BKonthescene

By Sally Warburton

The Liberty Grand at Exhibition Place Toronto was a happening place on Wednesday, December 13th. It was the Unison Holiday Schmoozefest 2023!  Considered the music industry’s best seasonal schmooze, the Schmoozefest party did not disappoint!  Held in the elegant Governor’s Room at the Liberty Grand, it was the perfect venue to hold such an amazing event!  Guests were invited to have a Tito’s vodka cocktail to start, and enjoyed delicious hors-d’oeuvres as they mingled with music industry peers. 

Eat, drink and be merry was the theme!   Starting off the festive season, the evening included well-stocked cash bars, awesome entertainment, photo booths and a chance to be with the music community.  Skratch Bastid, a well-admired and loved DJ, provided fantastic music. 

MC’s for the evening were the charismatic singer and dancer, James Baley, and singer Shawn Hook. They were dynamic, fun and entertaining. 

Spotted in the crowd were The Trews, SATE, Julian Taylor, Lemoyne Alexander, Timothy Tpops Popowich, Paul Mason (Fashion Santa), David ‘Click’ Cox plus many others.  Guests had the chance to enjoy time on the main floor where they explored the extensive silent online auction items. Then up to the second floor to participate in the 360 photo booth with friends and look out onto the main floor happenings. 

What is Unison?  Unison is a non-profit, registered charity which provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. Unison is there to help professional music makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties.

Major sponsors of Schmoozefest included Spotify, The Slaight Family Foundation, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, Music Canada, Warner Music Canada, Universal Music Canada and Sony Music. 

Schmoozefest was a time to celebrate the vibrant music community and to help support and raise awareness of Unison, with making an increasingly bigger impact every year. The evening event was to celebrate the music community by uniting music industry people and to raise funds for the future of Canadian music. Held in a beautiful festive setting, the Liberty Grand, it was a wonderful evening of networking and friendship. Keep your eyes out for next year’s Schmoozefest event in 2024!