Today Toronto Mayor John Tory met with Austin, Texas Mayor Steve Adler to discuss the economic climate and opportunities of each city, as well as reaffirming their commitment to the world's first music city alliance.
"It was a pleasure to meet with Mayor Adler today to discuss how we can strengthen the music city alliance between Toronto and Austin," said Toronto Mayor John Tory. "Both cities recognize the importance of music in creating jobs and attracting investment, and we are looking at ways to make this kind of economic development a success."
"It's an honour to host Mayor Tory today, especially during Austin's showcase event South by Southwest," said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. "We are committed to maintaining and growing the alliance between our two great cities, and we are exploring the opportunities for further cultural and economic development."
Today Mayor Tory also toured and met with executives from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and the University of Texas Austin Technology Incubator (ATI). This was an opportunity to understand how the technology sector thrives in Austin through the city's recognition of the importance of music. ATI provided an understanding of how the venture capital industry intersects with the University of Texas incubator.
Mayor Tory is in Austin to attend the South by Southwest festival and to meet with technology industry executives based in Austin. The objective of this mission is to learn best practices and experiences from a city at the forefront of harnessing the economic and cultural benefits of the convergence of music with interactive technologies.
Toronto music industry representatives also attending this mission include: Jeff Cohen, owner of Collective Concerts and Toronto music venues the Horseshoe Tavern and Lee's Palace; Sari Delmar, CEO and Founder of Audio Blood; Graham Henderson, President, Music Canada; and Jesse Kumagai, Vice President of Talent, Live Nation. These representatives, who have been part of the Toronto Music Advisory Council, were selected last fall to represent Toronto on the City's Austin-Toronto Music City Alliance.
The Austin-Toronto Music City Alliance was endorsed by both cities' councils and by the cities' respective mayors in 2024. The alliance commits both cities to work collaboratively to develop and expand elements of the music industry and to support and encourage opportunities for practical exchanges in the fields of music and culture.
The alliance encourages business and cultural partnerships and the sharing of best practices and expertise to stimulate job creation, economic growth and tourism.
This year, the City of Toronto is sponsoring a live music showcase of seven Toronto artists at SXSW and is a co-sponsor of the annual Canadian Blast BBQ, presented by the Canadian Independent Music Association.