For its annual customer appreciation dinner for 1,500, Tech Data Canada transformed Kool Haus/Guvernment into a medieval castle setting, complete with a gated entrance and mock torture chamber. "We felt a medieval theme would be on trend with the stage production of the Lord of the Rings running in Toronto and the recent successes of films such as the [The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe] and [Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]," said Irene Buchan, Tech Data's director of marketing. Buchan enlisted the help of design house Eden Planning to create the event decor; Kindred Spirits Catering and Event Planning to develop the menu; and Medieval Times to provide the entertainment. Senior Tech Data staffers in medieval costumes greeted guests, passing crowns to the men and headdresses to the women.The event occupied three large rooms and the rooftop patio. The main room had caf? tables and mini lanterns in the centre, with medieval huts housing fortune-tellers, tarot card readers, and caricature artists around the periphery. Ornate fabrics and pillows and flags representing Tech Data suppliers decorated the huts and surrounding area. The room also featured a lounge with black couches, faux fur throws, wine-barrel coffee tables, and era battle helmets. From 9 PM to 10 PM, the Philosopher Kings performed on a stage flanked by faux brick walls, rustic florals, and torch lighting.
Faux castle gates attached to flanking brick pillars gave way to a second space with a torture chamber from Eden Planning. The decor included prison cells with straw floors and a medieval torture rack. Kindred Spirits plied its trade in the third room, serving a buffet feast that included stuffed breast of turkey, braised beef with stout and root vegetables, and bulger salad with tomato, cucumber, sweet onion, feta, and mint. Dessert comprised of tarts and squares with fillings such as lemon blueberry, cherry coconut, and lime meringue.
Dark linen and table runners covered the long dining tables, which were topped by tall candelabras and candles in decorative votives surrounded by apples, grapes, and lush green foliage. Other dining room decor included spinning wheels, brocade tassels, and pools of shimmering fabrics in leather and brocade. R&B guitarist Paul James performed on the rooftop patio later in the evening.
Faux castle gates attached to flanking brick pillars gave way to a second space with a torture chamber from Eden Planning. The decor included prison cells with straw floors and a medieval torture rack. Kindred Spirits plied its trade in the third room, serving a buffet feast that included stuffed breast of turkey, braised beef with stout and root vegetables, and bulger salad with tomato, cucumber, sweet onion, feta, and mint. Dessert comprised of tarts and squares with fillings such as lemon blueberry, cherry coconut, and lime meringue.
Dark linen and table runners covered the long dining tables, which were topped by tall candelabras and candles in decorative votives surrounded by apples, grapes, and lush green foliage. Other dining room decor included spinning wheels, brocade tassels, and pools of shimmering fabrics in leather and brocade. R&B guitarist Paul James performed on the rooftop patio later in the evening.