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FYI

Canadian Music Agencies Paquin and Preste Partner In New Deal

It's the first of its kind, giving each agency a foothold in English and French Canada.

Serena Ryder, part of Paquin's Canadian artist roster

Serena Ryder, part of Paquin's Canadian artist roster

Paquin Artist Agency

A new “strategic partnership” between Quebec-based Preste Spectacles & Tours and Winnipeg-based Paquin Artists Agency promises to enhance the former’s client roster in English Canada and offers Paquin a stronger foothold in the francophone market, plus its first office in Montreal.

Since 1995, Preste founder & President Louis Carrière has built a sizeable empire in the francophone province as a show producer and talent agency chief with acts that include Lysandre, Harry Manx, Half Moon Run, Voivod and Michel Pagliaro as clients.


The Paquin Agency has about 200 clients on its roster, including Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, David Foster, Burton Cummings, Serena Ryder, The Sheepdogs, Whitehorse, Johnny Reid, Tom Cochrane and Buffy Sainte-Marie.

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As an aggressive vertical in the agency business, founder Gilles Paquin expanded his business during the pandemic with a wildly successful exhibitions division that included shows such as Beyond van Gogh, Beyond Monet, and Marvel S.T.A.T.I.O.N, all of which have toured the world.

Today, the company operates from offices in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Nashville and now Montreal. The integrated entertainment firm has also struck several new partnerships, including The Loft Entertainment – a music management and film / TV content company co-founded by Canadian entertainment mogul Randy Lennox. [The Loft is also an agency partner of Billboard Canada.]

Before launching Preste in 1999, Carrière was the bass player in the punk band Tuniq, a short-term dalliance that resulted in one album released through the artist cooperative imprint, En Guard Records.

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EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.
Courtesy of Girl Connected

EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.

Record Labels

EMPIRE President Tina Davis Gives Strategic Advice to Women in Music at Girl Connected's New Speaker Series

On Friday (March 28), the president of EMPIRE, the Bay Area-independent label and music company, came to Toronto for Conversation with the Pros offering tangible advice to the mentorship program's community. Davis also spoke to Billboard Canada about her impressive journey in the industry.

Girl Connected has launched a new series that connects the next generation of women in Canadian music with powerhouse executives for the global industry.

On Friday (March 28), Tina Davis, president of EMPIRE, sat down with Girl Connected founder and music industry veteran Lola Plaku at Toronto Metropolitan University for the first in-person Canadian edition of Conversations with the Pros (Billboard Canada was a supporting partner). The series brings in inspiring music industry figures from Girl Connected's international network to talk about their journeys and offer actionable information and advice to help the budding music professionals develop their skills and reach the next level of their careers.

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