Macquarie Private Wealth hosted a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party for 400 guests on Tuesday, with proceeds going toward Big Brothers and Big Sisters Toronto and the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Kim Graham, principal at Kim Graham and Associates, produced the event and incorporated the 1960's into every aspect, from the Imperial Plaza venue to the menu.
“The Mad Men theme developed after seeing the space,” said William MacTaggart, an investment adviser at Macquerie, who toured the space with Graham. The Rockefeller family commissioned Imperial Plaza in 1957, and its marble walls, 35-foot ceilings, and gold-leaf tiles are a statement of the period.
Ingrid von Cube, creative director at Appetizingly Yours, referred to Mad Men to refresh her memory and design the 60's-inspired menu. Bow-tied servers passed Waldorf salad, steak tartar, and beef Wellington, and cigarette girls passed Swedish meatballs and sushi, rolled to look like cigars. Guests helped themselves to the cheese fondue station, and staff from Servers and Shakers mixed Absolut Elyx martinis at the bar.
MacTaggart hoped the event would raise $150,000 for Big Brothers and Big Sisters Toronto and the Children’s Foundation. "You have to do good in the community where you live and work," MacTaggart said. As of press time, the total was still being calculated.