A former executive at Just For Laughs is taking her expertise to another major live entertainment promoter.
Christine Melko Ross will be the new Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Nashville-based Outback Presents, taking charge of expanding the company’s Canadian footprint.
Melko Ross was with Just for Laughs (JFL) for 23 years, before the Montreal comedy company filed for creditor protection earlier this year to avoid bankruptcy and laid off the majority of its staff. At JFL, Melko Ross helped launch the Toronto edition of the Just for Laughs festival, built up the company’s touring division, and was integral to its flagship Montreal festival’s operations.
In Canada, Outback isn’t as high-profile as a comedy brand, but the company placed #6 on Billboard’s year-end Box Score promoters list for 2023, and is handling upcoming tours from comedians like Shane Gillis, Bill Burr and Jim Gaffigan.
Melko Ross tells Billboard Canada she’s excited to help Outback grow its presence in Canada, and not just in major markets like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
“Canadians love to laugh so we want to make sure that they’re entertained from coast to coast,” she says. “There’s lots of opportunity to do things in smaller places.” She highlights cities like Victoria and Regina, and emphasizes that the Maritimes are often overlooked by touring acts.
“They’re great audiences — Halifax has five universities in it. That’s a growing market.”
Melko Ross is also excited to design unique experiences and destination events — she mentions a previous JFL event in Cancún — and getting back in action with industry colleagues and venues that she’s worked alongside for decades.
It’s a tricky time for the live performance industry. Many festivals and venues, JFL amongst them, are facing existential threats from a combination of factors: lost revenue during the pandemic, rising overhead costs, and audiences that are slow to get back in their seats.
But Melko Ross says comedy fans have been coming to shows in droves.
“I think it’s gonna continue growing,” she adds. “I do think that that’s one area of the arts that has been very strong.”
JFL itself was revived in a smaller form this summer, when Quebec comedy company ComediHa! acquired its assets. The new owner put on a renamed edition of the festival featuring Dane Cook and Bassem Youssef.
“It’s a brand that many of us hold dear to our heart, so hopefully the spirit of that remains,” Melko Ross said of JFL.
But the transition of that well-known brand — long considered one of the industry leaders when it comes to North American comedy — leaves a gap for competitors in the sector.
When Melko Ross started booking comedy shows, Canadian tours hardly existed in the industry. From her perspective, the future of the medium is looking bright.
“If you need to get out into a different headspace, comedy allows you to do that,” she says, “the relief of laughter does somebody some good.”