Photo: Raeanne Holoboff

For Vic Gailiunas, education and public awareness are at the top of the priority list.

Association heads, key influencers and municipal executives are generally quick to grasp that songwriters and composers are actually small business owners and represent a strong and vibrant consumer segment. That understood, they're eager to embrace SOCAN’s message. But reaching the next group of hotel managers, club owners, and municipal executives is always quite a challenge.

“One of the areas I find most rewarding is presenting seminars for students at colleges and universities,” says Vic Gailiunas, Industry Relations Executive working out of SOCAN’s Vancouver office. “They’re our best opportunity to reach generation-next.”

Gailiunas (an accomplished songwriter, respected musician and SOCAN member), like his counterparts throughout Canada, uses multi-media technology, combined with a genuine passion for the business, to drive home the essentials of why SOCAN exists and how it works.

Further to his work with schools and the business community, Gailiunas is aslo very active with the large music-user groups. His latest project is the "Enduring Friendships Tulip Gala," Friday, April 23, 2010, at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, co-hosted by the Legion Foundation of BC/Yukon Command.