Against the Grain

March 6, 2019
25 Dockside Drive
Toronto, ON M5A 0B5
Phone:6473441562
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Keep Your City Smiling sells gift boxes that benefit struggling local businesses. The boxes include goods such as chocolate, art cards, craft coffee, candles, mugs, and lotions.
After COVID-19 Cancellations, This Company Found a Way to Stay Afloat—and Support Other Struggling Businesses
Gifts & SwagApril 2, 2020
Instagram hosted its first Coachella party in 2019, taking over the Pond Estate in Palm Springs. The social-media platform teamed up with experiential agency Manifold and artist D'ana Nunez of COVL for Instagram Desert Chill. The look of the party centered around Nunez's abstract mural, which drew inspiration from the desert landscape and the 1970s. See more: Coachella 2019: 6 Design Trends to Steal for Your Next Event
#ThrowbackThursday: Take a Look at Coachella Activations Through the Years
Experiential, Activations & SponsorshipsApril 2, 2020
On Sunday, California's National Guard began transforming the Los Angeles Convention Center into a federal field hospital, in an effort to relieve pressure on hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. The 720,000-square-foot center typically hosts large-scale events such as E3, the 66,000-attendee video game-industry convention that had previously been slated for June.
This Week in Los Angeles: Hotel Cafe's Virtual Music Festival, Plus Ways to Help First Responders and Small Businesses
Los Angeles / Southern CaliforniaApril 2, 2020
In mid-March, global event engagement platform Event Farm, which has locations in Washington and Los Angeles, announced the development of a customizable virtual world for online event experiences. In partnership with software company VirBELA, the platform, dubbed the Echo, is scalable to support 10,000-plus users concurrently from anywhere in the world. Key features of the program include the ability to choose from multiple meeting environments and customize a personal avatar character; there's also built-in support tools for presenters such as file sharing, laser pointers, and video casting.
3 Avatar-Based Virtual Event Platforms for Planners to Consider
Event Management & Tech ToolsApril 1, 2020
Luminato, one of Toronto's largest arts and culture events, has officially been canceled for 2020. The international festival, which launched in 2007, was developed to help revitalize the city’s art scene after the SARS outbreak of 2003. Last year’s event had a “House of Mirrors” (pictured) that invited people to walk through a disorienting, kaleidoscope-like atmosphere that presented reflections from numerous angles.
This Week in Toronto: a Q&A with Blue Door’s Laura Silver, Plus Community Support for Healthcare Workers, Virtual Speed Dating, and More
TorontoApril 1, 2020
Cambria Hotel Downtown Phoenix opened in the Roosevelt Row Arts District in November, adding 127 rooms to the city’s inventory. The hotel offers several spaces for events: the 1,600-square-foot Poppy restaurant, which serves locally inspired cuisine, seats 150; the 5,000-square-foot From the Rooftop bar, which offers sweeping views of downtown Phoenix, seats 375; and the 900-square-foot Masai Room seats 100. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art fitness center, a sun deck, and complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the property.
10 New Phoenix/Scottsdale Venues for 2020 Spring Meetings and Events
Phoenix / ScottsdaleApril 1, 2020
Après Event Decor & Tent Rental in Minnesota is offering temperature-controlled, weather-resistant tenting for on-site medical triage, testing, and storage.
How the Event Industry is Assisting Hospitals and Medical Workers Around the Country
Event Production & FabricationMarch 31, 2020
Cinema 4153289 1920
30 Movies to Watch for Event Design Inspiration
Event DesignMarch 31, 2020
Qa David Stark
Q&A: David Stark Chats About the Pandemic’s Impact on the Event Industry
Opinion/ExpertsMarch 30, 2020
Wine Dive, a wine-focused dive bar and bottle shop, opened its doors on South Street in Graduate Hospital in January. In addition to offering 20 different wines and champagnes by the glass and 215 by the bottle, the bar also serves beer, hard cider, hard seltzer, sake juice boxes, sangria, kombucha, and custom cocktails. Patrons can even go home with “wowlers,” a version of a growler designed for wine instead of beer, which are available in 12.7 ounce and 25 ounce jugs stamped with the Wine Dive logo. To complement the extensive beverage menu, the kitchen churns out a small selection of dishes ranging from crab rangoon to veggie tacos to beef chili. The 2,500-square-foot space, which seats as many as 50 guests, features eye-catching 1970s-style decor, including wood-paneled walls, Salvador Dali-inspired graffiti art, a retro TV set, vintage mirrors mounted on the ceiling, and a jukebox.
10 New Venues in Philadelphia for Spring 2020 Meetings and Events
PhiladelphiaMarch 30, 2020
Ny Covid19 Edit Story
'Conversations from the Inside' Virtual Discussion: Ideas, Insights, and Resources for New York Amid COVID-19
New York City & Tri-State AreaMarch 27, 2020
Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew recently unveiled its brand-new Holts Café in the flagship Yorkville store this past February. The 5,145-square-foot space was overseen by Alex Cochrane Architects, which wanted to create a signature space that was both modern and welcoming for new and returning customers. The café features 20-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows and uses a palette of white oak, rosewood, off-white terrazzo, and rich brass to provide a timeless framework to the vibrant blue, red, yellow, and green jewel-toned accents in the furniture and design features. Currently, the café has a capacity of 92 seated guests with space for 150 guests at a standing cocktail reception format. Expect a private dining room with seating for 10 people and an East dining room with seating for 36. Full buyouts are available.
10 New Venues in Toronto for Spring 2020 Meetings and Events
TorontoMarch 27, 2020
Decor partner Syzygy scaled down the main stage set for the virtual version of the Washington Performing Arts gala.
6 Tips for Pivoting an In-Person Event into a Virtual Experience
Event Management & Tech ToolsMarch 26, 2020
At Coachella in 2019, Johnston and his team created the YSL Beauty Station. The technology-free space drew 15,000 people—which converted into 350 million digital impressions. 'The fundamentals behind gathering, touching, exploring, and playing aren’t going anywhere soon—and neither is the live events industry,' says Johnston.
High Touch After No Touch: Why Face-to-Face Events Will be More Powerful Than Ever in a Post-Coronavirus World
Opinion/ExpertsMarch 26, 2020