Jazz on Festivals

What Jazz on Festivals does

Jazz on Festivals, operating under the legal name Jazz on the Mountain Festivals Inc., is a privately held Canadian event production company founded in 2011 by Arnold Schwisberg. The company produces the "Jazz on the Mountain" series of annual jazz and music festivals held at Ontario resort venues, including editions at Blue Mountain Village and Resort (2013-2015) and Horseshoe Resort (2016). Its core product is a multi-day festival experience comprising ticketed mainstage concerts featuring Grammy-winning and internationally acclaimed jazz artists, free outdoor plaza performances, educational Master Classes with professional musicians, and late-night "Jazz Alive" jam sessions. Underlying production relies on physical outdoor stage infrastructure delivered by Metal Works Studios rather than proprietary technology.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining ticket sales (Day Pass $24.95, VIP Upgrade $19.95, children under 12 free), sponsorship and in-kind support from partners including Wine Online, Molson Canadian, and Blue Mountain/Horseshoe Resorts, on-site food and beverage concessions, and merchandise sales. Distribution is via Ticketfly (online), phone sales, and on-site purchases, with demand driven by radio media partnerships, social media, press coverage, and the Celebrate Ontario tourism program. The company does not sell a technology product or API; the festival event itself is the unit of value delivered to consumer attendees (primarily jazz enthusiasts, families/vacationers, premium experience seekers, and aspiring musicians). The festival attracted 25,000+ attendees in 2015, achieved an 8.9/10 attendee rating with 97% return intent, and was recognized as a top-five Celebrate Ontario success story — but the company publicly announced no 2017 Ontario festival would be mounted due to lack of venue support, signaling an operational pause.

Name

Jazz on Festivals

Legal name

Jazz on the Mountain Festivals Inc.

Website

https://jazzonfestivals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jazz on Festivals is a private Canadian event production company that organizes annual jazz and music festivals at Ontario resort venues, serving consumer attendees including jazz enthusiasts, families, and premium experience seekers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festivals

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Live music festivals
• Jazz festival production
• Outdoor concert events
• Festival ticketing services
• Music event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Markham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from day passes ($24.95), VIP upgrades ($19.95), and full festival tickets sold through Ticketfly and phone orders. Children under 12 enter free.
2. Sponsorship: Revenue and in-kind support from lead sponsors (Wine Online), festival sponsors (Molson Canadian, Metal Works Studios), media partners (radio stations), and venue partners (Blue Mountain Resort, Horseshoe Resort).
3. Food and Beverage Concessions: Revenue from food menus developed by Blue Mountain Resort's Director of Food and Beverage, serving the 25,000+ attendees across multiple venues and restaurants.
4. Merchandise Sales: Festival merchandise including music CDs and promotional items sold at the festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jazz on Festivals produces and operates the Jazz on the Mountain series of multi-day jazz and music festivals at premier Ontario resort venues (Blue Mountain Village and Resort, Horseshoe Resort). Each festival offers ticketed outdoor mainstage concerts with international and national jazz artists, free outdoor plaza shows, educational Master Classes Series clinics, and Jazz Alive late-night jam sessions. The company sells access via Day Passes and VIP Upgrades and supplements revenue through sponsorships, food and beverage concessions, and merchandise.

Product overview

Jazz on Festivals is an event production company that organizes and produces the Jazz on the Mountain series of jazz and music festivals in Canada. The company operates three festival brands: Jazz on the Mountain at Whistler (2011), Jazz on the Mountain at Blue (2013-2015), and Jazz on the Mountain at Horseshoe (2016). Each festival features ticketed outdoor mainstage concerts with international and national jazz artists, free outdoor performances, Master Classes Series with music education clinics, and Jazz Alive late-night jam sessions. The company sells tickets through Day Pass and VIP Upgrade options. The core offering is the festival event experience itself, not a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jazz on the Mountain at Whistler Inaugural jazz festival held on Labour Day weekend 2011 at Whistler Olympic Plaza, featuring outdoor concerts with international jazz artists including Kevin Eubanks, Stanley Jordan, Spyro Gyra, and The Rippingtons. Targeted jazz enthusiasts and general music fans visiting Whistler.
• Jazz on the Mountain at Blue Annual three-day jazz and music festival held at Blue Mountain Village and Resort in Ontario from 2013 to 2015, featuring ticketed outdoor mainstage concerts, free outdoor shows, late-night jazz jams, and master classes with professional musicians. Targeted jazz fans, families, and resort visitors.
• Jazz on the Mountain at Horseshoe Jazz festival held at Horseshoe Resort in Barrie, Ontario on August 13, 2016, offering a one-hour drive from the GTA and featuring mainstage concerts, master classes, and Jazz Alive late-night jam sessions. Targeted jazz enthusiasts, families, vacationers, and premium experience seekers.
• Day Pass Tickets Festival admission pass offering access to all mainstage shows, master classes, and Jazz Alive Music Jam sessions for one day (Saturday August 13, 2016). Sold at CAD 24.95 + HST through Ticketfly, phone (1-888-732-1680), and on-site at Horseshoe Resort, with free entry for children under 12. Targeted individual festivalgoers.
• VIP Daypass Enhanced festival experience including reserved seating, at-table waiter service, optimum sightlines, and a free festival music CD. Sold at CAD 19.95 as an add-on to the Day Pass (combined total CAD 43.95). Targeted premium/concierge experience seekers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of festival goers surveyed planned to return with friends and family
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Horseshoe ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New venue partner for 2016 festival. Located 15 minutes north of Barrie, Ontario, approximately one hour drive from GTA. Provides concert area with indoor and outdoor shows, 18-hole golf course, spa services, and Crazy Horse Sports Bar & Grill for Jazz Alive jam sessions. Director of Operations Jonathan Reid expressed excitement about hosting.
• Blue Mountain ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Primary venue partner for 2013-2015 festivals. Blue Mountain Village and Resort provides the outdoor main stage location, Events Plaza for free concerts, Blue Mountain Inn for Master Classes, accommodations, food and beverage services through Director of Food and Beverage Steve Flagler, and security. The resort's infrastructure supports the 25,000+ attendees.
• Metal Works StudioscoreTechnology or IntegrationFestival sponsor providing 12 technicians for sound checks, lighting, performance sound, and special staging requirements. Bob Spencer, President of Metalworks Production Group and owner of Band World Mobile Stage (Ontario's largest private mobile stage fleet), serves as Technical Director for the festival.
• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity partner with onsite activations to increase public awareness of those suffering vision loss. Aligns with festival's commitment to disabled accessibility.
• Province of OntariocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment tourism partner through Celebrate Ontario program, which helped the festival enhance programs and attract tourists. Festival recognized as a top five Celebrate Ontario success story.
• Wine OnlineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead sponsor providing generous support for the 2016 festival. Wine sponsorship aligns with the festival's upscale positioning and resort audience.
• Molson CanadianminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFestival sponsor providing beverage sponsorship for the 2016 event, supporting the festival's food and beverage offerings.
• Rock 95 FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage. One of multiple radio station partners supporting the festival's marketing efforts.
• SunShine 89FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage for the festival.
• The New Classical FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing classical music radio promotion and broadcast coverage, aligning with the festival's jazz programming.
• Zoomer Radio (AM740)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage for the festival.
• 977 The BeachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage for the festival.
• G98.7 FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage for the festival.
• Wave FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing radio promotion and broadcast coverage. Conducted artist interviews including Stu interview with Larry Carlton.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hillside Festival: Multi-day Ontario summer music festival held at a lakeside park near Guelph. Comparable as a boutique Ontario summer music festival with similar scale, outdoor production, and audience-driven positioning.
• Vancouver International Jazz Festival: Large Canadian jazz festival presenting international and local jazz artists across multiple venues. Comparable to Jazz on Festivals' Whistler edition as a Western Canadian jazz event; comparable product, geographic complement.
• Stratford Summer Music Festival: Multi-week Ontario festival presenting jazz and other genres in the Stratford region. Comparable as an Ontario-located, multi-venue summer music festival with similar educational/community programming elements.
• Niagara Jazz Festival: Multi-venue jazz festival held in Ontario's Niagara region combining world-class performances with the wine/tourism experience. Directly comparable in its Ontario-located, resort/tourism-integrated approach to delivering jazz to regional audiences.
• Mariposa Folk Festival: Long-running Canadian outdoor festival near Orillia, Ontario combining ticketed and free programming. Comparable as an Ontario outdoor resort-area music festival with similar audience profile and family-friendly positioning.
• TD Toronto Jazz Festival: Annual jazz festival serving the Greater Toronto Area with multi-day programming, ticketed mainstage performances, and free outdoor shows. Directly comparable to Jazz on Festivals in product category (jazz festival), geographic market (Ontario/GTA), and target audience (jazz enthusiasts and casual music fans).
• Ottawa Jazz Festival: Major Canadian jazz festival featuring international jazz headliners, ticketed and free programming, and education components. Directly comparable as a Canadian jazz festival with similar headliner profiles (Spyro Gyra has performed there) and event-driven business model.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: The world's largest live entertainment promoter and venue operator, including major Canadian festivals. Comparable as the dominant incumbent promoter of music festivals that Jazz on Festivals competes with for artist bookings and audience share, though operating at vastly greater scale.
• Montreal International Jazz Festival: The largest jazz festival in the world, offering free outdoor stages and ticketed premium performances across downtown Montreal. Comparable as a Canadian jazz festival at much greater scale; serves as the category-defining incumbent Jazz on Festivals competes within.

Regional players

• SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival: Multi-day jazz festival in Saskatoon featuring international headliners. Comparable as a Canadian jazz festival with similar programming approach; operates in a different geographic region than Jazz on Festivals' Ontario focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jazzonfestivals
• Facebookfacebook.com/jazzonfestivals
• Instagraminstagram.com/jazzonfestivals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jazz on Festivals