| EVENT REPORT 05.05.09 9:01 AM |
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Femme Fatale-Themed Innovators' Ball Draws Inspiration From Spy Exhibit
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 | The Ontario Science Centre's Great Hall
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash |
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For the third annual Innovators' Ball—sponsored by LG Electronics Canada for the first time and dubbed “Femme Fatale: An Evening of Intrigue”—the Ontario Science Centre drew inspiration from a new exhibit about the art of espionage to create a dinner and party that attracted a crowd of more than 1,200 people Thursday. “There’s an exhibit that opened April 9 called 'The Science of Spying.' Every year the Innovators’ Ball takes its theme from an exhibition,” said Matt Wiesenfeld, director of annual giving and a member of the event planning team.
“For the cocktail reception, we’re trying to take people back to the early days of spying,” Wiesenfeld said. “We’re creating a 20's- and 30's-era piano lounge with a singer and champagne.” Event management company Solutions With Impact created an all-white lounge with touches of green and purple—a nod to sponsor Telus—where models dressed as cigarette girls took photos of guests with LG Dare phones. “We’re working with some new sponsors this year so we’re letting them have fun with the event,” Wiesenfeld said.
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Ontario Science Centre, LG Electronics Canada, Telus, Tiffany & Company, Audi Canada, CTV, Air Canada, Camitz Sparkling Vodka, Cointreau, Cosabella, Glenmorangie, Hello, Hennessy, Moët & Chandon, Pepsi Bottling Group, Shops at Don Mills, StarChefs.com, Steam Whistle, The Bay, The Kirkwood Group, Yellow Tail, Yves Saint Laurent |
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| EVENT REPORT 04.29.09 8:00 AM |
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Oversize Teddy Bears, Palm Trees Fill Brazilian Ball's Benefit for SickKids
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 | The samba parade
Photo: System 4 Productions Inc. |
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The Brazilian Carnival Ball—known for its elaborate decor and the colourful costumes worn by performers in its annual samba parade—took a cue from this year's charity, the SickKids Foundation, and opted for a teddy bear theme for the 43rd annual fund-raiser, held Saturday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. "Every child loves a teddy bear, so that's how we came up with the concept," said 2009 event chair Janice O’Born, a member of the SickKids Foundation board.
Large pink, black, and silver bears—created by Brazilian artist and decor director Zeka Marquez—sat atop risers on the dining tables, and images of bears decorated panels that covered the walls throughout the ballroom. Marquez came up with the design for the event, and Toronto-based decor manager Luis de Castro put the look together, said Kathie Gayda, executive director of the ball. “The bears and the wall panels were produced in Brazil,” she said. In addition to centerpieces made out of Styrofoam, the decor team created two oversize bears that flanked the stage.
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SickKids Foundation, TD Bank, Rogers, The Printing House, BMO Financial Group, C.I.B.C., RBC, George Weston Ltd., Lexus on the Park, Scarborough Toyota, American Airlines, Tiffany & Company, Metropolitan Hotels, Hallmark Canada |
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| THE SCOUT 04.01.09 3:15 PM |
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Tabletop Trends From Diffa: Tumblers, Chunky Silverware, Fake Flowers
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FROM NEW YORK
Among the recurring motifs in the table settings at Diffa’s Dining by Design event this past week were a mix of fancy pieces and more rustic touches. There were thick ceramic plates, tumblers, and flatware in dark, heavy materials as well as a thick, fancy silverware. And several designers traded live plants for silk flowers.
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Diffa Dining by Design, H.P., Continental Airlines, Ralph Lauren Home, Tiffany & Company |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.26.09 9:00 AM |
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Metallics Shine at Orchid Dinner
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 | Vicente Wolf's gilded tower of Chinese lanterns
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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FROM NEW YORK
Tuesday evening the New York Botanical Garden celebrated its Orchid Dinner benefit at the Rainbow Room with the customary mélange of tables decked out in a multitude of styles and packed with masses of orchids. Twenty-eight designers, largely from the interior design world, created settings ranging from traditional and elegant (like Baccarat's table with branches dressed up with orbs of orchids) to modern and austere (David Mann for MR Architecture and Decor's translucent column with branches of orchids laced within).
A dominant theme this year was the recurring use of metallic objects, like golden chargers at David Easton's table, shimmering golden lanterns at Vicente Wolf's setting, and shiny metal orchids accenting the design from Stephen Elrod for Lee Jofa. Other trends included a smattering of unique textile patterns (on napkins, table linens, and even chair pillows), and napkin rings crafted from unexpected objects.
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Bank of New York Mellon, Tiffany & Company, Veranda |
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| EVENT REPORT 12.01.08 4:04 PM |
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Canfar Throws 23 Dinner Parties for 800 at Bloor Street Entertains
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 | Daniel Espinosa Studio
Photo: BizBash |
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Anyone who has arranged a dinner for 800 would surely agree the task can involve an inordinate amount of planning. But when that dinner involves 23 locations and 23 different chefs—followed by a cocktail party for 1,600 people at the Royal Ontario Museum—the planning process requires “an almost military hierarchy,” says David Vallee of David Vallee Entertains, who planned Bloor Street Entertains. The 12th annual fund-raiser for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (Canfar) took place Wednesday.
"It requires an extreme amount of pre-planning," said Vallee, who has been involved in organizing the event for the past four years. A committee of venue coordinators, each responsible for overseeing four to six venues, and an event manager at each dinner location ensure the event runs smoothly. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. "Every year is challenging with this event because it is such a 24-headed monster," he said, noting that recruiting chefs and securing venues is a process that begins in April.
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Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, Bang & Olufsen, Hugo Boss, Cartier, Daniel Espinosa Studio, Escada, Ferrari Maserati of Toronto, George C, Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew, HUGO Hugo Boss, McKinsey & Company, Noir, Ridpath's, Roots Canada, Swarovski Canada, Tiffany & Company |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.30.08 1:37 PM |
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Science Centre (and Susur Lee) Create Mars Setting for Gala
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 | The reception lounge
Photo: BizBash |
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The upcoming Ontario Science Centre exhibit “Facing Mars: Would You Survive the Journey?”—opening June 9—provided the inspiration for this year’s Innovators’ Ball, held at the Don Mills facility Thursday. “Our theme is Rock the Red Planet so we’re taking people to Mars for a really cool party and it’s 2029. We've got a time tunnel that people will walk through [and on the other side] you’re having dinner on Mars,” said Cindy Ball, associate director, development.
The evening kicked off with a dinner prepared by Susur Lee (who is closing Susur tomorrow and opening a new restaurant in Manhattan this fall) in conjunction with A La Carte Kitchen, and the George Brown College Chef School. “It’s such a great event. I was invited last year...I was looking at the food and saying, ‘Wow, I want to do this.’ And Tony Cohen [vice chair of the event], who sat next to me, said, ‘Okay, you’re in.’ So that’s why I’m here,” said Lee, who created a three-course meal for the evening.
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Susur Lee, Tiffany & Company |
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