Dear Potential Sponsor,

Re: Want to show people you’re actually cool and fun? Sponsor the 2025 BGuiled Debate!

In 2018, alumni and former participants of this event, with the resounding support of friends and family of Robert H. Guile Q.C., brought back the spirit of the Guile Debate to the wider Vancouver legal community in a new form: the BGuiled Debate! (click here for a history of the BGuiled Debate)

Over the last 7 years, the BGuiled Debate Society has, for each event, attracted hundreds of people with nothing better to do than watch lawyers try to be funny. We’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars for Access Pro Bono while we’re at it. 

Organized independently of the law school at the University of British Columbia, the BGuiled Debate welcomes debaters currently in law school, as well as members of the bar. 

Each year, we receive significant promotion through existing bar community media channels (e.g. VBA, the Advocate, CBA, TLABC, and the ALSS) . Attendance is expected to be over 400 people between the two-event format:

  • The Try-outs will take place at the Jack & Darlene Poole Theatre (Arts Umbrella), 1400 Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver, V6H 4G9 on Thursday, October 9th, 2025 at 7:30 (with doors open at 6:30 PM); and
  • The Finals will take place in and about mid-February, at a venue and location to be announced soon. 

We’re seeking sponsorship funds to offset the cost of venue rental fees, prizes, and event expenses (e.g. props, insurance, promotion). We donate all event proceeds to Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia (“Access Pro Bono”).

The 2023 event raised $4,444 for Access Pro Bono to support their work providing free legal advice to those who cannot obtain legal aid or afford a lawyer by telephone, online or in-person with lawyers and law students across British Columbia. Every year, over 50,000 British Columbians call Access Pro Bono for legal help. 

Also, in May 2022, Access Pro Bono has nearly duplicated their workload by creating the Everyone Legal Clinic., a BC wide first-of-its-kind public interest law incubator. The Everyone Legal Clinic engages and fosters a diverse group of 25 articling students seeking an alternative pathway to traditional articling positions, and five new notaries, in offering a full range of free and affordable legal services to everyone in British Columbia—wherever they’re located.

We are proud to provide the proceeds of our event to Access Pro Bono to support the Everyone Legal Clinic and other valuable Access Pro Bono services offerings.

We hope that your firm would be willing to participate, and offer the following partnership opportunities:

SPONSORSHIP TIERS

Support an excellent cause and showcase how your business is actually fun and not boring.

Gold Sponsor: $2,000

  • One seat at the judges’ table for Try-Outs and Finals, filled by a representative of your choice.
  • A 2-minute timeslot at Try-Outs for a speech, video spot, or comedic endorsement.
  • 10 free tickets to the Try-Outs and Finals.
  • Prominent signage on stage at both events.
  • Logo placement in promotional materials.
  • Social media exposure and gratitude posts leading up to both events.
  • A verbal thank you at the Try-Outs and Finals.

Silver Sponsor: $1,000

  • 5 free tickets to both the Try-Outs and Finals.
  • Prominent signage on stage at both events.
  • Logo placement in promotional materials.
  • Social media exposure leading up to both events.
  • A verbal thank you at the Try-Outs and Finals.

Bronze Sponsor: $500

  • 2 free tickets to both the Try-Outs and Finals.
  • Logo placement in promotional materials.
  • Social media exposure leading up to both events.
  • A verbal thank you at the Try-Outs and Finals.

Bitcoin Sponsor: 0.1 BTC

  • Small logo placement in promotional materials, maybe.
  • Perhaps some social media exposure leading up to both events.
  • A lukewarm verbal thank you at the Try-Outs and Finals.

We ask that interested businesses contact us ASAP with their preferred level of sponsorship by emailing bguiled.debate@gmail.com. 

We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the above, and look forward to hearing from you. Please direct email inquiries to bguiled.debate@gmail.com. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,

bGuiled Directors:

  1. Eli Zbar        
  2. Kaja Marinic
  3. James Struthers
  4. Michael Larsen
  5. Tanya Thakur
  6. Nazanin Khodarahmi

Previous Media Coverage

The Bguiled Debate receives prominent coverage and attention in the Greater Vancouver legal community, and beyond. Here’s some tenuous evidence:

A big firm lawyer who put “Winner of 2019 Guiled Debate” in her “Rankings & Recognition”

Coverage In The Advocate

2019

(2019). Advocate (Vancouver Bar Association), 77(2), 255-324.

2020

(2020). Advocate (Vancouver Bar Association), 78(2), 269-324.

2023