For the past four years, Harley-Davidson retailers across Canada have been hosting all-female events called Garage Parties in an effort to provide a comfortable atmosphere for women to become accustomed to the brand. On Wednesday, the company threw the largest iteration yet—an interactive cocktail reception for more than 300 women at the Liberty Grand. "We wanted to take the Garage Party concept and blow it out, over-the-top,'" Olivia Gottlieb, an outreach specialist with Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, said of the event, dubbed Precious Metal. "We want women to feel empowered and that they can do anything they want to do."
"The idea is to break the barriers women have when it comes to motorcycling," Gottlieb said, noting that women are often intimidated to ask questions about a bike when men are around. So the only men in attendance Wednesday were male servers from Model Servers, who donned coveralls and handed out cotton candy martinis to guests, and two shirtless models from Champagne Showgirls, who were spray painted with the Harley-Davidson logo on stage.
"This is the first year [for the event], and we're planning on making it an annual event and taking it to other cities in Canada," said Gottlieb, who filled the venue with items that would be found in a decadent garage. Hot pink tool boxes held knives and forks at the food stations—called fuel stations—and all of the floral arrangements had bike parts nestled among the flowers.
Staff from Mobile Spa Toronto offered massages in an area called the Paint Shop, where guests could also receive manicures and makeup touch-ups, and Envision Digital Photography set up a photo opportunity where guests could have their picture taken on a bike while wearing a Harley-Davidson leather jacket. Sony sponsored a lounge area called the Riders Retreat, where attendees could relax and check out products like the company's Vaio notebooks. Guests also could learn how to customize a bike while having a piece of custom jewelry made by designer Gay Isber. And attendees had the opportunity to win a $50 Harley-Davidson gift certificate at a station called the Right Fit.
“The biggest thing for me was getting people involved. I hate it when you go to an event and there is nobody there to guide you,” Gottlieb said. Guests received a card when they arrived and could collect stamps by visiting the interactive stations throughout the room. Full cards could be redeemed for a gift bag at the end of the night. “Tonight you have to work for your gift bag," Gottlieb said. "It's all about having an experience."
Proceeds from the event, hosted by television personality Liz West, supported Rethink Breast Cancer.
Correction: This story has been changed to reflect that Mobile Spa Toronto provided the spa services at the event.
