The World Cup is nearly upon us and a global audience will be watching Toronto on a scale never seen before. That’s why Toronto Travel Massive and Destination Toronto came together for an evening of business and bowling at Wellington Event Venue and The National at the Well.
The FIFA tournament will bring together 48 countries for 104 games across 16 cities from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada will host 13 matches, in Toronto and Vancouver.
Lauren Jerome, Senior Content Manager of Creative Marketing at Destination Toronto moderated an exploratory fireside chat with a panel of local experts who shared a common mission: Help creators make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Panelists Lauren Jerome, Enrique Miguel Baniqued, Will Tang, and Marissa Anwar being introduced by Toronto Travel Massive co-leader, Kateryna Topol.
The panel brought together Content Creators and Destination Toronto Ambassadors Will Tang (Going Awesome Places) and Marissa Anwar, alongside film producer Enrique Miguel Baniqued, who were open books as they discussed practicalities, strategy, and mindset, as well as some quirks of showcasing a major event.
Prominent journalists, bloggers, and creators from Toronto joined us for the evening.
Draped in gifted FIFA Toronto scarves were journalists from Dreamscapes Magazine, Fodors, PAX Media, Northern Soul by Landsby, A Taste for Travel, Active City Travel, Avrex Travel, WestJet Magazine, Bold Magazine, Briefly News, Travel Life, Paths to Travel Magazine, Explore Magazine, bloggers behind Goat Roti Chronicles, Life On The Roam, Ms Jackson Travels, Parenting To Go, Rudderless Media, Travel with TMc, and creators Hungry Jet Lagged, Shared Passports, Simply Nma, The Life I Travel, and Venus and Maiku.
Here are the top 5 ways to maximize content opportunities during the World Cup, according to our expert panel.
The tournament is the foundation of the World Cup, but at its core it’s a festival of culture and sport, two things Toronto already has in spades. “You don’t need a ticket to experience what’s going on in the city,” Moderator Lauren Jerome pointed out. The recent Blue Jays World Series run was an excellent example of how the city can be a main character, not just a backdrop. She encouraged creators to look back at what content performed well during that time for ideas, and showcase experiences for visitors beyond events.
Capturing content for the World Cup is timely and important but it’s equally important to consider the future potential of that content. Content creator Marissa Anwar stressed on the value of B-roll, explaining that content taken during the World Cup can also be used to show what the city is like during summer, sporting events, or any of the other countless festivals the city hosts.
Taking footage that can be reused will ultimately save time and grow your B-roll bank.
Lauren Jerome added that from a DMO standpoint this content shows how our city can “activate a dream” and represent future possibilities to help establish Toronto as an extraordinary host city.
Will Tang creates a wishlist of the content he definitely wants to capture and a list of nice-to-haves. “Anticipate where the action will be” and get as much helpful content as early as possible. Remember to scout in advance so you know where you’re going and what you can bring. With strict bag and equipment policies at most venues, shooting well on a smartphone is a crucial skill.
Enrique Miguel Baniqued reminded creators to “lean into your community”.
Destination Toronto has an online calendar packed with Toronto26 events to help with planning. Talking to fellow creators and local businesses strengthens your network and can help identify opportunities you may have otherwise missed.
Covering the World Cup means working in crowded environments. For Enrique, safety comes first but he also tries to “be a fly on the wall”. Find a spot with great angles that isn’t intrusive to the visitor experience. Marissa also takes a ‘fan first’ approach in her own way, saying that “our job as content creators is to be shepherds to guide people”. While there’s an audience for real time footage, Marissa sees value in “helpful content first” that is useful to people from the city and visitors, like neighbourhood guides or how to use transit.
FIFA will not reshare any content with any identifiable brands other than direct sponsors.
If you want your content to be amplified by official accounts there are non-negotiables. FIFA requires all content to be “commercially clean” and they will not reshare any content with any identifiable brands other than direct sponsors. This includes local businesses or brand logos whether they are front and centre or in the back of a shot.
UGC creators should also remember that consent forms are mandatory. Shots of large crowds, people from the back, or side angles where people aren’t recognizable are an easy way around this. But if you plan to do street interviews, capture human emotion, or include children, you’ll need signed consent forms. The panel agreed that this is easier to achieve at the beginning of events or when the mood is high.
And remember, as Marissa put it “done is better than nothing”. Make time to edit, post, and share your content while it’s still current. Destination Toronto runs both their own and the FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto accounts so be sure to always tag and mention as you post.
— A big thanks to Destination Toronto and the team at Toronto Travel Massive for hosting the event, panelists Lauren Jerome, Will Tang, Marissa Anwar, Enrique Miguel Baniqued for their fantastic insights, and to everyone in the Toronto Travel Massive community who attended!
All images by Harold Feng. Want to be part of events like this? Join the Toronto Travel Massive community to stay updated on upcoming events, and follow us on Instagram.
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Comments
What a fun event, thank you for this lovely recap Ashlea and to all of the guests for joining!