Calgary Stampede and the Business Culture of Western Calgary

Emmet McGonagle

Jul 07, 2023

Dust off your finest belt buckle, The Calgary Stampede is back for another year of rides, rodeos and relatively odd food combinations.

This years champion sponsors for Calgary Stampede include
BMO Financial Group, Bell, Lammle’s Western Wear, Cowboys Music Festival, Enmax and The Coca-Cola Company (namesake of the Coca-Cola Stage, which this year will host the likes of Calgary’s Tegan and Sara, Manchester Orchestra, Jimmy Eat World, Vance Joy and Jessie Reyez); while Stockmen’s Club sponsors feature local newspaper Calgary Herald, transportation and logistics leader CN, law firm Bennett Jones and oil and Tim Hortons, alongside The Mike’s Hard Lemonade Company, Wrangler and a cavalcade of local companies.


While the coronavirus pandemic saw big hitters
McDonald’s and Calgary Co-op (to name a few) opt out as sponsors of ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’; the addition of Alberta Boot last year - and their subsequent multi-year commitment to being Stampede’s official boot - was reportedly worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to CEO Eytan Broder.


However, this year’s most notable Stampede sponsorship development, The WestJet Group has renewed its two-decade spot as a sponsor for a further five years (source: Livewire Calgary). Speaking of the deal, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech explained: “This is a key sponsorship for WestJet.


“We are a company that was brought up in Calgary, we are the home carrier of the west, and Stampede is the most visible symbol of the tradition and the culture of Western Canada.”


As a result, WestJet will continue to be the title sponsor for the Stampede Park chair lift, (or WestJet Skyride), alongside sponsoring the bull riding rodeo events and giving prizes including free flights to Stampede visitors.


On the topic, he continued: “There’s a strategic [element] as well… making sure that international visitors, and those from within Canada, have access to Calgary - easy access to Calgary - helps us generate that annual economic impact that Calgary has come to rely upon.”


Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our
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