Montreal is the city of summer festivals, and it’s wholly thanks to visionaries like Melissa Giampaolo, who’ve helped cement our world-class reputation by bringing incredible events and unforgettable moments every year.
As evenko’s Vice President of Commercialization and Festival Management, Giampaolo and her teams manage the sales of over 1,600 events annually, including seven festivals, such as the crown jewel triumvirate that delights hundreds of thousands at Parc Jean-Drapeau every summer: OSHEAGA, îLESONIQ, and LASSO Montréal.
Her teams, made up of 45 passionate and motivated staff, handle the marketing and sale of over 2.5 million tickets every year, mostly in Quebec and Eastern Canada.
For Giampaolo, it’s not just about her outstanding team and the immense annual undertaking of continually outdoing themselves with even greater bands, lights, visuals, sounds, and amenities—the industry veteran of over 20 years has also outpaced the trends every step of the way, keeping evenko and Montreal at the forefront of festival culture not just in North America but around the world.
Starting in group and corporate sales, Giampaolo innovated in strategic partnerships and exclusive packages. After that, she guided evenko into the digital revolution with foresight, which included the smooth operation and development of 20 websites and six mobile apps. And under her leadership, evenko’s website was named as one of the three most significant transactional sites in Quebec by La Presse+.
She was entrusted with evenko’s seven music festivals in 2020, and in 2022, she once again brought the company into the future by taking charge of the marketing team and optimizing performance with real-time data.
Giampaolo spoke with us about creating lasting connections and magic moments with artists, her team, and audiences.
What originally drew you into the entertainment business? I was very lucky because, at a young age, I was exposed to the entertainment industry on weekends. We used to go to shows in light of my father being in the industry. I was part of it all the time, so that’s why I got drawn to it.
You’ve had so many roles in this industry. Are you someone who naturally likes to try new things? I actually love to try new things! I also enjoy taking something that’s been done over and over again, rethinking it, and doing it another way. I’m really passionate about that. Being open to new things has allowed me to learn about new processes and workflows, as well as the tools that we use, like Ticketmaster. Being at the centre of all the operations has allowed me to make sure everybody’s aligned on the same vision, and more recently, there’s been a tendency towards more premium offerings. People are really looking for a premium experience for our shows—it’s not only about going to see the show or the artist anymore; it’s about a parking space and lounge access with an open bar.
What is the busy summer season like at evenko? Summer is of course the busiest time of the year for us, but I must say specifically from a festival management standpoint. All of the planning that goes into it is well before the summertime—I would say it’s from January to April when it’s crunch time for us. Then the festivals start in May with our new one, Latin music festival Fuego Fuego at Parc olympique. After that, it’s on to Les Francos de Montréal in June and Festival International Jazz de Montréal before OSHEAGA, îLESONIQ, and LASSO Montréal later on in the summer.
It truly takes a village to put on a festival. How important is your team to you? Absolutely, it does take a village! I think what’s so impressive about festivals is that, unlike a show at a venue, you start with nothing when you’re creating a festival. We have to build a little city that, for three weeks, can welcome hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, so the planning involved is crucial. The most important thing is ensuring communication between the different teams and developing synergies because we’re all incredibly busy dealing with the sheer volume of these events. For OSHEAGA, for example, we have 1,200 employees there to make it happen. It’s impressive!
“Being at the centre of all the operations has allowed me to make sure everybody’s aligned on the same vision, and more recently, there’s been a tendency towards more premium offerings. People are really looking for a premium experience for our shows—it’s not only about going to see the show or the artist anymore; it’s about a parking space and lounge access with an open bar.”
What are your most iconic festival moments? There are so many I can think of, but I always come back to 2018 when we had Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish on the bill, but they weren’t as well-known as they are today. They played on the smaller stages. We had Post Malone too before he became the megastar he is today, so those are always the special moments for me.
How important is creating “connections” at your events? It’s people connecting together in one place for a common passion, then it’s the employees who work together to bring it to another level, and it’s the artist above all connecting with the audience. On so many levels, a festival or concert is about creating connections, and we’re proud of what we do.
What makes a truly great festival in 2024? I would say—and not only in 2024, but always—to keep the fan in mind. That means offering the best artist experience, the best merchandise experience, and the most premium experience. It’s all about the fun and the people that come out and want to connect with their favourite artists and with other people as well. By keeping the fan in mind, we plan everything behind the scenes so they can have that special moment they’ll remember.
The evenko family is also incredibly close-knit. I’ve been with some colleagues here for 20 years, and some I go back even further, more like 30. That says a lot about where you work when people have been together so long. Sometimes you think there aren’t enough people to grow and do everything, but it’s a great way to always reinvent the processes in place, and we’re all passionate about coming to work every day and trying new things. And having a great team motivates and excites you to keep innovating.
For more evenko magic, visit evenko.ca.