Cocktail Reception

A mixed-use venue, The Uptown Loft offers sound and lighting, a permanent bar, an on-site kitchen, and full-service catering. White beaded chandeliers and grey suede draping give the space a modern-chic vibe. The loft can receive as many as 200 for cocktails.

Recognizing the effect of social media in people’s everyday lives and creativity, Hashtag Gallery features contemporary artists from different types of media and disciplines. The 800-square-foot gallery, which opened in April, can accommodate as many as 120 and has a backyard space available.

The Silver Bus can seat 14 people and features leather seating, a full stainless-steel kitchen, and an entertainment system. The vintage 1960 GMC Motor Coach mobile space can be customized by branding or wrapping it.

Opened in May, the Oxley Public House serves a traditional British menu. Decorated in soft green and vibrant red hues with vintage furniture, the Oxley’s 800-square-foot upstairs bar is available for private meetings during the summertime and can accommodate as many as 30 people.

With exposed bricks and natural light flowing through a 9-foot-wide front window, Le Dolci offers 1,200 square feet of main-floor space accommodating as many as 55 people for reception and 20 seated. Opened in June, the space features four stainless-steel counters on wheels along with audiovisual equipment.

Smock Café is a creative arts cafe featuring a drop-in facilitated arts-and-crafts area, and a studio for art classes, camps, and workshops. The 350-square-feet studio can hold as many as 10 people, and the 1,500-square-foot cafe has a total capacity of 60.

While it's not in Toronto, this major meeting venue is making an impact on the region. A four-level meeting venue, Ottawa Convention Centre offers 192,000 square feet of usable space. It has 28 meeting rooms, and the largest, Gatineau Salon, can accommodate as many as 1,196 people. A 55,741-square-foot multipurpose hall is also available for 6,260 theatre-style and 4,600 for banquets. The convention centre is equipped with audiovisual services, computer equipment, digital media services, HDTV video services, teleprompters, and interactive voting systems.

Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto opened in January and offers three salons, a grand salon, three ballrooms, and a grand ballroom. The 4,500-square-foot grand salon can accommodate as many as 230 guests.

FountainBlu, which opened in September, offers 5,500 square feet of meeting and event space for as many as 600. Attached to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the modern ballroom features large windows that overlook the exhibition grounds. The space also includes a 1,000-square-foot cocktail reception room and a 300-square-foot terrace.

The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital opened in May 2011 after four years of construction. The research and education facility offers modern meeting rooms, five classrooms that each seat 50, a 15-seat boardroom, and an auditorium for 200. All meeting spaces come equipped with audiovisual and projection capabilities, smart boards, and wireless Internet.