![Juxtaposed against the tented 'experience rooms' was a central area, the ceiling for which wasn't manipulated. 'Once you walked into the main party space, you would suddenly emerge into this space with a giant vaulted 140-foot-tall ceiling [at its highest point],' said Miller. AMC utilized the entire footprint of the main drill hall, a little more than 25,000 square feet, with about 21,000 square feet dedicated to program space.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2013/04/11_16.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Salvatore Ferragamo hosted this year's bash at the Windsor Arms Hotel on September 9. Aiming to evoke an orchid conservatory, Frank Rea of Forget Me Not Flowers decked the space with glass towers filled with red Aranthera orchids and floating candles. Spinning Top Productions produced.
SodaStream presented and the Mint Agency produced a celebration for The Railway Man at Live at the Hive on September 6. Logos appeared in multiple spots, including over a candy bar filled with scoop-it-yourself goodies.
Other brand activations included a mirror with a decal cut into the shape of a SodaStream bottle. A SodaStream machine on site was autographed by celebrity guests (Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth were in attendance) and then auctioned off for charity.
The Mint Agency also produced a fete for The Grand Seduction at Brassaii on September 8. The film centers on a doctor character, and staffers' uniforms and the catering from executive chef Chris Kalisperas played up the theme.
Menu items followed the quirky theme, including lemon vodka shots served in syringes.
The Grand Seduction menu also contained "Thermometer-Dipped Pretzels."
Filthy Gorgeous is a documentary about the life of Penthouse magazine publisher Bob Guccione. Event designer Bill Fulgham chose the new nightclub Cube as the venue for the screening's after-party because, he said: "It was almost made-to-order. The interior is dark and sexy with that required amount of shimmer, and it evokes a sultry and stimulating atmosphere." To amp up the sultriness even more, planners staged a mock Penthouse photo shoot, replete with models and photographers greeting guests. Contemporary Furniture Rentals brought in fixtures that added to the '70s-lounge vibe.
The bar was sponsored by Belvedere vodka, and staffers passed snacks in tight tank tops emblazoned with Filthy.
The Mint Agency recently began handing SodaStream's public relations, so staffers decided to host a media lunch during TIFF to introduce journalists to the brand's executive team. Decor for the daytime event, held at Live at the Hive, was clean and bright.
Along with pink and orange gerbera daisies, decor included vases filled with fresh citrus fruits, Moroccan-style lamps, and displays of the SodaStream machine itself.
Planners brought in celebrity chef Susur Lee to prepare the meal and his son, Kai Bent-Lee, to make drinks at the bar (Bent-Lee is also the mixologist at local hot spot Bent). Working at the so-called "Soda Bar," Bent-Lee prepared drinks that paired with the lunch: For the main course of coffee-marinated pork tenderloin with sautéed wild blueberries and Ontario apples glazed in ice syrup, Lee marinated the meat in SodaStream bubbly water.
The drinks included a basil-yuzu mojito, a ginger-tarragon lemonade spiked with vodka, and a gin and tonic with cucumber-infused gin. All the cocktails, of course, contained SodaStream soda.
Hugo Boss hosted a rooftop after-party for The Enemy screening at the Chase on September 9. Because the film is set in Toronto, planners sought a venue that showcased the city skyline, and McNabb Roick Events kept decor minimal to not detract from the views. The venue selection also presented a play on words that related to the film's plot: in it, star Jake Gyllenhaal chases his enemy.
The event included a DJ stand—and staff uniforms—splashed with the Hugo Boss logo.
On September 9, Wahlburgers—the burger chain backed by celebrity brothers Mark, Paul, and Donnie Wahlberg—celebrated its Toronto launch with a green-carpet bash at the Soho Metropolitan hotel. The burgers come in flavors such as "Mark's Choice," a turkey patty topped with orange-cranberry sauce, roasted butternut squash, and stuffing.
Drake Hotel, a gold-level hospitality sponsor for TIFF, hosted parties from September 5 to 15. The hotel partnered with Future Projections to showcase Sweat by Radical Friend on the outside of the building. The projected images revealed sometimes disturbing representations of mass culture, including murder; there were also images of bikers and deserts. The layered images were ultimately meant to reference the brain functions of characters from films by Canadian director David Cronenberg.
With a "Down the Line" theme, inspired by 1970s London, the nightly programming at the Drake included a showcase of designs from the Brazilian artist Baby Steinberg, who is based in Toronto. Steinberg's project "Science Film" comprises wearable artworks made from VHS tapes' film that has been knitted and crocheted together.
The late-night parties also offered free tattoos in the hotel's Room 222, which became a temporary ink shop. Guests could choose from one of six tattoo designs created for the event.
To celebrate its 29 films premiering at TIFF, Entertainment One hosted a blue-carpet bash (playing off its logo) on September 9. Held at the Roundhouse, the event was designed by McNabb Roick Events and had an outdoor bar sponsored by Skyy. Cocktail tables were lit in the evening's signature hue.
Inside the venue, sleek decor stuck to a white-and-icy-blue color scheme.
Lifestyle and hospitality brand Nikki Beach once again hosted a pop-up lounge on the rooftop of the Spoke Club. The venue hosted a Sunday brunch and fashion shows for beachwear from several lines, including Kochon (pictured). Models held baby pigs as a cheeky nod to the brand's name.
Josh Wood Productions produced the September 8 gala at the Carlu. The evening, which was presented by M.A.C. Viva Glam, included a performance from Gossip.
NKPR hosted the IT Portrait lounge at its West Adelaide Street offices, and this year's theme was "Modern Vintage." Sponsors included Barilla, which sent in chefs to cook pasta dishes for the celebrity and V.I.P. guests. A rep for the lounge said that this year's sponsors all had a rich brand heritage; Barilla has been operating since 1877.
Avon provided makeup touch-ups at the lounge, which was decked in vintage-inspired, black-and-white decor.
This year, the Variety Studio was held at Holt Renfrew. Stars such as Jessica Chastain popped in to conduct on-camera interviews about their TIFF films, and the interviews were broadcast on the industry publication's Web site.
Presenting sponsor MoroccanOil showcased its products with hand massages. Susan Sarandon—and her canine companion—were among the guests.
Glo Communications hosted the Bask-It Style lounge in an $8 million penthouse on Harbor Street. Chique and Unique Home Staging gave the venue a "Rustic Luxe" look, and sponsors included Mary Kay. The makeup company displayed its limited-edition "Fairytales & Fantasy" collection in an area that held a solid-oak, 1800s church pew. A tall, reclaimed wood table was used as the makeup station.
Diesel's Food Truck for Change, produced by Spinradius Events, hit the streets of the greater Toronto area on September 5 to coincide with the film fest's opening. Targeting celebrities and influential festival attendees, the food truck doled out "croughnuts" in exchange for a donation to the charity OneXOne. The truck rolled around the city through September 8.
The Storys Building became the AMC Storys Building for the festival's run and hosted a slew of activations produced by Ink Entertainment and Icon Legacy Hospitality. In the AMC private lounge, banners advertised the channel's popular shows Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
Proving that piñatas can work in any season, Paper Dragon Piñatas offers a snowman version.
On August 19, the Scotiabank BuskerBall took place at Mattamy Athletic Center in Toronto. The fund-raiser for Epilepsy Toronto kicked off the four-day Scotiabank BuskerFest, and some of the festival's street performers appeared at the party. Featured acts included a glowing "elephant" from Quebec-based performance troupe Chasseurs de Rêves. The group specializes in larger-than-life stilt puppets and comprises 11 performers.
Sequoia Productions’ Cheryl Cecchetto worked with the academy to give more than 3,600 guests a variety of entertainment options as they dined at the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday night. Shadow dancers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy performed alongside the venue’s perimeter, while Judith Hill sang from a central rotating stage, and Extreme Beam synchronized routines to pulsating lasers.
HBO vice president of special events Cindy Tenner collaborated with designer Billy Butchkavitz for the network’s annual bash, which took place at the Pacific Design Center’s fountain plaza for the 12th consecutive year. The pair found inspiration for the event's colorful look in the 1960s fashion designs of Paco Rabanne. A dazzling acrylic chandelier descended from a 28- by 28- by 28-foot white cube that sat in the middle of the space.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles took to the SLS Hotel on Saturday to toast British and American Emmy nominees. White roses sat in containers resembling London cabs at the event, where guests nibbled on scones and drank tea as well as cocktails.
Before the start of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Nike sought to shine the light on its new Nike Court collection with a tennis experience that was anything but traditional: Planners built a full-size regulation tennis court on New York's highly trafficked Canal Street. The build out included amphitheater-style seating for spectators. As a clever way to encourage pop-up visitors to interact with its social channels, organizers branded the seats with handles, hashtags, and website URLs. Production Glue oversaw overall infrastructure, creative management, execution, and stage production.
At the pet-centric fund-raiser, held in the Hamptons on August 23, floral arrangements were shaped like poodles.
Guests at the Kipling store opening at the Miami International Mall on July 12 could pose in a "back-to-school flashback" photo booth.
To preview its line of back-to-school gear, Pottery Barn Kids hosted a media event at Haven's Kitchen in New York. Chef Sam Talbot led a cooking demonstration of healthy lunchbox-friendly foods such as almond butter and banana jam sandwiches with carrot chips. Shadow PR planned the event.
On August 19, interactive entertainment company King hosted a launch party for its new game Bubble Witch 2 Saga. Held at Gansevoort Park in New York, the event had bubbly drinks to match its theme. Cocktails included a "Stella Royale," named after the game's main character and made with Chambord, prosecco, and a blackberry garnish. Invisible North produced.
At Wisconsin's Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, groups can participate in the adventurous Fun Mudder Challenge. Spread over a muddy five-mile course set with 30 obstacles, the activity tests strength, agility, speed, and mental stamina, and it incorporates running, climbing, jumping, crawling, and balancing. Groups can also tie in a charity component—for example, one "obstacle" can be to assemble care packages for people in need.
