show, the critically acclaimed I've Killed Before; I'll Kill Again opened at the NAC in 1992. It played to sold-out houses across Canada. A third one-man show, A Good Place to Hide, premiered at the NAC in May 1995, and was met with critical praise and full houses. He has hosted the East Coast Music Awards, The Gemini Awards, The Juno Awards, the history series It Seems Like Yesterday, the annual Canada Day show from Parliament Hill, and the CBC Television special The Next Great Prime Minister. Time and Maclean's have published his work, and in June 1998, his first book, Streeters, was published by Doubleday and quickly rose to #1 on the Globe and Mail's National Best Seller List. Mercer currently hosts The Rick Mercer Report, one of the CBC's most popular and acclaimed shows. A book based on the show will be released in Septermber 2007.
Peter Tertzakian
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
11:30am – 1:00pm
Roundup Centre – Hall C
Sponsored by:
Best selling author of A Thousand Barrels a Second, published by McGraw-Hill, Peter Tertzakian is the Chief Energy Economist of ARC Financial Corporation, one of the world's leading energy investment firms.
Peter's background in geophysics, economics and finance, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, helped him rise from the trenches of hands-on oil exploration fieldwork to become an internationally recognized, top-ranked expert in energy matters.
Often seen and heard through media outlets around the world, Peter's been a featured guest on many high-profile radio and television shows including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In print, Peter has been featured in US News and World Report and has contributed editorials to widely read publications like The Globe and Mail and Forbes.com. He also writes a weekly column, ARC Energy Charts, and is a sought after public speaker.
Peter has an undergraduate degree in Geophysics from the University of Alberta, and a graduate degree in Econometrics from the University of Southampton, U.K. He also holds a Master of Science in Management of Technology from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
He lives in Calgary, Alberta, one of the world's leading oil and gas centers, with his wife and two children.