Taking its prompt from the design world, event management firm Media Blitz chose purple as the theme colour of CTV’s annual upfront presentation for 1,500 guests at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Karen Gruson, event planner with Media Blitz, worked closely with Forget Me Not Flowers to incorporate the hot new hue into key design elements and accent pieces throughout the venue. The effect was striking. Arriving guests caught a hint of the purple extravaganza within as they traversed an eye-grabbing purple carpet leading to the venue entrance. Overhead, the ceiling of a temporary awning from Advanced Tent Rentals was also purple. Downtown Florist supplied the shapely topiaries that stood sentry on either side of the walkway.
Inside in the foyer, a large CTV logo topiary sat behind a massive bar, accented by live purple orchid spheres atop tall clear glass vases. Across the way, artists from Picasso Painters painted depictions of characters from CTV’s program lineup on two live models. Nearby, purple mirrored plastic material covered square cocktail tables, topped by thick glass candleholders and purple candles. For football fans, Envision Digital Photography provided a photo booth and snapped pictures of guests standing beside the Canadian Football League’s iconic Grey Cup. A permanent fixture in the space is a round administration desk, and Hiro Sushi Restaurant, which shared catering duties with North 44, covered this structure with purple fabric and used it as a sushi food station. North 44º prepared hors d’oeuvres such as crisp taro root chips passed by the Butler Did It caterwaiters wearing white T-shirts adorned with the red, blue, and green CTV logo.
The second floor featured a North 44º food station, serving Peking duck burgers with mango salsa, red lettuce, crackle, sesame, garlic sauce, and scallions. Contemporary Furniture Rentals provided large mirrored purple bars, flanked by flowing water walls with purple orchid branches sticking out from the sides. Opposite the bars, purple candles in clear candleholders and more purple orchid spheres atop vases decorated tall long purple communal bar tables. A water wall from Solar Aquatics added to the ambiance. Up on the third floor, guests sipped smoothies from the Gourmet Beverage Company while viewing vintage CTV-broadcast programs displayed on TV screens from Westbury National Show Systems.
