Hello Toronto Travel Massive community,
FIFA World Cup 2026™ is more than a tournament; it’s a once-in-a-generation moment for Toronto. For Destination Toronto and its local creator community, the games present an opportunity to garner unprecedented global attention, attract diverse audiences, and take advantage of a massive surge in real-time digital engagement.
Game on, Toronto! is your backstage pass to making the most of it. Join industry insiders and top creators as they break down how to capture the energy, diversity, and global buzz of the city in real time - turning fleeting match-day moments into powerful, lasting content. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for navigating rights and brand alignment, plus insider tips on creating content that performs. Whether you’re looking to grow your audience, elevate your storytelling, or tap into the massive digital wave surrounding the games, this session will show you how to position yourself - and Toronto - at the centre of it all.
After the panel, join us for food, drinks, games and prizes to kick-off the soccer celebration!
This event is for: Travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters) and travel advisors.
Toronto’s visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, with a record 28.2 million visitors generating over $9 billion in visitor spending in 2025. Destination Toronto’s purpose is to ignite the city’s visitor economy to enrich and empower its communities. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto and the tourism and hospitality community, Destination Toronto promotes the city to attract visitors and major meetings and events, and supports local businesses in maximizing the opportunities of the visitor economy. For more information, please visit DestinationToronto.com.
6:00 PM: Arrival
6:15 PM: Welcome and fireside chat
7:00 PM: Group migration to The National for sips, bites, and bowling
8:00 PM: Prize pack raffle
8:30 PM: Event ends
Panel Moderator: Lauren Jerome (she/her)
Senior Content Manager, Creative Marketing, Destination Toronto
IG: @destination_toronto | LI: @lauren-jerome | www.destinationtoronto.com
Lauren Jerome is the Senior Content Manager, Creative Marketing at Destination Toronto, where she leads content strategy for major campaigns—including ongoing work with the City of Toronto on FIFA World Cup 2026.
With a background spanning editorial and agency, she brings a strong mix of storytelling instincts and platform-savvy thinking. Lauren is especially interested in the intersection of travel, events, and creator culture—and how real-time moments can be turned into content that connects.
Panellist: Will Tang (he/him)
Content Creator, Destination Toronto Ambassador
IG: @goingawesomeplaces | goingawesomeplaces.com | www.youtube.com/goingawesomeplaces
Will, formerly a Toronto Travel Massive Chapter Leader, is the content creator behind Going Awesome Places, an award-winning travel brand that focuses on outdoor adventure and experiential travel through his website, YouTube channel, and social media. He's also an ambassador for Destination Toronto with a huge passion for his home city teams and all things sports and outdoors.
Panellist: Marissa Anwar (she/her)
Content Creator, Destination Toronto Ambassador
IG: @Marissa.Anwar
Marissa Anwar is an award-winning writer, producer, and marketing executive with a career spanning travel media, tourism, and tech. The creator of Darling Escapes and a producer at DEMG, she has developed content and campaigns for some of the world's most recognized tourism brands and brings a sharp digital perspective to destination storytelling.
A former social strategist at Lonely Planet and proud Toronto native, Marissa serves as a Destination Toronto Social Ambassador, championing her city to audiences around the globe.
Panelist: Enrique Miguel Baniqued
Film producer
IG @enriquemiguel_ | explorerscontent.com
Enrique Miguel Baniqued is a Filipino-Canadian film and digital content producer based in Toronto. With a background in business and film production, he works across narrative and branded content with a global perspective.
In 2025, Enrique became the youngest producer nominated for a Canadian Academy Award for VILLAGE KEEPER, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was released theatrically nationwide. Alongside his narrative work, he has captured on-the-ground content during major global events, including FIFA-related activations, and produced branded content for organizations such as Destination Toronto, NBA, NHL, UFC, Family Feud Canada, the JUNOS and more.
Prize 1 & 2: FIFA toque, FIFA tote, FIFA mini soccer ball, and FIFA water bottle.
Grand Prize: FIFA toque, FIFA tote, FIFA mini soccer ball, FIFA water bottle, FIFA full size soccer ball, Two tickets to the Toronto Tempo Sept 20 game against the New York Liberty in Destination Toronto's private suite
T&C: The winner must be physically present at the event on May 20, 2026 to receive the reward.
Wellington Event Venue
The Well sets the stage for meaningful experiences that draw people from near and far to Eat, Shop, Work, Live and Play. Designed for community engagement, the Wellington Event Venue boasts 5,038 sq. ft. of a dynamic space nestled within Wellington Market on the Lower Ground level.
‣ thewelltoronto.com/directory/wellington-event-venue/
‣ thewelltoronto.com
National at the Well
National offers best-in-class beer, incredible cocktails & a thoughtfully curated food menu alongside a full-service bowling alley and arcade.
• Travel Massive: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
• Destination Toronto: IG: @destination_toronto | TT: @destinationtoronto | FB: @destinationtoronto #SeeTorontoNow
• Wellington Event Venue at The Well: @thewell_to
• National at the Well: IG: @ntnltoronto | FB: National Toronto | TT: @ntnltoronto
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on TravelMassive.com. Please make sure to describe what your role is in the travel industry and add associated social media and website links.
If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity we have a 3-strike no show policy.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner.
Land acknowledgment: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
