The remit of the Media & Marketing Committee is marketing of the IRF and management of media.
- The Media and Marketing Committee shall have oversight over all IRF policies and decisions that are related to Media and Marketing.
- The Media and Marketing Committee shall submit proposals and establish a budget for the development of IRF Media and Marketing.
- The Media and Marketing Committee shall establish contacts with the public relations unit of IRF Member Organisations.
- The Media and Marketing Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and the Committee Chair.
The Media and Marketing Committee shall be responsible for:
- Maintaining official IRF websites and social media sites as internet information sources for all rafters.
- Coordinating and developing printed publications for the IRF.
- Promoting rafting in the press and on radio, television, film, and the internet.
- Handling and oversight of media, TV, and Internet coverage at IRF-sanctioned events.
- Building an information library for IRF Member Organisations, potential sponsors, media, and other interested persons. This includes:
- A database of photographs, videos, and similar visual rafting media.
- Media articles on IRF-sanctioned events and general rafting issues.
- Working with the International Relations and Recreational Rafting Committees to gather and publish statistics of river users worldwide.
- A database of the results of past IRF sanctioned events.
- Gather, collate and publish any information that can assist the promotion of rafting.
Committee members:
Sean Clarke
Eric Boudreau
Media & Marketing Committee
Eric Boudreau
- First Vice President
- Chair of Sports & Competition Committee
- Judge Assessor
Eric started as a raft guide in 1988 and competed as a raft racer from 1996 to 2008. He was team captain/coach of the Canadian OM rafting team from 1999 to 2008.
He has been an Organizer and Race Director of six Canadian National Championships, 5 white water festival and about 15 rafting events including a World Cup in Canada.
He also has experience in organizing races for other sports such as mountain biking and ice canoe races.
He is a qualified referee for rugby and judge for ice canoe racing as well as having been an IRF Judge for the past 14 years.
He is an athlete in different sports such as rugby, ice canoe racing and mountain biking.
Since he stopped racing his love for rafting and the racing part of it has still been in him. He always tries to use his experience and knowledge to help the IRF to grow and move forward to become every year a better and more professional federation, running better and more professional events.
He has been the Head of the Judges Committee since 2009, which was created at that time. In the last few years in particular he has taken the standard of judging to a new level. Instituting compulsory Judge Workshops at the start of A and B level events has ensured that all judges are continually kept up to date with rule changes and reminded of how the IRF expects judging to be done at these prime events. The creation of the Judges Handbook provides a standard base that all event organisers, Juries and Judges can use for their events.
His experience with managing the Judge Committee over the past 8 years, and his regular experience on the race Jury, often as Head Judge, makes him an ideal candidate to lead the Sport & Competition Committee. Having gotten the Judge section running well and heading in the right direction he’d like to put his energy into improving other areas of the Sport & Competition section.
Sue Liell-Cock
Media & Marketing Committee
Sue Liell-Cock
- Secretary General
Sue did her first river trip after getting a BSc in Computer Science and Geographical Science and discovering the normal working life was not for her. She was immediately hooked and became a river guide. Later she became part owner of a river company in South Africa. She was a founding member of the South African Rivers Association (now APA) and played a key role in its initial organisation.
She was one of the first female guides in South Africa and has done much to promote women in this sport. In 1992 and 1993 she was a part of the Hunter’s Gold Ladies team which paddled in the Zambezi River Festival – in 1992 they were the only women’s team which, despite predictions from certain men that they’d need to be helicopter rescued out, came a respectable 16th out of 31 teams. She attended Project RAFT in Turkey 1993 as part of the African team.
From 1995 to 2001 she worked with Tony Hansen organising the Camel White Water Challenge (CWWC). She was a founding member of the IRF in 1997 and through her work with the CWWC found herself in a pivotal role for the future of rafting. She has been key in its administration and forward movement ever since. Her experience as a guide, river company owner, competitor, event organiser, administrator and mum are all used in this role.
In 2001 Sue had the first of her two sons. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
