Large scale client events

A seamless combination of Halls A, B, C, and D makes the Direct Energy Centre Toronto’s largest continuous space, clocking in at 358,433 square feet. Home to a number of annual trade shows, like the National Home Show and International Boat Show, the combined halls have a capacity of 12,687 visitors.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosts some of the largest trade shows and galas every year. Halls A, B, and C in the North Building is the largest column-free space in the downtown venue, at 182,000 square feet. The space can accommodate 10,579 for a reception or 10,400 for a banquet.

3. With over one million square feet of space, including a brand new ballroom (pictured), the Toronto Congress Centre is a popular spot for large-scale events. Halls H, I, and J, when combined, offers 192,525 square feet of continuous space. The space can host 8,500 guests for a banquet.

The 100,000 square-foot Hall 5 is the largest space at the International Centre. The column-free room has a capacity of 7,020 for a banquet or 572 trade show booths. In total, the International Centre has more than 500,000 square feet of exhibition space.

The Allstream Centre is Toronto’s largest column-free ballroom. The 43,900-square-foot space can accommodate up to 3,750 guests for a reception or 2,600 for a banquet. In addition, it is the only conference centre going after a LEED Silver Certification and offers planners a number of green meeting solutions.

The Sheraton Centre Toronto has 59 meeting spaces, and its largest is the 20,213 square-foot Grand Ballroom. The ballroom can accommodate up to 3,500 guests for a reception or 1,900 for a banquet.

Massive club Muzik draws crowds out to Exhibition Place every weekend. Available for buyout, the 41,000-square-foot club can host parties for up to 3,085 guests. In the summer, planners can take advantage of an additional 15,000 square feet of licensed patio space.

Polson Pier’s Sound Academy is a popular choice for large parties, concerts, and product launches like the Official N.F.L. Super Bowl Party or the Coors Light Iced-T Launch. The 13,185-square-foot concert venue is licensed for up to 3,400 guests. An additional 800 guests can look down from the mezzanine-style Solarium and in the summer, the patio has space for an additional 3,000.

The Westin Harbour Castle Hotel on the waterfront is home to the Grand Metropolitan Ballroom. The 24,990-square-foot space can host up to 3,000 guests for a reception.

A fixture in Toronto nightlife, Kool Haus offers 27,000 square feet of space for up to 2,000 guests. Part of the Guvernment Entertainment Complex, the club and concert venue comes equipped with a stage and built-in AV and lighting.

Charging stations are hot commodities at conferences and trade shows, but they can also be a distraction as users stand by waiting for their phones to charge. Brightbox eliminates that issue. The charging station is secure, so users can leave their phones—for a few minutes or a few hours—to go about their business. Each unit has six compartments that are unlocked with the swipe of a credit card. At events where the units are provided by the host or sponsored by a vendor, charging is provided for free to the attendees, so the credit card simply acts as a key. Brightbox launched in early 2012 and has been used at the Democratic National Convention and the New York Times Travel Show. To recognize sponsors, the company can add custom wraps on the unit or add logos or other information to the user interface screen.

CNN used this type of interactive video wall during its election coverage and now it's available for events. PSAV offers two standard sizes, each using 46-inch square screens configured in either a two-by-two or three-by-three format. The company can also create custom screens of any size. The wall operates like a large iPad with about two dozen apps to create maps, presentations, and games. The product can be used as a presentation screen in educational sessions or in common areas as interactive digital signage, for example to provide venue maps and sponsor information. At a trade show, the wall can display exhibitor logos and information when users click on a specific booth. Within a booth, users can input their email addresses to receive additional information, creating an instant lead retrieval system.

Audience members at conferences and meetings are likely to have their smartphones and tablets out during presentations, so why not use those devices for engagement? The browser-based service NiceMeeting allows users to view presentation slides on their devices in sync with the presenter. Attendees can flip back and forth through slides at their own pace, submit questions to the speaker, and chat with other guests. Presenters can use it to conduct polling and share files in real time. A new feature allows users to add notes to the slides and then save the files to their device or to a cloud-based service, creating a fully paperless solution for presentations. Planners can upload their registration lists so NiceMeeting access is only available to registered attendees, or they can choose to leave access open.

Planners looking to do small-scale live-streaming can use Logitech's Broadcaster camera and app as an affordable, do-it-yourself solution. The camera uses a Wi-Fi connection to stream high-definition video via a Ustream account. Users control and preview the video on an iPad or iPhone using the related Broadcaster app. The video stream can be shared with others by posting to a Web site, Facebook, YouTube, or other social networks. The camera itself is small—less than five inches long and two inches wide—and portable since it’s not connected to a computer, so it could easily be moved around a room to provide a variety of angles. The carrying case doubles as a small stand, or the unit can be mounted on a tripod. The camera retails for $200 and the app is free.

The Web app Eventstagram creates a real-time slideshow of photos taken at an event and shared on Instagram. The product launched last fall, and both the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Houston Auto Show have used it to share photos from their events on large screens. Planners create a free account on the Eventstagram Web site, indicating the event dates, its hashtags and location, and the desired speed and animation of the photos. At the event the Evenstagram feed can be displayed on monitors or large screens. It’s free to display as many as 100 photos for a total of one hour (the time can be allocated in increments). For $50, planners can display 1,000 photos for six hours and also have moderation capability. Eventstagram will soon offer an option that accommodates more photos and time, a higher degree of moderation, and an online editor so users can fully customize the display with logos and sponsor slides.

TEDActive guests scooped up logo water bottles upon their arrival (or any time throughout the conference) that served as giveaways, as well as a way to stay hydrated without the use of disposable plastic bottles. Hydration stations let guests fill up easily and as often as they liked.

Multiple venues around the property for simulcast viewing included an array of seating groups, including more traditional chairs and desks and armchairs—and even beanbags.

Don't find beanbags quite comfy enough? The main simulcast venue, the theater, also had several bed-style lounging groups complete with TVs overhead for cozy viewing of the TED Talks.

A picnic lunch Wednesday offered picnic baskets for groups of seven—so each person had to meet six new folks with whom to chat and chow.

The Sovereign Nation of You station encouraged attendees to make representational flags for creative expression during meeting breaks.

Adding to the easygoing vibe were dogs, which were allowed on the property and at the event; attendees with furry friends could bring them along.

The main stage backdrop got an appealing but spare look from wooden pallets—visually interesting, but not enough to distract from the high-level conference content.

Meant to offer attendees a low barrier to entry for creative expression, Paper Punk offered a station where attendees could use prefab templates to create small art pieces—think origami meets Lego—and affix them to an evolving wall.

In a thoughtful use of the environment surrounding the sprawling host hotel, individual seating groups invited attendees to gather and collaborate in cleverly arranged settings that themselves served to inspire.

To encourage folks to really engage with the content while being themselves, the TEDActive dress code was casual. Anything goes. So there were jeans, yes, but also plenty of flip-flops, shorts, and hoodies.

The TEDActive projects engaged attendees in brainstorming various ideas—and moving them forward through the course of the event.

TEDActive means to connect attendees whenever possible—and oversize name badges made it easy to identify new folks.

Talk about a fully immersive experience: The conference took over some of the venue's Spanish tiles for its own brand messaging. The special tiles also served to guide attendees' path along the walkways to the various event venues on the sprawling property.

Guests were encouraged to bring their own T-shirts, totes—whatever—and Hit & Run customized them live according to guests' own personal TEDActive experience with a range of designs.

Meant to keep attendees fit and moving, one station offered scooter and bike rental available any time.

Coffee and snacks are pretty typical at conferences, but TEDActive's offerings included coffee brewed in small batches by skilled baristas and snacks like roasted seaweed and organic dark chocolate peanut butter cups, available any time of day.

Sponsor Lincoln decked out one of the property's casitas with a space that was subtly branded and also offered guests a chance to walk through a series of functional art pieces on exhibit.

TEDx planners from around the world expressed themselves on an interactive chalkboard wall.

For a little collaboration in the get-to-know-you spirit, game stations dotted the event space.

Ever heard of flying a kite as a meeting-break option? TEDActive made one available for the taking, offering it adjacent to a casual seating cluster in the event's main outdoor space, known as the quad.

Popcorn boutique Corn & Company has opened in Burlington and offers the snack in more than 250 unusual flavors, including dill pickle, wasabi, and birthday cake. It can be doled out as favors or at popcorn bars for events. The Boston-based shop can also host private affairs.