Nick Poirier
Experience
Publicist (contract) - Luminato Festival Nov 2009 - July 2010
Duties:
- Responsible for pitching 11 Festival programs, resulting in nationwide coverage
- Wrote Luminato’s 2010 Communications Plan, and helped plan the campaign rollout
- Liaised with key local, national, and international editors and journalists on a regular basis
- Wrote media releases, executive bio’s, and fact sheets in advance of the 2010 festival
- Organized all logistics surounding the 2010 Luminato media launch event
- Interviewed and hired employees to fill coordinator and intern positions
- Advised senior executives and the festival CEO on proactive communications strategy
Accomplishments:
- Successfully launched 2010 festival in the media, garnering over 60 national, and international hits
- Initiated off-season media campaign, which resulted in 18 hits nationwide
- Initiated a crisis communications plan regarding a potentially damaging media scoop
- Generated the festival’s Core Concepts document, which streamlined internal messagine
- Redesigned measures for evaluating departmental success, making them more quantitative
- Supervised department during a five-month period where the Manager was on sick leave
- Oversaw the compilation of three coverage reports, totaling over 1.2 billion impressions
Publicist (contract) - GlassBOX Television Sept - Nov 2009
Duties:
- Helped organize materials and logistics for the AUX Television station launch
- Organized on site interview requests with AUX on-air personalities
- Proactively pitched local and national Canadian media on two new BiteTV programs
- Generate targeted media lists and materials in support of the station’s fall launch
Accomplishments:
- Helped raise the profile of a new and innovative national television station
- Accreditation process led to successful attendance of over 35 music journalists
- Helped garner over six hits nationwide for the fall launch of a new television station
Media Relations Coordinator (contract) - Luminato Festival Mar 2009 - Jul 2009
Duties:
- Generated press materials to promote the 2009 Luminato Festival
- Responsible for proactively pitching five visual arts programs
- Liaised with media on a daily basis during the Festival to generate press
- Supervised a team of three interns and volunteers throughout the Festival
- Supervised the compilation of daily clippings reports for internal distribution
Accomplishments:
- Successfully coordinated 29 media impressions, including seven section covers
- Organized visual arts media junket; garnering five high-profile hits
- Implemented media accreditation system; totalling over 300 journalists
- Overhauled clippings reporting system for internal sources
- Oversaw the compilation of three coverage reports, totaling over 800 million impressions
Communications Coordinator (contract) - So You Think You Can Dance Canada Sept 2008 - Dec 2008
Duties:
- Generated and organized press material in support of the Unit Publicist
- Collaborated with Unit Photographers in selecting photos on a show-by-show basis
- Liaised with press on a daily basis to coordinate distribution of photos & materials
- Arranged press and dubbing materials for media requests on a daily basis
- Compiled daily coverage reports for internal distribution
Accomplishments:
- Compiled the Season One Coverage Report, totalling over 1,100 impressions
- Undertook planning and management of the season finale media room, which featured journalists from over 20 print, television and online sources
- Wrote the accompanying Finale Critical Path for 15 fellow communications team members
- Aided in the conceptual planning of the show’s Top 20 and Top 10 competitor photo shoots
Communications Intern - MuchMusic Apr 2008 – Sept 2008
Duties:
- Coordinated media requests and supervised celebrity photo shoots for MuchOnDemand, MuchMusic’s daily current events program
- Organized photography and dubbing material. Coordinated its distribution to media outlets as needed
- Assembled Much/MTV Group media coverage into internal coverage reports on a daily basis
- Managed a team of publicity department volunteers and delegated tasks to each
Accomplishments:
- Planned and organized interviews and photo shoots with several MuchMusic on-air personalities
- Wrote media releases, fact-sheets, and photo advisories for various MuchMusic press initiatives
- Helped plan and execute MuchMusic Communications strategies for the 2008 MMVAs event.
- Compiled 2008 MMVAs pre and post-show coverage reports – totalling over 900 hits nation-wide
Publicity Volunteer - MuchMusic Apr 2007 – Apr 2008
Duties:
- Supported the MuchMusic Intern and Communications Coordinator as needed
Accomplishments:
- Invited to work on the red carpet and in the media room at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
- Hired on a contractual basis to compile the 2007 MMVAs post-show press coverage report, totalling over 500 impressions
- Wrote several daily coverage reports for senior company executives at the request of the Communications Coordinator
- Arranged press and dubbing material for media requests as needed
Publicity Intern – The Canadian Stage Company Jan 2007 – Apr 2007
Duties
- Compiled media lists and conducted daily media scans for coverage
- Assisted the Publications Editor & Publicity Associate with day-to-day duties during a period when the department was severely understaffed
Accomplishments:
- Liaised with talent during several on-air television and radio media interviews
- Contracted to write five feature articles for prominent placement within theatrical programs
- Wrote the company’s formalized style guide, which standardized written style for over 50 coworkers
Arts Editor – The Charlatan Sept 2004 – May 2005
Duties:
- Received and coordinated pitches from music and film publicists on a daily basis
- Brainstormed, developed and delegated story ideas to student journalists
- Managed a team of over 30 a team of dedicated journalism students and ensured deadlines were met
- Laid out a three to five page section of the newspaper on a weekly basis using Quark Xpress
Accomplishments:
- Gained a working understanding of entertainment publicity by working at the receiving end of many press initiatives
- Wrote several feature articles; later published by the newspaper. Copy edited according to CP style
- Secured several difficult yet high-profile interviews, including Director Kevin Smith and Indie-icons Frank Black and Jonathan Richman
Education
Seneca College, Toronto Sept 2007 – Apr 2008 Corporate Communications Graduate Certificate
Carleton University, Ottawa Sept 2001 – Apr 2005 Bachelor of Arts – Honours Film Studies
Portfolio Slideshow
