Balloon Couture Fashion Show

Luxury & Boutique Style Events

Photo Credit: Suzanne Merrett, Amara Studios & Wedding Day Memories www.amarastudios.com

Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche

What a an incredible evening of entertainment at Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche.  It is free to everyone and all night long.  If you did not attend this year, I suggest marking your calendar for 2009, it was an evening of experience and spectacles. 

We spent most of the eveniing in Zone I and began City Hall – which I must say has never looked so good with the spectacular multimedia display "Stereoscope" installed by the German Group Project Blinkenlights.  Hunderds of people were amused by the Into the Blue, the photo here, which is a giant illuminated transparent cone-shaped balloon.  Looking up into the interior presented a dazzling light array.  And then there was the suprise of the night "Stock Extravaganza" where we all peered into a garbage receptacle, to see a fully animated concert stage - who would of thought of this? Robert Hengeveld, did and it certainly had us intrigued.  A big thanks to all the sponsors of this event which attracted over a million into our city streets on the weekend. www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca

This is a great story posted on Promo Extra on how McDonalds’ uses My Space social network for their 40th Anniversary celebration and contest promotion.  Digital is now integral to marketing,  companies are not cutting back on their digital campaigns, but are looking for digital only plays.  Dave Forde, with Toronto Technology Week and Profectio, will share key knowledge and tips at Special Event Boot Camp in our Social Media Zone.

Promot Extra article reports "McDonald’s “Big Mac Chant Off,” looking for the best user performance of the classic “Two all-beef patties” jingle, has found its winner. But one of the runners-up is grabbing some of the headlines around the promotion: for having held up a McDonald’s back in 1994.

Launched on June 16 and timed to cap the 40^th anniversary celebration of the Big Mac, the contest asked users to perform their own version of the famous Big Mac ingredient list and to post the results to a contest page on the MySpace social network.

A team of professional judges winnowed the 1,000 entries received by July 16 down to five finalists. Visitors to the MySpace page were then permitted to vote for their selection from among that final five. (Promo Xtra, June 20, 2008)"  For full article visit http://promomagazine.com/contests/news/robber_rapper_spotlight_big_mac_winner_0731/

In the event industry, word of mouth continues to be my best source for resources.  This follows closely with my philosphy of sharing contacts, knowledge, tips and tools.  I received an e-mail from an industry colleague, Christina Burns, who introduced me to a talented artist, Lesley Pike.   Within hours we met and I am delighted to share with you Lesley will be performing at Special Event Boot Camp’s Inaugaration Reception on August 12.   Today, Lesley performs in Welland, Ontario, with the Cowboy Junkies at the Ilumminaqua Festival.

"Her stage repartee is clever and cunning enough to keep even the most cynical of audiences engaged and chuckling between songs. Unfaltering strength and lyrical prowess have audiences cheering for her like a local sports hero by shows’ end.    And somewhere in the midst of her star presence, charm and powerful verses, we’ve forgotten that Pike has written, arranged and delivered each of the tracks in their complex musical glory - floating between the guitar stand and piano bench with ease.

The thing is, you just can’t help but like her. She has an uncanny ability to engage any audience, and her shows are consistently spontaneous, entertaining, impactful, and memorable. Fans love seeing her over and over because you never get the same show twice. At a recent showcase for COCA (The Canadian Organization of Campus Activities), Lesley performed for college promoters and industry folks and managed to have them in tears of laughter during one of her more ’serious’ numbers. It’s no wonder they’ve invited her back to showcase at their National event this summer.

Countless press invested kind words and precious limited column space to those first two musical releases, and many suggested that it wouldn’t be long before her stellar talent and profound musicality would be ‘discovered’. Early responses to her most recent musical offering suggest that her most recent album, "Blink" (April, 2008) is the telltale disc in which such premonition has been based. Produced by Bill Bell (Tom Cochrane, Justin Nozuka, Jason Mraz, Shaye), and recorded at The Orange Lounge and Soleil Studio in Toronto, Ontario, the disc features 11 studio tracks and a host of talented musicians: Kevin Fox ..o (Chantal Kreviazuk, Sarah Slean), Kevin Breit on dobro and tenor guitars (Norah Jones, Celine Dion), Sean Ashby on lap steel & electric guitars (Sarah McLachlan), Pat Kilbride on bass (Sass Jordan, Ian Hunter), and Davide Direnzo on percussion (Jacksoul, Diana Krall)."  Visit Lesley Pike’s My Space:  www.myspace.com/lesleypike

 

Tracey Manailescu and Danielle Andrews-Sunkell join us at Special Event Boot Camp for the second year.  These ladies are the Masters in the Canada’s Wedding Industry, owner’s of Canada’s largest Wedding Coordination Firm,  The Wedding Planners, and co-founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC).  

Danielle and Tracey will share insight on dining etiquette during lunch on Event Planning Day.    All recruits have the opportunity to win a certificate from WPIC for Certification at the two day Toronto course at Uof T on October 18th and 19th, 2008.

The Government of Canada gives WPIC the right to issue credentials after successful completion of the course (WPICC).   WPIC has almuni boards for all graduates and posts volunteer coordination positions and their assistant spots, paid and unpaid to gain experience and build their portfolios. www.wpic.ca

Today, featured on Canada AM, was two of Canada’s Hottest Wine Personalities, known together as ‘The Wine Enthusiasts’ Angela Aiello and Paxton Allewell.  The Toronto Star hailed them as the “New Generation of Wine Aficionados” and Post City Magazines declare that they “bring wine tasting into the 21st Century”.  We are delighted they will be joing us this year at Special Event Boot Camp in the Edutainment Zone to host the “Naked Wine Tasting Adventure”.

Recently, Angela and Paxton were featured in CBC’s ‘Wine Confidential’ documentrary and Angela also covers the wine scene for Le Gourmet TV., part of the Broadband Gourmet Network.  Because of their exciting approach to wine, Angela & Paxton were asked to lead tutored tastings at two of Toronto’s most influential wine shows:  The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo & Toronto’s Wine & Cheese Show.  Notably, they also hosted and filmed the presitgious 2008 Ontario Wine Awards.  www.iYellowWineClub.com

As planners we have the task of generating publicity for our special events.  Today’s launch of “A Dark Knight”  accomplished the mission of publicity for the movie, but perhaps not quite the way it was planned.  We can take note and learn from our industry peers on this story.    

The new Batman movie “The Dark Knight,” opening today, is expected to be a global blockbuster. But a local guerilla promotion by a San Antonio theater chain threatened to turn that Hollywood cliché into a literal bomb.

To generate regional publicity for the film, the Santikos Theater chain mailed out cakes studded with wires and iced with a phone number and the message “Call Me” to 25 local TV, radio and newspaper outlets. The cakes had cell phones baked inside, along with promotional materials for the film.

When users dialed the number iced onto the cake, they were to receive a text message instructing them to come to one of the Santikos theaters premiering “The Dark Knight.”
http://promomagazine.com/othertactics/news/batman_promo_bomb_squad_cake_0718/

In 2008, Québec City celebrates its 400th birthday!

The 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City has Canada-wide significance. It is an extraordinary opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the history of Québec City and of Canada.

The eyes of the world will be on Québec City, famed as a historic World Heritage Site and the cradle of French civilization in North America.

The celebrations are an opportunity to mark 400 years of unique historical and cultural heritage. http://www.quebec400.gc.ca/pc-ch-eng.cfm

Summer time fun.  Thought you might enjoy this challenge from Baskin-Robbins this month.

BASKIN-ROBBINS: is celebrating National Ice Cream Month with Lick-A-Thon events on July 17. Customers can challenge friends, family or community members to a “lick race” to see who can lick a scoop of Oreo Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream the fastest and become the ultimate Lick Champion at participating stores nationwide. The event dovetails off the company’s expansion of its Oreo menu line-up, which features 19 Oreo ice cream products.