Even the snow blizzard and freezing rain that swept through Toronto couldn't dampen the spirits of attendees to the inaugural Boards Creative Workshop on March 1. Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto co-CCO Nancy Vonk introduced proceedings with a fitting tribute to keynote speaker David Droga, founder of agency Droga5, to a sell-out crowd that saw many forced to sit in the aisles in the packed auditorium.

A typically eloquent and self-deprecating Droga then took the stage. "Do I have a grand plan? Fuck no. Not at all," he quipped. "I have principles I'm trying to stick to and grand ambitions, but do I have some formula for what I'm trying to achieve? No. There is no formula."

He set the tone for the afternoon by showcasing simple yet groundbreaking creative solutions from Droga5. "My

philosophy with what we're trying to build isn't predicated on the death of anything else, it's based on multiple options. The canvas we can play on is so much broader and so much deeper."

Droga was ably followed by a pair of case studies. @radical.media founder Jon Kamen and VP of media and entertainment Justin Wilkes, along with BBH, New York head of broadcast Bruce Wellington, presented their Gamekillers project for Axe. Mother, New York partner Andrew Deitchman and Barbarian Group founder Benjamin Palmer then presented an irreverent case study for Milwaukee's Best Beer Cannon.

In the last session of the day, Boards editor Rae Ann Fera moderated a panel on "Executing The Big Idea" featuring Brady Gilchrist, EVP/strategy at Fuel Industries Ottawa, Ogilvy, Toronto ACD Tim Piper, David Rolfe, director of content at DDB, Chicago and Regina Brizzolara, SVP director of broadcast production at McKinney Silver, Raleigh, NC. In an impassioned debate the panel discussed the benefits and difficulties of challenging traditional agency structure.

Schooled and sated, the audience then headed to drink, dance and make merry 'til the early hours at a party sponsored by the generous folks at Buzz and Rooster.