BizBash Toronto
Title: Executive Director, Epilepsy Toronto
What He Plans: Toronto Buskerfest Street Festival, an annual four-day event that attracts more than 350,000 attendees to the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood.
Number of Staff Working on the Festival: One person who manages talent recruitment and coordination. We use outside companies for public relations and design.
Favourite appetizer: Shrimp
Favourite drink: Clamato juice
What He’s reading now: The Swiss Family Robinson, to my children.
Favourite Event to Attend Other Than Buskerfest: Taste of the Danforth
What He Did Before Joining Epilepsy Toronto: I worked with the Canadian Institute for the Blind. I moved to Epilepsy Toronto for the opportunity to advance into an executive director position.
Important Lesson Learned: We can’t be great as food vendors, and beverage vendors, and everything else. We thought we could, but we can’t. We have to understand what our area of expertise is and what it is not. I don’t begrudge people who do what they do well, and I know now that a smaller fee for vendor participation is better for us in the long run. Our vendors make a killing—and that only helps the festival. This was a tough lesson to learn, but we’ve found that we’re better off surrounding ourselves with people who do what they do well.
What inspired you to start Buskerfest?
We were looking for a signature event that would help us generate awareness for our cause and raise money. We also wanted to grow as an organization. In my research, I came across Buskerfests in Kingston and Halifax, and we jumped in from there.What is your role at Epilepsy Toronto outside of Buskerfest?
I manage a staff of 12 councilors and others who provide education for people living with epilepsy and their families.
How has Buskerfest grown since its inception eight years ago?
In the first year, we attracted about 20,000 people; last year, we had 350,000.
The event is free to attend? So how do you raise funds for Epilepsy Canada?
We blanket the gates with volunteers and make it clear that any donation thrown into the pot supports the charity. As well, we charge artisans and vendors to participate, and we have corporate sponsors to cover our costs.
Besides providing financial support, what do sponsors do to contribute?
They play a role in helping promote and market the event. They also get involved in the event itself. For example, Scotia Bank, our lead sponsor, staffs the children’s area with employees and volunteers; it also puts together teams of volunteers to collect donations at the gates.
Buskerfest started out at Nathan Phillips Square. Why did you move it to the St. Lawrence Market?
The event is basically a street festival. So we felt we needed an actual neighbourhood as a home.
What does it cost to produce the event and what are your main expenses?
The cost is $225,000 to $250,000. This pays for fees, travel, and accommodations for our performers, support for our volunteers, marketing costs, and expenses for policing and street closure.
How do you select the performers?
We choose a mix of local performers, from Toronto and across Ontario, and international performers, high caliber acts like Alakazam from Australia and Mat Ricardo from the United Kingdom. We make sure to rotate the talent and ensure every year that we have a diversity of entertainer styles, including comedians, mimes, sword swallowers, and acrobats. We are really good at selecting performers now because we know the formula that works. Of course, there are financial considerations. Cost sharing helps, so we partner with other festivals when possible.
How many acts do you normally book?
Anywhere from 40 to 50 acts, some of which include several performers.
Why don’t you provide a schedule of the performances?
From the public’s perspective, there is no schedule. The event appears to have a pulse and ebb of its own. We’ve tried official schedules, but if you go off schedule, you alienate people. We prefer to market the “non-schedule” aspect of the event as part of its charm. The trick is we always make sure that there is enough going on for the number of people who are there. On a Saturday afternoon, we might have performers on eight stages at one time. This creates attendee traffic flow from stage to stage, which actually does require a lot of programming. As the crowds dissipate, we can pair down the number of performances accordingly.
What did you choose to hold the event in late August?
We used to hold Buskerfest on Father’s Day weekend, the third weekend in June. But at that time of year, the weather can be cold and miserable. If it rained, we were done for. Also, in doesn’t get dark until around 10 p.m. at that time of year, while it gets dark around 8 p.m. in August. The extra darkness is important because it give us two additional hours for fire acts.
What role does food play at the event?
The St. Lawrence Market defines itself as a gastronomic experience, so it’s important to the vendors in the community that the food be more than run-of-the-mill hot dogs. We work with them to identify the foods we should have and the vendors—including some St. Lawrence Market vendors—who will supply it. This process allows the community to have a sense of ownership of the festival, and as a result, they are more likely to help to promote it. Last year, had about 12 vendors, and we expect more this year.
Given the typically hot temperatures at this time of year, do you have a beverage or water sponsor for the event?
We tried to sell water ourselves for a couple of years and learned the hard way that it’s not easy. Even when the water is donated, there are a lot of costs in ice and storage, and the water is difficult to lug around. We’ve found it’s easier to get a water sponsor to pay us a couple thousand dollars and be responsible for the work.
What are some of the challenges of producing fire events in the dark?
The flame elements require the lining up of special suppliers for the out-of-town performers. We also have to get licenses and do lots of negotiating with the fire department to keep the by-law officers happy.
What is your favourite part of Buskerfest?
Running the event is so go, go, go that I rarely get to actually see the performances. My favourite time is the down time when my kids are there—I can be with them and take in some shows.
What He Plans: Toronto Buskerfest Street Festival, an annual four-day event that attracts more than 350,000 attendees to the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood.
Number of Staff Working on the Festival: One person who manages talent recruitment and coordination. We use outside companies for public relations and design.
Favourite appetizer: Shrimp
Favourite drink: Clamato juice
What He’s reading now: The Swiss Family Robinson, to my children.
Favourite Event to Attend Other Than Buskerfest: Taste of the Danforth
What He Did Before Joining Epilepsy Toronto: I worked with the Canadian Institute for the Blind. I moved to Epilepsy Toronto for the opportunity to advance into an executive director position.
Important Lesson Learned: We can’t be great as food vendors, and beverage vendors, and everything else. We thought we could, but we can’t. We have to understand what our area of expertise is and what it is not. I don’t begrudge people who do what they do well, and I know now that a smaller fee for vendor participation is better for us in the long run. Our vendors make a killing—and that only helps the festival. This was a tough lesson to learn, but we’ve found that we’re better off surrounding ourselves with people who do what they do well.
What inspired you to start Buskerfest?
We were looking for a signature event that would help us generate awareness for our cause and raise money. We also wanted to grow as an organization. In my research, I came across Buskerfests in Kingston and Halifax, and we jumped in from there.What is your role at Epilepsy Toronto outside of Buskerfest?
I manage a staff of 12 councilors and others who provide education for people living with epilepsy and their families.
How has Buskerfest grown since its inception eight years ago?
In the first year, we attracted about 20,000 people; last year, we had 350,000.
The event is free to attend? So how do you raise funds for Epilepsy Canada?
We blanket the gates with volunteers and make it clear that any donation thrown into the pot supports the charity. As well, we charge artisans and vendors to participate, and we have corporate sponsors to cover our costs.
Besides providing financial support, what do sponsors do to contribute?
They play a role in helping promote and market the event. They also get involved in the event itself. For example, Scotia Bank, our lead sponsor, staffs the children’s area with employees and volunteers; it also puts together teams of volunteers to collect donations at the gates.
Buskerfest started out at Nathan Phillips Square. Why did you move it to the St. Lawrence Market?
The event is basically a street festival. So we felt we needed an actual neighbourhood as a home.
What does it cost to produce the event and what are your main expenses?
The cost is $225,000 to $250,000. This pays for fees, travel, and accommodations for our performers, support for our volunteers, marketing costs, and expenses for policing and street closure.
How do you select the performers?
We choose a mix of local performers, from Toronto and across Ontario, and international performers, high caliber acts like Alakazam from Australia and Mat Ricardo from the United Kingdom. We make sure to rotate the talent and ensure every year that we have a diversity of entertainer styles, including comedians, mimes, sword swallowers, and acrobats. We are really good at selecting performers now because we know the formula that works. Of course, there are financial considerations. Cost sharing helps, so we partner with other festivals when possible.
How many acts do you normally book?
Anywhere from 40 to 50 acts, some of which include several performers.
Why don’t you provide a schedule of the performances?
From the public’s perspective, there is no schedule. The event appears to have a pulse and ebb of its own. We’ve tried official schedules, but if you go off schedule, you alienate people. We prefer to market the “non-schedule” aspect of the event as part of its charm. The trick is we always make sure that there is enough going on for the number of people who are there. On a Saturday afternoon, we might have performers on eight stages at one time. This creates attendee traffic flow from stage to stage, which actually does require a lot of programming. As the crowds dissipate, we can pair down the number of performances accordingly.
What did you choose to hold the event in late August?
We used to hold Buskerfest on Father’s Day weekend, the third weekend in June. But at that time of year, the weather can be cold and miserable. If it rained, we were done for. Also, in doesn’t get dark until around 10 p.m. at that time of year, while it gets dark around 8 p.m. in August. The extra darkness is important because it give us two additional hours for fire acts.
What role does food play at the event?
The St. Lawrence Market defines itself as a gastronomic experience, so it’s important to the vendors in the community that the food be more than run-of-the-mill hot dogs. We work with them to identify the foods we should have and the vendors—including some St. Lawrence Market vendors—who will supply it. This process allows the community to have a sense of ownership of the festival, and as a result, they are more likely to help to promote it. Last year, had about 12 vendors, and we expect more this year.
Given the typically hot temperatures at this time of year, do you have a beverage or water sponsor for the event?
We tried to sell water ourselves for a couple of years and learned the hard way that it’s not easy. Even when the water is donated, there are a lot of costs in ice and storage, and the water is difficult to lug around. We’ve found it’s easier to get a water sponsor to pay us a couple thousand dollars and be responsible for the work.
What are some of the challenges of producing fire events in the dark?
The flame elements require the lining up of special suppliers for the out-of-town performers. We also have to get licenses and do lots of negotiating with the fire department to keep the by-law officers happy.
What is your favourite part of Buskerfest?
Running the event is so go, go, go that I rarely get to actually see the performances. My favourite time is the down time when my kids are there—I can be with them and take in some shows.
