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CosmoFEST 2018 crowd, viewed from the Beer Garden, looking toward the main stage, with April Wine performing.

​CosmoFEST: 
​From Local Store to Destination Experience

As Director of Marketing and Ecommerce at Cosmo Music, I led the creation of CosmoFEST, a large-scale annual event that turned a single-location retailer into a true destination. By rethinking a modest mid-year sale and reallocating traditional media spend, we built a flagship festival and gear expo that drew 14,000 attendees, doubled annual revenue over six years, and earned industry recognition from NAMM and global brand partners.

​14,000 Attendees • 50%+ Sales Lift • $197,775 in Grants • NAMM Award

Brand Strategy & Positioning

Experiential & Event Marketing

Omnichannel Growth Strategy

Budget & P&L Management

Strategic Partnerships & Sponsorships

Integrated Marketing Campaigns

Cross-Functional Team Leadership

CONTEXT

Background

Cosmo Music store exterior in Richmond Hill, Ontario (2019).

Challenge

Cosmo Music’s single-location model provided operational efficiencies and deep expertise under one roof. However, it limited brand reach when compared with retail chains such as Long & McQuade, which has a physical presence in over 80 communities across Canada. A 2008 move from a main street location to a business park compounded the awareness challenge. Despite nearly 50 years in business by 2014, brand recognition remained modest outside loyal customers and the local Richmond Hill area.

Founded in 1966 as a guitar importer, Cosmo Music opened its first Toronto location in 1968 and evolved into Canada’s largest full-line musical instrument retailer. In 2014, Cosmo Music employed over 200 people and generated approximately $20 million in annual sales. The company operated from a one-of-a-kind 60,000 sq. ft. facility in Richmond Hill, Ontario, serving customers through multiple channels including retail, services, ecommerce, online marketplaces, and business-to-business sales. Its in-stock offering led the Canadian market across guitars, drums, band and orchestra, pianos, keyboards, recording, live sound, DJ and lighting, sheet music, books, vinyl records, apparel, and gifts.

Cosmo Music store atrium in Richmond Hill, Ontario (2010).

STRATEGY

CosmoFEST 2016 Kids Zone at Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Opportunity

In June 2014, I became Director of Marketing and Ecommerce. I conducted a full audit of Cosmo’s marketing spend to assess alignment with a destination retail strategy. Radio advertising represented the majority of the budget but was used sporadically across multiple campaigns and lacked a consistent, repetitive message. It was not delivering the sustained awareness a destination brand requires.

Insight and Idea

Store visitors, artists, and industry guests often said, “I had no idea this store was here. This place is a musician’s paradise.” The clear opportunity was to get more people to experience Cosmo in person and then share that experience. Cosmo’s underperforming mid-year sale, which featured a small stage and barbecue, needed to become a flagship event befitting a destination retailer.

Industry partners also noted the loss of Canada’s only musical instrument trade show. Cosmo’s purchasing team and brand relationships were well placed to fill that gap with a direct-to-consumer exhibition. Reallocating the radio budget would fund a large-scale, media-worthy event that showcased instruments, gear, expertise, and live music.

CosmoFEST festival wristbands for attendees.

The concept became CosmoFEST, Canada’s premier musical instrument and gear exhibition and celebration of live music.

EXECUTION

After 10 months of planning with a core team of about 12 people, we transformed Cosmo Music and its 4-acre property on the first Saturday of June 2015 into an event unlike any other in the world, combining retail, trade exhibition, live performance, and community programming in one experience. CosmoFEST ran from 2015 to 2023, with a pause during COVID.

Partial view of the 2023 CosmoFEST flyer showing the site map of the property.

Logistics

  • Operating budget: $600,000+ (excluding labour)

  • Staffing: 450+ people (employees, contractors, volunteers, sales reps, and artists)

  • Build scope: two weeks to construct and deconstruct facilities, including seven temporary structures

Instrument and Gear Expo

  • 16,000 sq. ft. vendor expo structure (subfloor, carpet, and air conditioning)

  • 55 vendor booths representing 150+ leading brands, including Fender, Yamaha, and Roland

  • 200+ attending product experts, master builders, and leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia

Interior of the 16,000 sq. ft. CosmoFEST 2018 Vendor Expo during setup and event preparation.
Big Wreck on the main stage at CosmoFEST 2018 in Richmond Hill, ON.

Main Stage

  • Covered outdoor festival stage with professional audio-visual production

  • 11-hour free program featuring five headlining concert performances (artist fee budget of $100,000)

Music Hall

  • 240-seat theatre within the retail store with professional audio and visual production

  • 10-hour program featuring six ticketed artist performance clinics

Dennis Chambers performance clinic in the Music Hall at CosmoFEST 2017.
Nicko McBrain meet-and-greet in the Vendor Expo tent at CosmoFEST 2019.

Meet-and-Greets

  • Thousands of fans meet artists and bands for interaction, autographs, and photos

  • 7.5-hour free program featuring scheduled times for 12+ artists and bands, including all headliners

Promotions

  • $60,000+ in grand prizes, RSVP incentives, and opening queue giveaways

  • Store-wide sale featured a digital spin-and-win up to 50% off and brand co-op discounts

Swift Blue Yamaha Revstar prize for CosmoFEST 2023, Cosmo Music.
Hand drumming and percussion activity in the Kids Zone at CosmoFEST 2016.

Community Zone

  • On-site radio broadcast partner and podcasters

  • 9-hour free program of family-friendly activities including live music and music lessons

Food

  • 9,000 sq. ft. clear span structure with picnic tables

  • Licensed alcohol sales, including a partner brewery co-branded Cosmo Music beer

  • 22 food trucks

Food Truck Alley at CosmoFEST 2017.

RESULTS

CosmoFEST attracted new visitors, increased revenue, supported Cosmo Music’s mission to support music, and substantially elevated brand profile. Over time, it became one of the company’s defining identities, both internally and externally, and a key reference point within the industry.

Drone view of the CosmoFEST 2019 entry lineup, showing the Vendor Expo tent and front entrance.

Attendance

  • 2019: 14,000 registered attendees, with lines forming at 4 a.m. (four hours before gates opened)

  • Over 35% of attendees travelled more than 40 km to attend

  • Over 30% reported CosmoFEST as their first visit to Cosmo Music

  • Most attendees stayed at least three hours

Sales

  • Sales increased by 50%+ compared to the pre-2014 mid-year sale event

  • CosmoFEST became the second-largest revenue day of the year (after Black Friday)

  • Overall annual sales grew from $20 million to $40 million over six years, partly driven by this marketing shift

Customer and vendor interaction at CosmoFEST in the Vendor Expo tent.
MPP Reza Moridi announces Celebrate Ontario funding for CosmoFEST at Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill (2018).

Community Recognition

  • Repeated recipient of federal and provincial grants supporting tourism and cultural programming, totalling $197,775 over four years

  • Attendance by government officials at all levels, including the mayor, Ontario MPPs, and federal MPs

  • A Starbucks partnership at CosmoFEST led to Cosmo opening an in-store franchise, the only music retailer globally with one

Industry Recognition

  • 2018: NAMM Best Marketing & Sales Promotion award (National Association of Music Merchants, representing a $24-billion global industry across 104 countries)

  • Strengthened partnerships with global brands and artists, generating many new co-marketing initiatives beyond the event

  • Cosmo hosted a well-attended pre-CosmoFEST industry night featuring partners, artists, and peers from across Canada’s music retail community

2018 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Best Marketing & Sales Promotion award displayed at Cosmo Music

IMPACT

CosmoFEST featured intimate performances and meet-and-greets with some of the most celebrated musicians, drawing attendees from across Canada, the United States, and abroad. Hosting and executing production at this level became a tipping point in what was possible for Cosmo Music.

Kim Mitchell performs on the CosmoFEST main stage at Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill (2018).

Music Hall Performers

  • Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth)

  • Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)

  • Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who)

  • Omar Hakim (Miles Davis, Dire Straits)

  • Richie Kotzen (Poison)

  • Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake)

  • Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders)

  • Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper)

Main Stage Headliners

  • April Wine

  • Finger Eleven

  • Mother Mother

  • Kim Mitchell

  • Chilliwack

  • Honeymoon Suite

  • 54-40

  • Big Wreck

  • I Mother Earth

  • Sloan

  • Lighthouse

  • The Beaches

  • Bif Naked

  • Meghan Patrick

  • Yukon Blonde

  • Terra Lightfoot

Nita Strauss and Nili Brosh, guitar performance clinic in the Music Hall at CosmoFEST (2017).
Left to right: Geddy Lee, Dave Grohl, and Christopher Bailey at Cosmo Music during CosmoFEST (2019).

Industry Leaders

CosmoFEST artists hosted included: Geddy Lee (Rush) and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana).

In addition to performing artists, CosmoFEST attracted prominent industry figures such as Joe Lamond (NAMM president and CEO), Paul Reed Smith (PRS Guitars founder), Eddie Kramer (producer and engineer for Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles), and Alan Cross (broadcaster and music historian, The Ongoing History of New Music), who participated in clinics, interviews, and meet-and-greets.

Kirk Hammett Side Project

In 2017, CosmoFEST demonstrated to Kirk Hammett (Metallica) that Cosmo Music could host a concert for his side project featuring Rob Trujillo (Metallica), Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age), Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe), and Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves).

Left to right: Whitfield Crane and Kirk Hammett performing at Cosmo Music (July 29, 2019).

MEDIA

From 2015 to 2023, CosmoFEST brought together artists, brands, and fans through live performances, product expos, and sales, drawing 14,000+ attendees and international partners.

CosmoFEST 2018 Highlights

CosmoFEST 2019 Highlights

From Cradle to Stage (Paramount+, 2021) (Episode 6)

Opening sequence featuring Cosmo Music, includes brief footage of me alongside Dave Grohl and Geddy Lee.

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