Barbara Hershenhorn
President, Party Barbara Co., Toronto
Launch pad: Before she became “Party Barbara,” Hershenhorn was an interior designer. After meeting Wayne Clarkson (former director of the Toronto International Film Festival) in the mid-’80s, she began producing events for TIFF and has continued to produce events for the festival, as well as other high-profile clients including Casino Niagara, TIFF Bell Lightbox, the World Conference on AIDS, and Luminato.
Style signature: “Understated elegance, with a touch of the whimsical.”
Claim to fame: Producing and reinventing TIFF’s opening night gala for 25 years. Hershenhorn and her team have a knack for interpreting themes through striking decor, like 2009’s underwater-meets-Eden party for Creation, or turning the Liberty Grand into an ice rink for Score: A Hockey Musical.
Hidden talent: “I missed my calling as a detective.”
Launch pad: Before she became “Party Barbara,” Hershenhorn was an interior designer. After meeting Wayne Clarkson (former director of the Toronto International Film Festival) in the mid-’80s, she began producing events for TIFF and has continued to produce events for the festival, as well as other high-profile clients including Casino Niagara, TIFF Bell Lightbox, the World Conference on AIDS, and Luminato.
Style signature: “Understated elegance, with a touch of the whimsical.”
Claim to fame: Producing and reinventing TIFF’s opening night gala for 25 years. Hershenhorn and her team have a knack for interpreting themes through striking decor, like 2009’s underwater-meets-Eden party for Creation, or turning the Liberty Grand into an ice rink for Score: A Hockey Musical.
Hidden talent: “I missed my calling as a detective.”
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash
