Flare's Tracy Finkelstein
Photo: Courtesy of Flare Magazine
As the group director of business development and promotions for Flare magazine and Hello! Canada, Tracy Finkelstein—together with her team of three—is responsible for producing between 15 to 20 events a year, including red-carpet galas, cocktail parties, consumer shopping events, and client receptions. Finkelstein is currently finalizing plans for a private party (being cohosted by Fido and featuring a performance by the Juno-nominated band Dragonette) for 400 at the Drake Hotel to celebrate fashion, music, and technology during Toronto Fashion Week.
Catering: "We have two unbelievable caterers we rely on. For smaller, more intimate cocktail receptions, we work with the Salt & Pepper Catering Company. Stefanie Tortorella, the owner, really understands our guests and always delivers innovative menus—not to mention her cupcakes are addictive. After every event the company caters [for us], I am bombarded with emails from guests wondering how they can get their hands on the white fluffy cupcakes.
"For our larger galas, I have repeatedly gone back to Dee Gibson at Catering With Style. Dee has such a distinct style that I instantly know when I am attending one of her catered events. Her food is delicious. But it's her careful attention to detail that impresses me most. Flare has relied on Dee for many years, and it's been a wonderful collaborative effort in pulling off grand events like our Canada Style Gala and Flare's 25th anniversary party."Flowers: "We rarely go crazy on floral arrangements. Flowers are a simple touch at our events, but not the focal point. I am always working with tight budgets, so my motto is 'Less is more.' I will typically drive up to Hofland, a floral wholesaler, and order whatever is in season and whatever works with our event decor. We have an ever-growing assortment of Ikea vases in our supply room at the office, and I manage a team of creative girls, so we typically do our own arrangements for Flare bashes."
Venue: "Again, I have two favourites. The Drake Hotel has been host to several Flare events over the years, and Jasmine Baker, the sales and catering director, is simply the best in the business. Flare events are all about the little details, and the Drake truly understands this. I don't know how they do it, but Jasmine and her team can pull together events in record time and seem to anticipate my every move. Whether it's a summer cocktail party on the SkyYard or a live concert in the Underground, our parties at the Drake always go into the wee hours of the morning. I guess that's the true sign of a successful Flare event.
"When we require a venue to host a red-carpet gala for 500 guests or more, I book the Royal Ontario Museum. I have Chris Kennedy, the manager of hospitality sales at the ROM, on my speed dial. In fact, I adore the ROM so much I have been known to hold dates more than a year in advance. The recent opening of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal makes the ROM one of the most glamorous and sought-after venues in the city. There is something so spectacular about entering a party at the ROM, and the marketing team at Flare has heard me say it many, many times—don't ever underestimate how beautiful a building should look from the outside as well as the inside. Impact is everything, and our guests can't help but feel special from the moment they step into the ROM."
Printing: "We are fortunate enough to have Flare's talented assistant art director, Christian Martinez, create all of our invitations. But my secret weapon for getting perfect Flare invitations printed on budget and on time is Print Three. There are numerous locations around the city, but my go-to guy is Mark Benatar, the sales manager at the Dufferin Street location. When my stress level is at its highest because invitations need to get in the mail, Mark is always calm, collected, and assuring me we will make our deadlines."
Photographer: "George Pimentel. Always. Is there anyone else? George [senior photographer with WireImage] has been shooting parties and red carpets for Flare for many years. Everything from the Oscars, the Much Music Video Awards, the Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes, Sundance, the Juno Awards—George is everywhere. But he is always available to shoot Flare parties. No matter how busy he is, he never turns me down. In fact, some guests don't think a Flare party is complete unless we have George there."
Catering: "We have two unbelievable caterers we rely on. For smaller, more intimate cocktail receptions, we work with the Salt & Pepper Catering Company. Stefanie Tortorella, the owner, really understands our guests and always delivers innovative menus—not to mention her cupcakes are addictive. After every event the company caters [for us], I am bombarded with emails from guests wondering how they can get their hands on the white fluffy cupcakes.
"For our larger galas, I have repeatedly gone back to Dee Gibson at Catering With Style. Dee has such a distinct style that I instantly know when I am attending one of her catered events. Her food is delicious. But it's her careful attention to detail that impresses me most. Flare has relied on Dee for many years, and it's been a wonderful collaborative effort in pulling off grand events like our Canada Style Gala and Flare's 25th anniversary party."Flowers: "We rarely go crazy on floral arrangements. Flowers are a simple touch at our events, but not the focal point. I am always working with tight budgets, so my motto is 'Less is more.' I will typically drive up to Hofland, a floral wholesaler, and order whatever is in season and whatever works with our event decor. We have an ever-growing assortment of Ikea vases in our supply room at the office, and I manage a team of creative girls, so we typically do our own arrangements for Flare bashes."
Venue: "Again, I have two favourites. The Drake Hotel has been host to several Flare events over the years, and Jasmine Baker, the sales and catering director, is simply the best in the business. Flare events are all about the little details, and the Drake truly understands this. I don't know how they do it, but Jasmine and her team can pull together events in record time and seem to anticipate my every move. Whether it's a summer cocktail party on the SkyYard or a live concert in the Underground, our parties at the Drake always go into the wee hours of the morning. I guess that's the true sign of a successful Flare event.
"When we require a venue to host a red-carpet gala for 500 guests or more, I book the Royal Ontario Museum. I have Chris Kennedy, the manager of hospitality sales at the ROM, on my speed dial. In fact, I adore the ROM so much I have been known to hold dates more than a year in advance. The recent opening of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal makes the ROM one of the most glamorous and sought-after venues in the city. There is something so spectacular about entering a party at the ROM, and the marketing team at Flare has heard me say it many, many times—don't ever underestimate how beautiful a building should look from the outside as well as the inside. Impact is everything, and our guests can't help but feel special from the moment they step into the ROM."
Printing: "We are fortunate enough to have Flare's talented assistant art director, Christian Martinez, create all of our invitations. But my secret weapon for getting perfect Flare invitations printed on budget and on time is Print Three. There are numerous locations around the city, but my go-to guy is Mark Benatar, the sales manager at the Dufferin Street location. When my stress level is at its highest because invitations need to get in the mail, Mark is always calm, collected, and assuring me we will make our deadlines."
Photographer: "George Pimentel. Always. Is there anyone else? George [senior photographer with WireImage] has been shooting parties and red carpets for Flare for many years. Everything from the Oscars, the Much Music Video Awards, the Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes, Sundance, the Juno Awards—George is everywhere. But he is always available to shoot Flare parties. No matter how busy he is, he never turns me down. In fact, some guests don't think a Flare party is complete unless we have George there."
![For the after-party, Event Eleven built three 30-foot pagodas and hung 300 lanterns from the ceiling. They also brought in a 20-foot-tall bonsai tree and a variety of 30-foot red maples, along with other greenery and foliage. '[It all] helped create the organic atmosphere and helped transport guests into a gardenlike room,' said Schubert.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2024/02/Shogun.41_f.65dba8f23433b.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
