Thank you.
I'm chairman of Live Nation Canada. I've been in the business in Canada as a promoter since 1977. I started in Vancouver, worked my way up from being a stagehand at the Montreal Forum, and I'm an electrician by trade.
What I really want to emphasize today.... I had short notice about coming to this committee, but, to echo what Mike has been talking about, I j want to give a broader aspect of what the larger impact is of the commercial music sector and what it really means to the economy of Canada.
So thank you, Mr. Chairman and fellow committee members. I welcome this opportunity today to provide an overview of the live music sector.
Artists who create music are a gift to the well-being of our society. They nourish our sense of community and provide a gateway to inspire us all—tradespeople, professionals, entrepreneurs, and even our politicians. The live music that artists create is also a resource and an economic driver across the economy, from labour, to goods and services, to tourism.
Recently there was a business breakfast sponsored by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, to which an Icelandic trade mission group was invited as guests. I was struck by a quote from the director of culture and tourism for the City of Reykjavik, Ms. Konradsdottir. When she was asked what the most important thing is that her city does as a business centre, she responded that they promote their artists and they promote their culture. She said it is what they are and everything they do. It is also something we do every day at Live Nation. It is something the Canadian government should be actively promoting.
Live music is an economic success story in Canada. We punch well above our weight globally on the international stage. We entertain the world with our musicians, entrepreneurs, and technicians. Additionally, Canada is a mecca as a country for touring national and international artists. The live music sector is the economic lifeblood for our musicians.
Our company, Live Nation, manages and produces more than 1,200 concerts a year from coast to coast. We are active in more than 40 communities annually. In 2013, 3.6 million people attended our concerts. We generated over $285 million in sales. We produced seven major festivals in Canada, attended by more than 200,000 people. We spent over $14 million in Canadian media alone. Last year we produced 360 arena concerts, employing more than 145,000 people.
The numbers do not represent the entire Canadian live music market. What is clear is that musicians and their unique talent are a major economic benefit that provides real jobs in many fields to many Canadians.
Music touches everyone. Music is a motivation for people to gather together. We could do much more in celebrating our live musical heritage in music tourism. Music is an educational tool that enhances cognitive skills and encourages students to develop broader learning skills. Music and our musicians should be considered a national resource, not some sidebar group pigeonholed as a special interest group. Artists who create music should be given every opportunity to become successful, like any other economic platform that enhances economic growth.
We have a vast network of performing arts centres and community arenas in Canada that are all overlooked as they become aged and lacking by not having state-of-the-art services. We have an opportunity to be on the global stage in attracting artists to work in facilities that complement their work in similar ways to those we have developed in the film industry. All these services are a benefit to our own artists' community, through work, collaborative projects, and honing of their own skills. Facilities that are modern also attract patrons domestically as well as in international tourism. There should be a national touring strategy for Canadian artists beyond the developmental stage. The greater success a Canadian artist achieves, the greater the net benefit will be to business sectors in supporting our touring artists.
I came here today to offer my help in creating a national touring strategy in the live sector.
Thank you.