Centre in the Square hires new executive director
Eric Lariviere has 30 years of arts management experience
When he assumes the role of executive director at Centre in the Square a few weeks from now, Eric Lariviere will have his work cut out for him keeping the region’s concert jewel relevant in a rapidly changing environment.
“The centre has a lot of room to grow,” says the 30-year arts management veteran, who will be leaving his post as general manager of the Flato Markham Theatre, and executive director of Destination Markham Corporation, when he starts work April 15.
“I see it as an opportunity. When you come to a new place, you take the time to listen and observe and learn and meet all the key stakeholders in the community.
“I want to take the time to also get to know the team and have a deep dive on our business model and the finance side of things.”
A native of Sherbrooke, Que., Lariviere has presided over the 530seat Markham theatre since 2009, and before that served as president and artistic director of the Daytona Beach International Festival, producing the largest international and orchestral festival in Florida.
From 1994-2003, he was general manager of Montreal’s Societe du Centre Pierre-Peladeau, a performing arts venue located on the campus of the Université du Québec.
Since 2013, he’s also been a parttime professor at Seneca College’s business school, where he teaches arts and entertainment marketing, and event financial management and analytics.
“I certainly know how to run venues,” says the self-described late-end baby boomer, who will fill the position vacated by his predecessor, Rob Sonoda, 15 months ago.
“I’m a leader that has a great vision, I’m a great collaborator and I build amazing teams.”
With a background in programming, marketing and fundraising, he hopes to strengthen the centre’s business model and increase opportunities to invest.
“The finances look good,” he notes of the 2,000-seat concert hall, owned by the city of Kitchener since it opened in 1981.
“I mean, all major venues in the world have public money to support them. This is not unusual. There’s not one venue in the world that makes money as a soft-seater. They’re all subsidized.
“But the centre is in good position to develop a growth strategy. I’ve been incredibly successful in raising money, and I intend to do that here.”
He’s also had success creating entertainment series, he says, noting it’s too early to articulate a clear vision of what those might look like in Kitchener.
“Probably what you’re going to see, as far as the visibility of this program and the centre, is quite an increase, in a positive way, of what’s going on here and the stories that will come from our programs.
While he has yet to get a grip on Waterloo’s Region’s changing demographics, he says his experiences in Markham, with a vastly diverse community he estimates at 82 per cent non-white, will likely come in handy.
“Some of those communities, the way they look at entertainment and culture might be very different than the Western tradition,” he says, predicting most community growth will come through immigration.
“I’m going to start testing some artists that have never come here before, and we’ll see how successful we are. It’s going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.”
With solid backing from the centre’s board of directors, whose chair, Dan Carli, lauds him as “an innovative leader with extensive international experience,” Lariviere is eager to get started.
“I’m very excited about the potential here to really make Centre in the Square a brand that will be top of mind at many levels, not only for the community as a whole, but also for visitors,” says the enthusiastic “empty nester,” father of four and grandfather of two.
“There’s so many options as far as entertainment, music, theatre, comedy — you name it. I think my approach is more about what will make this place vibrant for the community and the market.”
‘‘ I’m going to start testing some artists that have never come here before, and we’ll see how successful we are. It’s going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.
ERIC LARIVIERE CENTRE IN THE SQUARE