Best In Vancouver 2023 Sponsor Spotlight: Kristina Lao
Kristina Lao is a multinational touring actor and musician with an active commitment to social betterment and systemic change initiatives. Alongside playing to audiences of thousands on stage, and appearing in network television, commercials and audiobooks, Kristina devotes almost half of her working time to advocate for social justice and sustainable careers in Media & Entertainment. Kristina is the first Hong Konger to graduate from the London school of Musical Theatre and holds a Degree with Distinction in International Business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Kristina is of Chinese-Nepalese and British-Polish descent, and is currently based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples, otherwise called Vancouver, B.C. She has just produced Signals, a 7-day immersive exhibition presented by VIFF and DigiBC, and will be co-producing Indiefest 2023, an 11-day multi-disciplinary festival across five venues around the city.
Where do you think the music industry is heading next? What are some things you would like to see?
We exist in an ecosystem of Entertainment - we’re not only musicians now. We create content, brand and rebrand, design shows, create experiences. We are part of a bigger picture, and it's important to build a team and make a strategic plan, based around your own strengths as an act or band. I would like to see more support for emerging artists in general, more spaces to play and more incubatory spaces to allow artists at all stages to level up and collaborate.
What recommendations do you have for bands to make the most of Best In Vancouver 2023?
Ask for feedback and act on it. Keep in touch with each other. Spotlight each other, the industry, and show gratitude where it's due. Update your bios or creative resumes, so you can apply for the next step in your career, using Best In Vancouver as a stepping stone. Listen to the other acts and bands.
Is there anything in the pipeline for you coming up that you would like to share?
Nothing to share at the moment.