In 2008, organizers of the annual gala in support of the Pencer Brain Trust dressed the Artifacts Room at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex almost entirely in black to coincide with the evening's "Noir" theme. This year, event designer Bill Fulghum filled the venue with eye-popping colour for Wednesday's cocktail party, which adopted a "Simply Chic" theme. "The starting point was trying to be the antithesis of last year," Fulghum said. "I wanted to make it happy. I wanted it to be fun and playful and irreverent and still have that element of sophistication."
Fulghum, who's been collaborating with event consultant Bonnie Gottlieb on the annual gala for the past five years, chose an orange and white palette for what was the ninth annual fund-raiser to benefit the Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Tumor Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital. (The couple established the trust after Gerry was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1997.) "It's clean and simple," Fulghum said of the colour scheme. "Orange is a happy colour."
A combination of oversize white and transparent balloons hung from the ceiling above two orange-fronted bars topped with white Moroccan-style lanterns. Two curved white sectionals, a new line from Contemporary Furniture Rentals, sat atop round orange carpets at either end of the event space. White sofas, mirror-topped tables, and large Moooi floor lamps filled the lounge area that ran the length of the room on an orange carpeted riser. Images of Gerry Pencer were broadcast on four large screens around the venue.
Silent auction designer Rodney Smith created an orange backdrop to display this year's items, which included a getaway to the South of France and a shopping spree and champagne lunch at Holt Renfrew's flagship store on Bloor Street. The 700 guests in attendance also had the opportunity to purchase orange bracelets in a raffle for a custom pendant from Isabella Briatico Fine Jewelry.
Holly Pencer Bellman, executive director of the Pencer Brain Trust, said the organizing committee wanted the event to have a striking but understated feel this year. "We're kind of following the times a little bit, but we still wanted to throw an amazing party. Everybody has had a rough few months, so we wanted to have something really, really great," she said. "It's simple and chic and a gorgeous event with great music, entertainment, and delicious food, and all to raise money for brain tumor patients and their families at Princess Margaret."
Staff from the Liberty Grand passed hors d'oeuvres including lobster spring rolls, goat cheese wontons, and asparagus tempura. Servers at a noodle station in the Artifacts Room offered traditional and silken tofu pad Thai, cold soba noodle salad, and Cantonese chow mein. Two additional food stations set up in the courtyard offered a selection of dishes such as dim sum and Mongolian sirloin beef served with dried chilies, scallions and fresh ginger on jasmine rice. Mandelbites provided biscotti; Nestlé Canada supplied Noir chocolate bars; and Vital Link Ice Cream supplied ice cream treats.
A photographer from Signature Studios snapped take-home photos of guests who posed in front of a plain backdrop at the entrance to the event. Event sponsors included Cott Beverages, TD Securities, CIBC, PROPrint Services Inc., RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, KPMG LLP, and National Bank Financial.
