CIMA is excited to be bringing a delegation of seven Canadian independent music companies to Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) this October for our first-ever ADE Business Mission.

As ADE celebrates its 30th anniversary, CIMA’s delegation will join thousands of music professionals from around the world in Amsterdam for one of the international music industry’s leading gatherings.

The Canadian companies attending ADE with CIMA’s business mission are: BLK Matter, Blue Heron Music, Moonshine Music Inc, OPAK, Physical Presents (Cadence Music Group), Repertoire Artists, & Westwood Recordings. The delegation will also be joined by Sam Rayner, Head of Industry & Membership Development at CIMA.

The mission is designed to help Canadian companies build meaningful international relationships, explore new business opportunities, and connect with music professionals from across the global industry. The delegation will have the opportunity to experience ADE in its entirety; from conference panels and networking events to showcases and informal industry gatherings.

As part of the mission, CIMA will also organize targeted business meetings and networking opportunities, including an official Meet the Canadians event in partnership with ADE.

Meet the Delegation

Fiona Ham
President, HAUSOFHAM
www.instagram.com/studiohausofham/
Fiona Ham is an international communications strategist, music metadata executive and artist advocate, and President of HAUSOFHAM. She chairs the JUNO Awards’ Underground Dance Single category and is a member of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA).
HAUSOFHAM moves Canada’s electronic music culture forward by demonstrating the value of its catalog through technology. We deploy music recognition technology (MRT) at live events, provide catalog administration, and host RésHAU, our premier networking event that connects the electronic music industry in Canada and internationally.

Cole Stephenson
General Manager/Co-Founder, Physical Presents (Cadence Music Group)
https://physicalpresents.com
Cole Stephenson is the Co-Founder and General Manager of Physical Presents, one of Canada’s leading independent dance/electronic labels and publishers with a footprint in both Toronto and Los Angeles. Partnered with Virgin Music Group for global distribution and Third Side Music for publishing administration, he has helped steer the label to achieve several Top 10 charting singles, multi-platinum certifications, and a catalogue approaching 1000 masters and compositions. Under his leadership, Physical Presents has worked with an acclaimed roster of artists with releases that include Felix Cartal, Rêve, BYOR, Karen Harding, Kasablanca, Tegan and Sara, BIJOU, Daya, Morgan Page, Lights, Kiiara, Manila Killa, HNTR and Sophie Simmons.

Nick Middleton
CEO, Westwood Recordings
https://westwoodrecordings.com
Guided by the belief that business can be pleasure, Nick Middleton is a
Billboard-charting producer, serial entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of Westwood
Recordings, one of Canada’s leading independent music companies. Beyond
Westwood, he also serves as Co-Founder & CEO of Midnight Agency and Head of
Talent & Senior Talent Buyer at Rifflandia Entertainment Company.

As Founder & CEO of Westwood, Nick has built one of Canada’s most respected
independent music companies, home to a diverse roster of global artists and creative
partnerships with brands including Splice, Twitch, and Riot Games. Westwood’s catalog
has also been featured across Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and Peloton, helping amplify
Canadian creativity on the global stage.

Stephen Franke
Co-founder/Manager, Blue Heron Music
https://blueheronmusic.ca
Stephen Franke is the co-founder and co-owner of Blue Heron Music, a Victoria, BC-based artist management and label services company representing a diverse roster of acclaimed Canadian artists, including Ocie Elliott, Current Swell, Jon and Roy, Jesse Roper, FLEECE, The Bankes Brothers, Nicky MacKenzie, Ashleigh Ball, MURGE, and Bluefold.

Under Stephen’s leadership, Blue Heron Music has helped develop artists whose music collectively generates more than 500 million streams annually. The company has released over 30 albums and secured more than 200 sync placements with major brands, broadcasters, and platforms including Volkswagen, Scotiabank, Lululemon, Samsung, HBO, Netflix, NBC, ABC, Hulu, Warner Bros., and Sony. Blue Heron artists have toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America, and have performed at or headlined more than 100 festivals worldwide.

Gita Seaton
Manager / Coordinator, OPAK
https://www.opakmusic.com
Gita Seaton transitioned into music to join Patrick Watson’s management team after a successful career in hospitality. She brings with her over two decades of experience in building inclusive, experience-driven spaces that balance creativity with accessibility. With more than five years in the arts, she has established a growing professional network and a reputation for thoughtful, people-centered work. Her background in team leadership, project management, and communications seamlessly informs her approach to supporting artists and industry partners, allowing her to contribute with both strategic clarity and a fresh perspective.

Elise Milani
Director of Operations and Marketing, BLK Matter
https://www.blk-matter.com
Elise Milani is a Toronto-based music executive with over a decade of experience building and scaling artist businesses in electronic music. At BLK Matter, she leads across artist management, marketing, business operations, and organizational strategy for a global roster that includes Kaskade and John Summit.

Previously, Elise held leadership roles at Monstercat and 2+2 Management, where she worked alongside award-winning artists including REZZ and Zeds Dead. Her expertise spans global release and touring strategy, audience development, team building, and the infrastructure behind complex artist businesses.

Elise also serves as Chair of the JUNO Awards’ Electronic/Dance Music Advisory Committee.

Berk Hendricks
Agent/Founder, Repertoire Artists Group
https://www.repertoire-artists.com
Berk Hendricks, born and raised in Toronto, engaged with music at an early age by mimicking his older sister while she practiced for her piano lessons. This led to attending performing arts school and refining his passion for music by playing the Trombone from that time all the way through to graduation from York University with a degree in music, with an intent focus on digital music production. He carved a path and built a career through alternative industries, gaining experience in corporate sales, merchandising, and management consulting. He ultimately reentered the music scene on the business side in 2020, leading to a position as chair of the board for a live music events non-profit and subsequent music industry roles in artist relations and community partnerships with Polaris Music Prize as well as booking agency work with Midnight Agency in Toronto. This booking agency role helped support the launch of his own agency in 2024 with a refined lens and goals that manifested into Repertoire Artist Group. Also directly impacted attainaing his current position at MRG as a booking manager for three concert venues in Toronto; Adelaide Hall, Annabel’s Music Hall and Queen Elizabeth Theatre. In July 2026, he launched Stamina, a promoter sub-brand under MRG as a home base for the growing genre of electronic music.

CIMA x ADE: Meet the Canadians

On Wednesday, October 21, CIMA will partner with ADE to host a dedicated Canadian business networking event, bringing together our delegation and international music industry professionals.

The afternoon will include curated B2B meetings connecting Canadian companies with potential international partners, followed by a Meet the Canadians networking mixer offering additional opportunities to connect with ADE delegates and music professionals from around the world. 

Working alongside our Dutch music industry partners, CIMA will help facilitate connections based on each company’s international business objectives and areas of interest.

Throughout the week, delegates will also have the opportunity to participate in ADE’s extensive conference programming, networking events, showcases and other industry activities, making the most of everything the event has to offer.

Heading to Amsterdam Dance Event? We’d love to connect!

If you’re Canadian and attending ADE, let us know! We’d love to connect with you and include you in our Meet the Canadians mixer.

And to our international industry colleagues and delegates, we’d love to see you there too! Sam Rayner from the CIMA team will be on the ground throughout ADE and looks forward to connecting with you.

Reach out to Sid at sid@cimamusic.ca to get in touch.