Jason Carlos has been named the new Executive Director of Departure Festival + Conference.
Carlos has served as the event’s Senior Director of Brand, Marketing & Communications since 2024 when LOFT Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) acquired Canadian Music Week (CMW) and undertook the event’s rebrand and transformation as a broader festival for creatives from across the audio, visual and digital media and entertainment sectors.
In his new role, he’ll oversee strategic and operational leadership of the festival, reporting to Jackie Dean, who was recently appointed President & CEO of LOFT Entertainment Group. Carlos’ appointment comes following Kevin Barton’s recent resignation from the ED role, who has also ended his partnership in LOFT with Randy Lennox, former president of Bell Media and CEO of Universal Music Canada.
“Jason has been an integral part of Departure’s evolution and understands both the strength of what we have built and the opportunity ahead,” said Jackie Dean, President & CEO, LOFT Entertainment Group. “His strong client relationships, business acumen and deep understanding of audience development are matched by his energy, ambition and knowledge of the platform. He is exceptionally well positioned to lead Departure into its next phase as we continue building a nationally and internationally significant destination for the creative industries.”
“Departure was created around a simple but ambitious idea: bring together the people and industries shaping the future of entertainment and culture,” added Carlos. “We have built a strong foundation in just two years, and I believe we are only beginning to realize what Departure can become. I am ready to lead this next chapter, grow the platform across industries and markets, and create something with lasting cultural and economic impact for Toronto, Canada and the global creative community.”
Prior to Departure, Carlos served as Director of Content at TIFF, helping drive digital transformation and content monetization, including platform partnerships with TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, Letterboxd, and Twitter. His background also includes leading audience growth and digital strategy for Soulpepper Theatre Company. He was named to The Peak’s 2025 Emerging Leaders in Media & Entertainment list, sits on the Marketing Committee for the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, and is a dedicated advocate for sustainable representation in the arts.
Departure says the event is entering its next phase of growth, following a significant expansion of its conference programming in 2026, that saw the introduction of a new series of industry-focused summits spanning creator culture, live music, sync and sports, alongside the return of Radiodays North America. According to data provided by the festival, it’s estimated that over its first two years, Departure generated approximately $160 million in industry business transactions and over $10 million in economic impact to the City of Toronto.
