The Empirical and Theoretical Symposium for Canadian Marketing Strategy (ETSYM) is Canada’s foremost quantitative marketing research symposium. Established in 2013, the symposium will convene for the eleventh time on May 22 – 23, 2026, at the University of Manitoba. The event brings together marketing faculty and doctoral students from universities across Canada.
Aims and Goals
The symposium aims to (a) enhance the visibility, quality, and capacity of Canadian research in quantitative marketing strategy, and (b) foster both informal and formal networks among Canadian faculty and doctoral students in this field. These objectives will be advanced through the following initiatives:
Promoting Canadian Research. The symposium will convene academics and doctoral students from across Canada to present and discuss high-quality quantitative research.
Facilitating Research Collaboration. The symposium will serve as a platform for identifying and advancing future directions in quantitative approaches to consumer and firm strategy by fostering collaboration among scholars and practitioners.
Showcasing Quantitative Scholarship. The program will highlight state-of-the-art empirical and theoretical research in quantitative marketing, providing Canadian scholars with an opportunity to present their work and engage in scholarly dialogue that advances the field.
Encouraging Student Engagement. The symposium will actively encourage doctoral student participation through dedicated poster sessions and competitive paper presentations.
Fostering Cross-Disciplinary and Societal Impact. The symposium will bridge research and practice by facilitating dialogue among marketing scholars, researchers from allied disciplines (e.g., engineering, computer science, operations, agriculture), and industry practitioners on important marketing issues and those of broad societal significance.
Advisory Board
Dr. Sourav Ray Director, Marketing Analytics Centre, Lang Chair in Marketing, and Professor in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies, University of Guelph |
Dr. David Soberman Professor of Marketing, Canadian National Chair in Strategic Marketing, Marketing Area Coordinator, University of Toronto |
Dr. Ceren Kolsarici Director (Scotiabank Centre for Analytics and AI), Associate Professor and Ian R. Friendly Fellow of Marketing, Queen’s University |
Dr. Paul Messinger Chair/MBEL, Alberta School of Business - Marketing, Business Economics and Law, University of Alberta |
Dr. Demetrios Vakratsas Professor of Marketing, Academic Director, MBA Program, Bensadoun School of Retail Management Faculty Scholar, McGill University |
Dr. Charles Weinberg Professor of Marketing Emeritus, Marketing and Behavioural Science Division, The University of British Columbia |
Symposium Format
The symposium format includes a topical keynote speech or panel discussion, competitive paper presentations, and poster sessions. Competitive papers are selected from faculty and doctoral student submissions based on the quality of the research, with careful attention paid to broad representation from institutions across Canada. Doctoral student research is strongly encouraged for poster presentation when not selected for the main sessions; faculty members frequently participate within the poster sessions as well. Awards are presented primarily in recognition of outstanding doctoral student posters. A distinguishing feature of the symposium is the assignment of a highly regarded scholar as discussant for each competitively selected paper.
Brief History of the Symposium
The inaugural ETSYM was founded and co-organized by Professors Sourav Ray (then at McMaster University) and Neil Bendle (then at Western University). The founding board further comprised Professors Paul Messinger (University of Alberta), Sridhar Moorthy (University of Toronto), David Soberman (University of Toronto), Mark Vandenbosch (Western University), and Georges Zaccour (HEC Montréal). Since its inception, the symposium has been hosted by universities across Canada, as outlined below.
With a sustained emphasis on research quality, ETSYM has, over time, become one of Canada’s leading scholarly symposia in quantitative marketing. Numerous papers presented by Canadian scholars and doctoral students have subsequently been published in leading marketing journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, and Marketing Science. The symposium has also fostered a strong scholarly community in which former doctoral participants that have transitioned into faculty roles, in turn, serve as mentors.
Canadian Society for Quantitative Marketing
The symposium is currently governed under the auspices of the Canadian Society for Quantitative Marketing (CSQM). CSQM is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization established in 2024 and is presently undergoing further formalization and registration. The members of the governing board are Professors Ceren Kolsarici (Queen’s University), Paul Messinger (University of Alberta), Sourav Ray (University of Guelph), David Soberman (University of Toronto), Demetrios Vakratsas (McGill University), and Charles Weinberg (University of British Columbia).