Jess Cimò

Experience

• 

  St. Clair Building Co. and Office of Notary Public, Toronto, ON.

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2009

  Administrative Assistant and Bookkeeper

  - Prepared summaries of monthly disbursements and assisted with payroll and source deductions - Multi-tasked to coordinate several concurrent office responsibilities in fast-paced environment- Proofread and/or authored business correspondence as office assistant to notary public - Typed legal documents such as wills and power of attorneys in English and Italian- Translated Passport applications for Italian speakers

• 

  Neal's Yard Remedies Canada, Authentic Essence Inc.

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2013

  Marketing & Sales Representative

  - Liaised with owners and managers of specialty stores and spas carrying organic skin care to train staff, present and stock products, and perform in-store demos - Increased engagement and brand awareness by starting social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter, writing posts and tweets that connected stores and customers across the country, advertised online sales promotions and provided tips on health and beauty- Wrote content for website, brochures and press releases communicating core values of the brand while showcasing products accessibly- Gave workshops providing skincare consultations based on in-depth product knowledge Show less

• 

  Corkin Gallery

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2009

  Gallery Assistant

  - Frontline representative of gallery at reception and during artist openings- Facilitated staff meetings and suggested directives to streamline administrative processes - Managed Constant Contact lists and created email newsletters - Learned Art Systems and used this museum software to update database (provenance and details for specific works in collection)Special Project: Assistant to Head of Finance- Updated financial portfolios for artists from 2004 - 2009- Monitored exchange rate accuracy at date of sale- Reported on commission pay out for artists post framing costs- Co-authored press releases for exhibitions and revised price lists Show less

• 

  Meta Gallery

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2011

  Gallery Assistant to Director and Events Management

  - Operated as gallery ambassador and primary contact (liaised between Director in New York and clients, patrons and artists in Toronto)- Efficiently managed events in gallery space; created venue contract agreements, coordinated invoicing and space usage- Promoted artists by showing work in informed, art-historical context- Created price lists for upcoming exhibitions using Adobe Illustrator- Provided social media support

• 

  Holy Holy Holy Records

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2010

  Freelance Events Facilitator for Primary Colours

  Short term passion project with possibility of renewal - Facilitated venue and secured band hospitality ensuring performer's requests metEvents:Matmos and So Percussion, June 11th, 2010 at Meta Gallery, Toronto, Ontario (Treasure State Tour)

• 

  Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre

  Jan 2011 - Jan 2012

  Arts Education & Marketing Director

  - Initiated rebrand to coincide with CCDT's name change (from Canadian Children's Dance Theatre to Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre)- Designed posters, postcards and box ads for print and digital ad campaigns- Bolstered social media presence: Started Twitter account, migrated Facebook Fan Page to Company Page with new name, doubled followers within 4 months using strategic integration of Facebook logo on marketing materials and Facebook Ads- Linked dance company to SEO provider for website and set-up SEM through Google Adwords to increase traffic and improve Google Rankings - Email marketing: Migrated opt-in subscriber data from Constant Contact to MailChimp, reorganized lists, wrote, designed and distributed monthly newsletter- Managed successful direct mail campaign to individual donor base - Tracked Company donations (individual and corporate donors) and issued tax receipts along with thank-you letters- Booked school groups from TDSB and TCDSB into matinee performances at the Fleck Dance Theatre (liaised with Harbourfront Center Box Office), designed and distributed invitations - Point of contact for teachers and principals involved in SolarDance Arts Education Outreach program (arranged schedules, greeted classes and supported dance instructors)- Scheduled interviews for over 60 candidates from Toronto's Priority Neighbourhoods for competitive dance scholarship (2011-12)- Edited videos for School of CCDT (year end showcase and Ontario Arts Access Touring Grants) Show less

• 

  Akimbo Art Promotions

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2016

  Sales Director

  - Strengthened sales with long-term clients and built rapport with new ones- Developed case specific marketing campaigns and PR strategy for independent galleries, artist-run centers, individual artists and academic institutions- Managed bookings and production schedule in fast-paced, deadline-driven environment (oversaw guidelines, timelines and specs for digital content) - Created and designed media kits that effectively presented marketing products as solutions with clear benefits that outlined ROI- Analyzed website and mobile app for user experience and effective ad placement - QA for online presentation of content, digital media and mobile app- Provided social media support (courrament en français) and proof reading for team members- Collaborated with Social Media Manager on content strategy and developing services to simultaneously grow client social media channels and @akimboart's following- Researched sales leads to expand business through cold calls - Represented company at Art Toronto, annual international art fair (between 2012-15) and on panel with PechaKucha talk at PhotoEd Inspiration Forum (2015) Show less

• 

  Soundstreams

  Jan 2016 - Jan 2016

  Director of Marketing & External Relations, Interim

  - Created 2016/17 marketing and public relations strategy that addressed needs for concert promotions, media coverage, ticket sales and brand recognition with a viable action plan- Averted crisis when 55 person choir cancelled, transitioning 200 subscribers to new concert programmed in under 3 weeks, selling a significant number of single tickets through a robust email and social media campaign, paired with a targeted digital and print ad campaign- Designed and executed paid print and digital media ad campaigns for Main Stage performances and ancillary event series on short-run notice- Wrote press releases and convincing pitches which earned previews and reviews in newspapers and trade magazines as well as on blogs and on the radio- Managed staff, freelance photographers, copy-writers, and contracted design agencies - Point of contact for talent publicity and promotion, and on site at concerts and events Show less

• 

  Small World Music

  Feb 2017 - Feb 2020

  Sales and Marketing Manager

  – Developed Festival marketing strategy, which included a robust multi-platform social media campaign tailored to 7.6K Facebook, 3.8K Twitter and approx. 1K Instagram followers that effectively enhanced brand recognition across various platforms while highlighting international and local talent as well as marquee artists– Successfully developed strategy that increased tourist draw to Small World's 17th Annual Festival, its inaugural year at Harbourfront Centre, resulting in 15,000 attendees August 17-19 2018– Increased social media presence through geo-targeted paid Facebook campaigns that grew following for local artists and drove engagement for Small World. This built awareness of the non-profit, its mandate and its partners, while fostering appreciation of globally diverse music – Strategized graphic design, wrote creative brief and managed branding process of pilot projectPolyphonic Ground, a new collaborative working model involving 11 partner organizations and various cross-promotional opportunities– Sustained Virtual Concert Hall experience concept of Small World Music Centre via YouTube channel with 1.4K subscribers by liaising with videographer on ongoing basis, ensuring channels remain populated with relevant high quality performance footage of touring and local artists– Promote live music performances at concerts, festivals and conferences and increase ticketsales through captivating Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts, a weekly e-mail newsletter, mutually beneficialpartnerships, structured marketing campaigns with paid media, and timely outreach to influencers and like-minded organizations– Liaise with media, artists, partner organizations and patrons at concerts and events– Manage staff, volunteers, freelance photographers, copy-writers, and contracted design agencies while working closely with partners co-presenting large productions (most recently with Link Music Lab to present A level Iranian artists at the Sony Centre) Show less

• 

  BIG: Bloor Improvement Group

  Mar 2017 - Aug 2019

  Publicist

  – Developed and executed public relations and marketing strategies utilizing traditional and online media, radio, and mutually beneficial partnerships to bring tourists, newcomers, arts and culture lovers, a younger demographic and Francophones to Bloordale. The 10th annual welcomed 70,000 attendees over a two day period, and 78,000 over a single day over the past two years– Collaborated with Festival Director on creative vision and goals for Festival rebrand, including a new logo, brand colours, specific messaging and revamped visual identity– Managed social media channels and increasing Festival presence on Twitter and bringing essential engagement from participating artists, curators, vendors and supporters– Facilitated interviews for Festival team and artists, leading up to and during the event. Past years have included CBC Arts, Metro Morning, CityTV, CHOQFM, Fairchild TV, Voice K Magazine and FPTV – Directed Festival photographers on location shooting generating valuable content Show less

• 

  Harbourfront Centre

  Jan 2020 - now

  Marketing Specialist

  – Develop marketing strategies including in market dates and roll out of targeted communications plan– Steward press release creation through various approvals processes and coordinate time-sensitive media requests with C-suite, artists and partners– Report on marketing tactics and deliver metrics pivoting ongoing campaigns and informing future ones through data-driven results – Collaborate with digital agencies to develop social media marketing campaigns supporting a wide breadth of programming bolstering engagement and growing audiences– Write and deploy hundreds of e-mail communications to market programming to a wide audience of summer festival goers, dance patrons, sponsors and donors with special attention to content and tone to achieve KPIs– Led Visual Arts and Craft & Design portfolios handling all communications and didactics Show less