(TORONTO – January 9, 2015) – The Innovolve Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding agreement to sell a majority stake of its flagship Canadian Water Summit to partners Actual Media (publisher of Water Canada and ReNew Canada) and PAC, Packaging Consortium. The expected closing date is January 30, 2015.

“After five very successful years, the time has come to welcome new partners to help expand the scope and impact of the Canadian Water Summit”, says Innovolve CEO, Anthony Watanabe. “I couldn’t think of two better partners to help realize that goal than Actual Media and the Packaging Consortium. Both organizations have played important roles in the Summit’s success to date and this share purchase represents a strategic next step in our relationship.”

“As a supporter of the CWS since its inception in 2009, I’m particularly pleased to take an ownership stake in this important event on the water calendar in Canada,” claims Todd Latham, COO of Actual Media, who led the charge on the 2014 CWS in Toronto.

“For PAC and for me personally, this partnership with sustainability trailblazers continues the expansion of PAC’s leadership in the North American packaging community for waste reduction. In 2011 we initiated PAC NEXT for A World without Packaging Waste. In 2013 we launched PAC FOOD WASTE to be A Catalyst for Food Waste Packaging Solutions. This year we are adding water to build out our sustainability portfolio. This is a significant milestone for our industry”, says James D Downham, CEO of PAC, who has managed CWS event logistics for the past two years.

The partners will hold their interest in the CWS under the banner of Blue Events Inc. an Ontario, Canada corporation.

The 2015 Canadian Water Summit will take place in Vancouver on June 25 with a theme of “The Energy of Water.”

About the Canadian Water Summit
The Canadian Water Summit is the leading, national conference for water professionals seeking in-person and high value networking, industry-specific content and innovative leadership, technology and thinking on water issues in Canada from a local, national and international perspective. Together, the Blue Events Inc. team will build the CWS brand equity and ensure the event continues to deliver value to Canadian and international water leaders.
www.watersummit.ca

About the Innovolve Group Inc.
Innovolve is a boutique consultancy serving government and corporate clients on a range of sustainability projects relating to policy, strategy and communications. Our key sectors of activity are energy and water.
www.innovolve.com

About Actual Media
Actual Media is a national publishing and creative agency firm that serves the infrastructure, water and environment industries in Canada. Actual Media produces two trade magazines, Water Canada and ReNew Canada. Actual Media also manages the annual Water’s Next Awards and Dinner. Additionally, Actual Media conducts water industry Roundtables, provides water industry research and reports and supports/sponsors other water events and conferences. Actual Media has supported the Canadian Water Summit since the event’s inception in 2009.
www.actualmedia.ca

About the Packaging Consortium
PAC, Packaging Consortium is a not-for-profit corporation, founded in 1950. PAC is North American centric with global access. We advocate for all materials and for package neutrality through an all inclusive, transparent and collaborative process. Our 2200 members come from all sectors of the packaging value chain, from start of life to next life. Our networking process includes PAC webinars, seminars, conferences, competitions, facility tours, education programs, trade shows, technical work groups and social activities. From PAC Next, our initiative to eliminate packaging waste, to PAC Food Waste and now with this interest in Blue Events Inc., our industry is on a deliberate path to sustainability.
www.pac.ca

For Media inquiries, contact:

James D Downham, President & CEO, PAC, Packaging Consortium, 1.647.993.7600, [email protected]

Todd Latham, President & CCO, Actual Media, 1.444.5842 x111, [email protected]