Talent Bureau is a full-service management company and agency founded by industry duo Jeff Jacobson and Jeff Lohnes, who have a combined 30 years of experience working with talent. Their mission is to become the preeminent connectors of talent with opportunities in Canada, the United States and beyond.
Talent Bureau’s roots are in the events industry, booking speaking engagements and appearances, and in recent years, has expanded to include management, brand partnerships, and brokering deals in the podcast, television and literary spaces.
On the client-side, Talent Bureau prides itself on curating the best solutions for events, meeting planners and brands to engage their audiences whether on-stage or online.
From the talent perspective, many are looking for more than just agents to book them appearances. They want advice, guidance and ancillary services. We pride ourselves on helping our talent achieve their dreams, advance their careers and enhance their lives.
Jeff Jacobson has been in the entertainment business since 2007 when he (slightly) embellished the resume of his nightclub promotion company and convinced a famous keynote speaker to give a talk at his university. Since then, he has organized and brokered thousands of events around the world.
Today, he leads Talent Bureau’s Management and Partnerships division, representing clients including Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette, host of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. Jeff also played an instrumental part in the creation of Pink Whitney Vodka, which has become the number 1 flavoured vodka in North America.
Jeff is a hyperactive consumer of media, particularly obsessed with pop culture and sports, and tries to refresh Twitter no more than every 10 minutes (seconds).
His musings on the entertainment industry have (surprisingly) been found in Bloomberg, The Guardian, The Globe & Mail and The National Post.
Jeff Lohnes started the entertainment business running the most impressive high school dances in Southwestern Nova Scotia. They were fantastic. Fast forward a few years, he coordinated a folk festival, moved on to book rock bands and host rap battles, and by 2005 booked his first speaker – a young(er) Justin Trudeau.
Over the past ten years, Jeff has split his time between working behind the scenes as an event organizer and marketer and pursuing his true passion as a talent agent. From politicians and city builders to famous athletes, actors and influencers, Jeff’s broad interests are at home in the fast and diverse world of speaker and talent representation.
Outside the office, Jeff is the proudest Dad to his daughter Sophia, the former Co-Chair of TEDxToronto; he’s an above-average cook, a Scrabble enthusiast and a rather bad but very eager hockey player.
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jl@talentbureau.com