#HOTCS: Andrew Smith, Ottawa

“When I was Senior Trade Commissioner in Manila, I found that Filipino culture is very entertainment-oriented. It seems like everyone can sing and play instruments; it’s a very lively place. So I asked a former colleague and friend from University days who was a radio DJ in Winnipeg to create a demo disk of Canadian songs. And then I took it around to some of the radio stations in Manila until I found a station that was interested in developing a weekly one-hour special featuring Canadian music. Many members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Manila were interested in promoting their company during the radio show. It was a way of branding Canada, and it went over very well.”