VENUE

Metro Toronto Convention Centre welcomes back more than 7,000 jazz professionals
Upwards of 7,000 educators, musicians, record executives, exhibitors, media, students and enthusiasts are expected to attend the 35th Annual Conference of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) when it returns to Toronto and the MTCC on January 9-12, 2008. The conference was held in Toronto for the first time in 2003 and is the largest annual gathering of the global jazz community.
Education, teacher training and outreach will be firmly at the heart of the four-day conference agenda that will also feature Canada's most respected and influential jazz performing artists. With the variety of clinics, concerts, and a 70,000-square-foot music industry exposition with something for everyone, the 2008 IAJE conference program promises to be one of the
strongest annual IAJE conferences yet.
"We are thrilled to be returning to Toronto for this important event in the world of jazz. Widely considered as one of the most diverse cities in the world, Toronto has much to offer IAJE conference participants. It is a cosmopolitan city with a vibrant nightlife, a strong jazz community, and a major scene for music, theatre, performing arts and architectural attractions. It will serve as an excellent headquarters for the jazz world this week," said Chuck Owen, President of IAJE.
"We are honoured to be welcoming such a prestigious group of jazz professionals to Toronto and to the MTCC," said Barry Smith, the Centre's President and CEO. "Jazz has added tremendous richness and depth to the arts, culture and music scene worldwide over the past century," he added. The MTCC anticipates this major convention will produce significant revenue for Toronto's hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues, with an overall economic impact of approximately $15 million in direct spending.