The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Canada’s visitor and experience economy is breaking records. Toronto alone welcomed more than 28 million visitors last year, generating over $9 billion in spending across hotels, restaurants, venues, attractions, and neighbourhood main streets. At the heart of this growth is the experience economy: live music, major league sport, festivals, immersive events, and the cultural life of the city. Yet even as demand soars, Toronto’s infrastructure and long‑term commercial and cultural strategies—which aim to align infrastructure, policy, and investment with the realities of a modern experience‑driven city—struggle to keep pace.
Live Nation’s new Rogers Stadium build and longstanding cultural events like the Juno Awards offer a high‑profile glimpse into evolving approaches and models that work to overcome the challenges and barriers to progress for Toronto’s next decade of live experiences. On Tuesday, May 19th, 2026, the Empire Club of Canada brings together Wayne Zronik, Live Nation, President of Business Operations and Kristy Fletcher, Chief Operating Officer, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (producer of the Juno Awards) and the Honourable Stan Cho, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming to ask: If live experiences are the new infrastructure of a modern city, what will it take for Toronto to build the stages, streets, stories, and social ecosystems that keep us globally competitive and ensure culture continues to drive both community and commerce?
Following special remarks from Wayne Zronik and Minister Cho, Laura deCarufel, Director of Culture and Lifestyle at the Toronto Star and Editor-in-Chief of The Kit, will moderate a discussion exploring how Toronto can design the connective tissue—partnerships, talent pipelines, neighbourhood anchors, and social ecosystem—that turns individual events into lasting momentum for communities, small businesses, and the broader visitor economy.
Join us for this first event in the Empire Club of Canada’s emerging Experience Economy series as we explore how live experiences function as critical economic, social, and civic infrastructure.
Wayne Zronik is the President of Business Operations for Live Nation Canada, the world’s leading live entertainment company. With more than 25 years of industry experience, he brings together strategic leadership and a deep understanding of Canada’s live music landscape.
Wayne has been instrumental in expanding Live Nation Canada’s business nationwide—supporting artists and fans while driving significant economic growth, strengthening local businesses, and creating new jobs. Under his leadership, Live Nation Canada has grown its venue portfolio substantially, opening History Toronto, TD Coliseum, and Rogers Stadium. Later this year, the company will open History Ottawa.
Before joining Live Nation Canada in 2018, Wayne held several executive roles at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), including Senior Vice President of Music and Live Events.
Wayne currently serves on the Board of Destination Toronto as Secretary Treasurer. He has previously served as a Board Member and Chair of the Finance Committee for the Canadian Live Music Association, as well as a Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee for the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Chartered Accountant.
Stan Cho is Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Willowdale.
First elected in 2018, Minister Cho initially served as Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board. He then became Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance in 2019, before being appointed to Premier Ford’s Cabinet as Associate Minister of Transportation in 2021.
At the Ministry of Transportation, Minister Cho convened the municipal transit working group that ultimately led to Ontario’s ‘One Fare’ program, successfully introduced debit and credit payment options across most transit systems around the GTHA, including GO and the TTC, and led the charge to procure three new trainsets to bring back passenger rail service between Toronto and Northeastern Ontario.
In September 2023, Minister Cho was named Minister of Long-Term Care.
At the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Minister Cho oversaw the groundbreaking and opening of thousands of new and upgraded LTC beds across the province, secured the largest year-over-year funding increase in sector history, and launched a new investigations unit to strengthen industry oversight and enhance resident safety.
In his current role as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, Minister Cho is strengthening and protecting the province’s tourism and culture industries while advancing a modern gaming sector grounded in strong responsible gaming safeguards. The Minister’s launch of the Destination Niagara Strategy and Destination Wasaga improvements are designed to elevate both regions on the global stage, increasing visitation while preserving local history. Minister Cho is also overseeing the redevelopment of the iconic Ontario Place site as a new world-class, year-round destination on Toronto’s waterfront—including an innovative Ontario Science Centre.
Before joining politics, Minister Cho began his career at a leading auto manufacturer, working his way up from an entry-level position to become one of the company’s auditors. In 2002, he joined his family’s real estate business and worked as an agent for 15 years before taking over as broker and general manager.
Born in Rexdale and raised in Willowdale, Minister Cho proudly holds the distinction of being the first Canadian-born person of Korean descent to hold public office in Canada.
Kristy Fletcher is a purpose-driven leader at the intersection of music, culture, and community. As Chief Operating Officer of CARAS, home to The JUNO Awards and Canada’s Music Hall of Fame, and President of MusiCounts, she is dedicated to strengthening Canada’s music ecosystem from the ground up: expanding equitable access to music education while elevating and celebrating Canadian artists on the national stage.
Since joining MusiCounts in 2016, Kristy has championed inclusive, sustainable music
education for young people across Canada. In 2025, she expanded her leadership to CARAS, uniting her work across the organization to help build a more diverse, accessible, and thriving music community nationwide.
Prior to her work in music, Kristy spent over two decades with Maple Leaf Sports &
Entertainment, where she led community impact initiatives and revenue-driving service
strategies across the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC. She played a key role in establishing The Leaf Fund, raising millions for children’s charities, and later oversaw one of North America’s most diverse premium ticketing portfolios, delivering industry-leading results across the NHL, NBA, and MLS.
Kristy holds a BA in Psychology from Carleton University and a Certificate in Corporate
Community Relations from Boston College. She is a proud mother of two boys who share her love of music and sport
Laura deCarufel is an award-winning editor and the director of culture and lifestyle at the Toronto Star, where she oversees arts, culture, travel, food and style. She is also the editor-in-chief of The Kit, Canada’s leading women’s style publication. Laura was the executive editor at ELLE Canada for three years and is also the author of Learn to Speak Fashion (Owlkids).
