With new leadership and growing capabilities, CityAge positions global platform for long-term growth
Vancouver, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 – Ten years ago this month, CityAge, a platform that brings together community leaders who are building the future of our cities and planet, held its first-ever event in Vancouver, BC. Today, the company announced its Flagship Series for 2022, as well as the appointment of Alon Marcovici as the company’s first Managing Director. Marcovici brings more than 20 years of events, marketing, sales and media innovation experience to this newly established position at CityAge.
“We’ve been bringing thought leaders together from the public and private sector to debate, discuss and solve some of the biggest issues facing our growing cities and urban planet for the past decade,” said Miro Cernetig, co-founder of CityAge. “As we were forced to pivot away from in-person events these last two years, we found new ways to connect this community through digital channels, which motivated and inspired us to double-down on the CityAge platform by expanding our team and capabilities.”
Marcovici is an award-winning media professional, having led global marketing and consumer sales efforts for the world’s leading small group adventure travel company, as well as serving as vice president of consumer sales and marketing at Canada’s National Newspaper, The Globe and Mail. In addition, he’s worked at the NBA in New York City, and held leadership roles at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and NBC Olympics before becoming CMO of the Toronto Board of Trade, and subsequently executive vice president of digital media for CTVglobemedia (now Bell Media).
“We’re more than excited to add an individual with the unique skills and background Alon brings to our team,” added Cernetig. “His diverse experience with large-scale events like the Olympics, as well as B2B events at the Toronto Board of Trade, make him perfectly suited to lead CityAge in the next phase of our growth.”
Prior to Marcovici’s arrival, CityAge expanded its team to address an increase in virtual event capabilities and generate additional community engagement. Joining the team were Lauren Lawson as Marketing Manager, Heather Timm as Events Manager, and Anna Stafford as Content Lead. Together, these additions have more than doubled CityAge’s roster and ability to produce virtual events, launched the CityAge newsletter and grown the online community.
CityAge also announced that it has added five streamlined flagship series, tackling the issues and opportunities facing our cities and rapidly urbanizing planet:
- American O/S: We examine America’s need for a new operating system, and how cities have a once-in-a-generation update available to them. CityAge is inviting key business, government, innovation, and investment leaders to help build America’s future.
- Breakout Cities: This series looks at the places doing extraordinary things to transform their cities.The pandemic accelerated the growth of North America’s mid-sized cities, positioning a new group of Breakout Cities at the forefront of national growth and economic development.
- The Natural City: Though cities have long been at odds with nature — using up its resources and depleting its health – the Natural City is changing that, putting a premium on fresh air, and clean, renewable energy and water systems. This series examines the movement to invest and work with natural systems to build resilient and sustainable cities.
- The Universal City: Leaders have started rebuilding cities around the idea of universal design – investments in smart infrastructure and technologies that recognize the need for inclusive cities that work for everyone. This series examines how design thinking and digital tools need to be prioritized in the building and rebuilding of the cities of our future.
- The Data Effect: We live in a time when data and digital technology is transforming how we work, live and play. This series looks at how we can better use data and digital technologies to make Canada a global leader in the digital age. These events will lead to an in-person event in Vancouver, on June 2.
“Today’s announcements are the culmination of 10 years of support and engagement from our dedicated sponsors, partners and event attendees,” said Marc Andrew, co-founder of CityAge. “From our first in-person events back in 2012, to the more than 50 virtual events, roundtables and webinars held over the course of the pandemic, we continue to focus our efforts on working with decision makers to influence and impact the opportunities of urbanization.”
Throughout 2022, CityAge will roll out a series of new additions to its platform including podcasts and e-books, as well as announce the return to in-person events this spring.
“As we move CityAge into the next decade and beyond, we’re confident in Alon’s strategic approach and proven track-record for helping companies transform and achieve their business objectives,” added Andrew.
The CityAge platform comprises a variety of in-person and digital channels serving an engaged audience of more than 15,000 thought leaders from across North America and around the world. From flagship conferences to virtual roundtables and webinar events, CityAge produces and distributes in-depth content and analysis in the form of articles, reports, podcasts, videos, newsletters and eBooks.
“We face the unprecedented scenario of coming out of a global pandemic at a time when the world is developing and experiencing rapid change and growth in our urban centres,” said Marcovici. “We’re excited to add new channels to the CityAge platform and we’re really looking forward to reinventing the event conference experience in North America while expanding our footprint and returning to Europe and Asia.”
“I’m eager to work in collaboration with the CityAge team and our extraordinary partners and sponsors to take on the most incredible and thought-provoking challenges of our time, and I’m excited to build on the foundation Miro and Marc have established over the last decade,” said Marcovici.
About CityAge:
CityAge is a platform that brings together a community of leaders who are building the future of our cities and planet. Through in-person, hybrid and digital events, along with original content, CityAge highlights the ideas, people and technologies solving some of society’s biggest challenges and creating new opportunities. Established in Vancouver, BC, in 2012, CityAge curates networks of people who introduce big ideas and technologies, and make those ideas a reality by creating public interest and driving stakeholder engagement. For more information about our upcoming events and to see our original content, visit cityage.com.
