In The News

Mike Mascioli

ORLANDO, FL (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) -- Mike Mascioli, VP of Mascioli Entertainment Corporation has been named exclusive talent buyer by the President of X-FEST, Darryl Wolski for US National Acts to perform at the 2nd Annual X-FEST Festival in Brandon, Manitoba.

This prominent Canadian rock festival will take place on August 8th & 9th with an anticipated attendance of 15,000 fans over the two days.

Edmonton, Alberta's Jet Nightclub & Sports Lounge owner, John Midnight and GM, Kevin Radomski are pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Mascioli, VP of Mascioli Entertainment Corporation, as their exclusive National Talent buyer for their newly renovated 710 seat venue. The immediate plan is to fill Jet Nightclub’s calendar with National Acts on Fridays and Saturdays, with the long term goal of presenting high-end talent on Sundays through Thursdays, as well.

Jet Nightclub was formerly the Kings Knight Pub. It has a long history of presenting name attractions and with this expanded seating capacity, management is excited about the ability to increase their star power for future shows. Mascioli Entertainment is based in Orlando, FL and Canadian born Mike Mascioli specializes in booking National Acts in Western Canada, from Winnipeg to Vancouver Island.

Paul Mascioli - President, Mascioli Entertainment Corporation-has been in the entertainment business for 35 years… that definitely makes him a veteran in our industry!

Paul graduated from the Canadian Forces School of Music in 1966, and after a 12-year military career which included traveling the world as a musical soloist and heading up the P.R. Department for a 90 piece military band, he joined the "School of Hard Knocks" and started his own entertainment company in Victoria, BC, Canada. Today he runs a full service, multi-national entertainment company, which offers artist management and bookings for all sorts of events.

Paul grew up and raised his family around music. His mother was a celebrated choral director (teaching him music). His dad was an Italian Consul (teaching him diplomacy). One of his siblings is a successful musical composer. Another directed 100 episodes if General Hospital and is now a magazine publisher. His son, Mike, is an artists' manager, talent agent and his business partner. He also has a daughter who lives with her husband and two children in Calgary, Alberta. Paul and his wife (who remains the star of his dreams) just celebrated their 38th anniversary!

Paul has many special memories while working in the industry, but two of his favorites are a concert that he produced with Bill Cosby, as well as the four years he spent as the president of the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) from 1986 to 1990.

When asked why MPI is important to Paul, his reply was "Because it allows me to meet and network with my contemporaries and stay abreast of current industry trends." Paul's advice to any newcomers in the industry is to "pay attention to what your clients are asking for, and don't try to get rich on any one deal. Strong relationships in business will be the key to your success." I think we can all take that advice to heart!

Paul Mascioli is founder and president of Mascioli Entertainment Corporation, a full-service entertainment company offering artists management and booking for conventions, casinos, arenas, theaters, nightclubs, fairs, festivals, and special events. Last month (December 2004) his company celebrated its 35th year.

Paul began his venture into the music business in Victoria, British Columbia in 1969 with the opening of talent agency Prestige Entertainment Agencies Ltd. As the business experienced a dynamic growth period, Paul relocated to Vancouver. He was selected to serve as co-chairman of Country Music Week '87, where his leadership efforts led to the Canadian Country Music Industry's first-ever, nationally televised and live awards show on the CTV Network. That year, he also won the Canadian Country Music Association's "Booking Agent of the Year" award. Active in the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), Paul was an advisor to the Board (1983-85), director (1985-86) and then elected president (1986-90).

Paul changed the company's name in 1991 to Mascioli Entertainment Corporation, and moved the corporate headquarters to Nashville. "There was another Prestige Entertainment, in England I think, and as I was relocating from Canada to the USA, I thought the timing was right for the change," he explains.

While in Nashville, Paul orchestrated the promotional efforts and finalized the negotiations that led to major recording deals for some of his management clients, including Lisa Brokop with Capitol Nashville, and Ian Tyson with Vanguard Records, a deal which remains in place to this day. With the addition of two publishing companies in 1993: Giovellino Music (ASCAP) and Mascioli Music, Inc. (BMI), Paul developed and implemented leadership and business strategies that were instrumental in building this company into a successful, international enterprise.

Paul notes that one of his most rewarding experiences took place in 1997 when his son, Mike, joined the Nashville operation after working for five years as a booking agent in Vancouver, and one year with The Bobby Roberts Company in Nashville. Together, they moved to Orlando in 1998 because of the area's growing hotel, convention and theme park industries. There Paul continued his active strategic planning and business development role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of Mascioli Entertainment. Paul also had a short tenure at T. Skorman Productions as a senior vice president until January 2003, where he was an independent contractor for the company, booking mostly corporate shows, while continuing to represent his own artist roster separately through MEC.

In January 2003, Mike was appointed vice president of Mascioli Entertainment with the opening of new offices in Orlando. Together, Paul and Mike continue to focus on artist management, concert promotions, and event productions.

Today, MEC exclusively represents singer/songwriter Ian Tyson, uncensored hypnotist Anthony Cools and The Three Tenors of Orlando.

And business has been good. "We came off our strongest summer in years," says Paul, "and survived Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne and the threat of Ivan. In June, I was pleased to broker a long-term deal between "The Apprentice'"s Troy McClain and Pinnacle Financial Corporation, one of the East Coast's largest independently owned mortgage lenders. Troy will act as spokesman for Pinnacle's nationwide advertising campaign.

"The summer also saw us book such notable acts as BTO, Default, Dr. Hook, Maroon 5, Nazareth, Vince Neil, Ratt, Skid Row, Slaughter, Rick Springfield, Starship with Mickey Thomas, The Temptations, Ian Thoronley, Three Days Grace, Three Dog Night, Trapt, Andrew WK, and a host of Central Florida-based talent for corporate, social and theme park events," Paul notes. "We were also very fortunate to have our two main exclusive artists - Anthony Cools and Ian Tyson - enjoy very heavy performance schedules throughout the summer."

In addition to Paul and his son Mike, MEC is also staffed by office manager Marina Castro, sales associate Darci Smith, and Joan Mascioli who oversees the books.

Paul is quite active in his industry extracurricular activities and maintains professional affiliations with ASCAP, BMI, CCMA (life member), CMA, GOAMPI, Orlando/Orange County CVB and SOCAN.

Why did you move your agency to the U.S. from Canada?
The deciding factor was an aspiring country music star, Lisa Brokop, who I had signed for management in Vancouver when she was a teenager. It was obvious that Lisa had incredible potential and that my being in Nashville would be a major benefit to accelerating her career. I was also managing other Canadian national acts at the time who I thought would benefit from my having a presence in Nashville.

Do you miss working in Canada?
No, because I continue to do a lot of work there.

Do you still maintain your Canadian clients?
Our two main artist clients are Ian Tyson (since 1988) and Anthony Cools (since 1997) and they are both Canadians. Ian has become a Canadian icon and through the demand for him there for personal appearances, I continue to do a great deal of business in Canada.

With promoters claiming how disastrous this summer was in terms of concerts, why did your artists do so well?
Perhaps because we strive to book our artists in venues that are realistic in size and cost, relevant to their drawing power. It also helps to have a roster of artists who have a solid following this holds true for artists who we exclusively manage or book and for the numerous artists who we broker for corporate and public shows. Trying to force a show into an unwanted situation can often prove to be an expensive recipe for disaster.

How have private concerts/events fared over the past five years?
Leading up to the millennium, business was very good. Right after New Years Eve 2000, things began to slow down and immediately after 9-11, business actually went backwards . . . I recall having to refund deposits on dates that were cancelled because of that horrific event. It took a full year to start turning things around to the good and this year has proven to be one of our company's best, ever, thanks to a strong demand for well priced, quality talent and our ability to convert leads and prospects into signed deals with both long-time and new clients.

How much outsourcing for events do you do?
We buy or manage the talent and produce the entertainment segments of our events, in-house. We out source things like sound, lights, transportation and décor.

What segment does your company do the majority of its business with?
I think we are pretty evenly matched in three areas: 1). concerts, casinos and private events for our exclusive artists, 2). corporate events in the USA and Canada, and 3). theme parks in Central Florida.

First concert attended
Johnny Cash at McIntyre Arena in Schumacher, ONT, Canada in 1954.

First concert worked
As a young musician, a church social in Timmins, ONT in 1957. As an agent, Oscar Peterson, Victoria, BC in 1969. As a promoter, probably Roy Orbison in Powell River, BC in 1977.

First industry job
As a fledgling drummer, I became a professional musician on New Years Eve, 1963, and as a businessman, I established my booking agency, Prestige Entertainment, in December 1969.

Career highlights
I joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a bandsman apprentice in 1964 and went on to become a soloist in Navy Bands and the head of public relations for the Canadian Forces Naden Band in Victoria. One of my duties was to set up all of the world tours for the 90-member concert band and 19-piece show band. At age 26, I went on to become the youngest man to ever achieve the rank of Warrant Officer during peacetime. In the mid 70's--mid 80's, I promoted every touring jazz artist who worked on the West Coast of Canada and made some very good friends amongst these jazz luminaries.

In 1986, I was named the Canadian Country Music Association's (CCMA) Booking Agent of the Year and went on to become a three-term president of the CCMA from 1986-1990. Some of the accomplishments I achieved as president included establishing an annual, nationally televised awards show (which still plays today on CBC in Canada and CMT in both Canada and the United States), and we signed a major corporate sponsorship agreement for the Association with Labatt's Breweries. In 1987, I co-chaired Country Music Week (the CCMA's annual music conference) in Vancouver, BC. That year, I was also elected president of the International Theatrical Agent's Association (ITAA).

In the 1990's, I negotiated major publishing and recording agreements for various artists including a memorable deal with the infamous Jimmy Bowen of Liberty Records. As a manager, I witnessed magic being worked in the studios for my various artists by engaging such renowned producers as Jerry Crutchfield and Paul Worley, to name just two. A personally rewarding highlight was the day my son, Mike, came to work for me in 1997 and when I made him my business partner in 2003. And finally, my on-going tenure as Ian Tyson's agent from 1988 has and continues to present me with challenges that have proven to be very exciting and most rewarding.

Career disappointment
The loss of managed artists such as Lisa Brokop through attrition and Hagood Hardy through his untimely death before we could reach the mutual goals that we had set out to accomplish.

Greatest challenge
In 1976, convincing my wife Joan, that leaving the Navy to pursue a full time career as an agent, manager and promoter would be a good idea.

Best business decision
In 1976, leaving the Navy to pursue a full time career as an agent, manager and promoter.

Best advice you received
Don't ever try to get rich on one show. Charge appropriately and reap the benefits of return business.

Best advice to offer
As an agent or manager, remember that you work for your artists . . . not the other way around! Treat them with respect and it will come home to you in spades.

Most memorable industry experience
The first successfully televised CCMA Awards show on national TV which happened under my watch as CCMA President.

What friends would be surprised to learn about you
As a young man, I built and raced stock cars on dirt tracks.

Industry pet peeve
Control of the music business by multi-national corporations, which often parlays into difficulties in signing meaningful record deals for artists, getting radio air play, and securing venues for concerts.

Office paraphernalia
Numerous photos, which provide great memories, a dictionary, a thesaurus and a working telephone!

If I wasn't doing this, I would be...
…dead!

Industry mentors
The late Russ Gary, former manager of The Kingston Trio and Glenn Yarbrough; the late Jack Feeney, formerly of RCA Records in Toronto and past president of the CCMA; and, Ian Tyson who, over the years, has given me incredible insight by sharing his life-long experiences in our business of music and entertainment.

Paul can be reached at (407) 897-8824; e-mail: paul@masciolientertainment.com

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Mascioli Entertainment Corp., a full-service entertainment company with more than 30 years of experience in concert promotions, event design and production, recently opened in Orlando.

Paul Mascioli, 55, who founded the business in Canada in 1969, said Orlando's growing hotel and convention industry and its theme parks make it a key place for companies putting on shows for business meetings and events of all kinds.

"We've established a niche, and a lot of companies are coming to us for talent," said Mascioli, who through the years has developed extensive contacts in the music industry.

He moved the company to Nashville, Tenn., in 1991 and represented country-western performers as well as variety acts. His son, Mike, got into the business in the 1990s and after working on his own as a booking agent in Vancouver, joined his father's company in 1996.

Both Masciolis moved in 1998 to Orlando, the nation's leading hotel and theme park market, and worked for an established Orlando talent booking agency, T. Skorman Productions, which has been in business for more than 20 years and has a staff of 20.

While learning the Central Florida market, the Masciolis kept their business active as a sideline, Paul Mascioli said, and recently decided to strike out on their own again. The Masciolis now have a staff of five, with offices on Curry Ford Road.

Mascioli Entertainment handles everything from theming, entertainment, staging, audio visual, lighting, stage and show management. The firm boasts that it can find local, national and international talent "from a single pianist to a 60-piece orchestra, from a jazz quartet to a top-40 variety band." They also book speakers and comedy.

Mascioli subcontracts out much of the work.

"We outsource a lot -- 20 to 25 people working on a show," such as people to set up the audio and visual equipment, Paul Mascioli said. "This is the trend in the industry, to keep the [core] business small and hire independent contractors. They are plentiful here" in the Orlando area, Mascioli said. "I've got a good roster to call on."

About 80 percent of the company's work is with meeting planners and destination-management companies, which oversee conventions, trade shows or association meetings, from greeting delegates at the airport and shuttling them from one location to another to staffing a registration desk and decorating meeting rooms.

Mascioli also does special events, gala award dinners, weddings and receptions.

Jerry W. Jackson can be reached at jwjackson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5721.

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