It’s no secret that American Express Canada is known for creating one-of-a-kind  experiences for its Cardmembers – ranging from Amex Delights, to Front Of The Line access, to other amazing concierge concert and dining opportunities.

This year, however, Amex has decided to shake things up a bit by working with four of Toronto’s top bloggers (Hip Urban Girl, Coco and Cowe, 1 Love T.O., She Does the City), who will act as Ambassadors for the brand in 2012. High Road is really excited to be there every step of the way as the Amex Ambassadors get to experience all the perks and sweet offerings available to Amex Cardmembers, before reporting back about their whirlwind adventures.

First assignment? A weekend away in Canada’s snowy capital, Ottawa, for Winterlude. (After all, the annual winter festival is sponsored by American Express!)

Photo courtesy of canadascapital.gc.ca

We kicked off Winterlude celebrations with a four-course dinner prepared by Chef Lynn Crawford (of Ruby Eats and Pitchin’ in), before being escorted to a VIP viewing area for a spectacular fireworks display.  Amex and Ottawa sure know how to put on a show: a few people even told us the fireworks that night rivalled those set up for Canada Day!

Photo courtesy of Lisa Ng

Day two of the Winterlude experience included a visit to the Amex Lounge on the famed Rideau Canal, where bloggers (and Cardmembers) were treated to complimentary gourmet jam, hot chocolate, and a culinary demonstration from Chef Wayne Murphy, of Cite Collegiale’s culinary program. The tasty food and warm beverages set us on our way for a leisurely skate down the canal.

Since Winterlude and Amex are both known for unique dining experiences, it was only fitting that the Amex Ambassadors next attended a Fire and Ice Dinner at the Courtyard Restaurant. We were treated to a five-course dinner, complete with wine pairings, that only featured a true Fire and Ice theme, with dishes like cold-smoked beef short ribs, bourbon BBQ sauce, and ‘charcoal’ liquid nitrogen bread. The “ice breaker” dessert involved peppermint ice cream and eucalyptus inside a chocolate pecan domed torte.

After a fun-filled weekend of winter activities, superb food and great company, the Ambassadors headed home to Toronto to rest up for their next adventure.

High Road continues to be amazed by Amex’s commitment to bringing the best in entertainment and event experiences to its Cardmembers, and the Ambassador program really offers an exciting new partnership that is sure to be a ton of fun to watch!

To follow along, check out the #AmexAmbassador hashtag.

As a part of the Room for Thought program, the team at High Road worked with American Express Canada to produce some fantastic videos with Survivorman Les Stroud, Metric’s Emily Haines and Free the Children’s Craig Kielburger that we just can’t help but share with you.

Check it out:

To check out more videos from the Amex Room For Thought campaign, click here.

HIGH ROAD TEAMS UP WITH AMEX TO LAUNCH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WITH NOTABLE CANADIANS: CRAIG AND MARC KIELBURGER, EMIILY HAINES AND LES STROUD

What do you get when you combine one crazy cool space, three amazing ideas dreamed up by average Canadians and some awesome, inspirational mentors? An incredibly successful Room For Thought program by American Express Canada that brings BIG ideas to life!

Kicking off in August, Room For Thought asked Canadians the question: “If you had the opportunity and support to bring a big idea to life, what would you do?” High Road then worked hand-in-hand with Amex to see Room For Thought through four phases: launch, voting, mentorship and experiential.

First, Canadians were invited to submit their big ideas in the arenas of community, music, and travel and adventure. After receiving an outstanding 840 submissions via the American Express Canada Facebook Page, nine finalists were chosen by some pretty impressive, big-name Canadians who would serve as the program’s mentors: Craig and Marc Kielburger, Les Stroud and Emily Haines.

When online voting closed in September, the three winners left standing – one in each category – went above and beyond to wow Amex, High Road, the mentors and the broader Canadian public with these great ideas:

• Music: Ghost – Toronto’s Andrew Huang created an installation that allows the public to interact with music through technology and a variety of instruments.
• Community: Survivor Garden – Thornhill’s Lisa Shanker grew the idea of a Survivor Garden to be used as a form of therapy for people recovering from serious illness.
• Travel and Adventure: Second Chance Travel – Vaughan’s Evan Malach worked to give youth who’ve overcome hardships the chance to travel the world with Second Chance Travel.

Next came the hard work, as the winning Canadians teamed up with their mentors to get their ideas off the ground. By drawing on their own experiences in their respective fields, the mentors supported each finalist every step of the way by offering guidance and advice in areas such as finance, marketing and networking.

The result was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that the Room For Thought winners will not soon forget:

Meet the Mentors:

• Craig and Marc Kielburger: The brothers behind Free the Children, the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, were the incredible mentors in the community category of the program. Craig and Marc provided their mentee, Lisa Shanker, with a great deal of experience, as well as some engaging, first-hand opportunities, such as the chance to experience We Day Vancouver.
• Les Stroud: Best known as Survivorman, Les is the only producer in the history of television to internationally broadcast a series entirely written, videotaped and hosted alone. His strong creative experience paired with his survival knowledge made him the ideal mentor in the travel and adventure category. He was able to offer his mentee, Evan, strong guidance and tips on how to make his idea really flourish.
• Emily Haines: As the lead singer of Canadian indie-rock band Metric, one of Canada’s most successful bands, taking home several Juno Awards last year, Emily’s passion for music is clear in all she touches. That passion, coupled with her desire to explore and educate new sounds and styles, really made her mentorship in the music category with mentee Andrew an ideal fit.

Then, during the final phase taking place over a two-week period in early November, the winning entries were showcased in a stunning visual display in downtown Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Thousands of people passed through the Room For Thought doors between Nov. 8 and 22 to experience the ideas for themselves, where an interactive “room” was on display to represent each bright idea.

High Road is proud of the success shared with Amex during the Room For Thought program. And the best part? You can still check out the video highlights of the campaign, along with snapshots from the winners and their celebrity mentors, on the American Express Canada Facebook Page.