After so many years apart, it’s refreshing and exciting to be networking with the event industry again. Running into contacts you haven’t seen in years and reacquainting yourself can feel daunting, especially when our social skills may need a tune up, but I feel so lucky in the event industry to have inspired spaces within which to face this challenge. The Evergreen Brick Works Event Industry Night, or #CampEvergreen, provided just that- a wildly inspired space expertly created by talented vendors to foster connection and conversation. The CRH Gallery is always an incredible space to design in. It’s raw, industrial bones allow you to take an already character-filled historic building and add to it with whimsy and contemporary design. Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was the impressive lighting design by EPiQVision. Patterned lighting bounced of the ceiling, floors and walls, warm twinkle lights created playful ambiance and a massive LED screen with nature inspired footage set the tone behind the band.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Thurston Photography
My teams, Mad Bash Group and The Pop-Up Chapel Co. teamed up to create the look for the event. Inspired by the nostalgic theme of #CampEvergreen, we created playful vignettes with a sense of humour – a life sized deer surrounded by a field of flowers right when you enter, a photo moment featuring a giant fire, starry sky and Muskoka chairs, and a “Sugar Shack” with eclectic Canadiana props. To elevate the classic “camp” look, we opted for sleek white furniture from Divine Furniture Rental, and a bright white and navy blue colour palette- something a little unexpected and luxe to juxtapose the styling. Among EPiQVision’s lighting display, white bunting was rigged over the dance floor to nod to your favourite camp Mess Hall. We were excited to work with Jackie O Florists on all the florals for the event. Aside from the gorgeous wildflower field-like installs they created for our vignettes, they also create adorable arrangements in organically styled mini tree trunks for all the tables. It was chic, yet down to earth.
The music for the evening was invigorating and set the tone the moment you walked into the room. The entire team at St. Kitts Music were a bundle of energy up on stage playing a live mix of songs, old and new, that had everyone grooving and singing along. When the band wasn’t on stage, my personal fave DJ and Sound tech from EPiQVision, Aren, was killing it on the 1s and 2s. Finally, The Photo Bus Booth was on site with their adorably styled set up, giving guests a spot to commemorate the night with a vintage style photo strip.
The food and beverage experience was unmatched. Food Dudes led the charge with a plethora of delectable passed apps and food stations galore. The Lobster Mac and Cheese and the Oyster Bar were standouts to me. Aside from these, they also brought along their food truck and created a classic camp Smores station where you could roast your own marshmallows and build your smore with whatever toppings you wanted! For a quintessentially Canadian experience, you could visit the Sugar Shack where Maple Taffy was poured over snow and hardened into a lollipop before your eyes for a sweet treat. The drinks were equally as exciting. I started my evening with Dillon’s “Black Orchard”- a gorgeous, autumnal cocktail, expertly mixed before my eyes. I finished my evening with the always impressive BarChef Toronto’s magical Winter Storm cocktail which overflowed with ethereal white smoke and the scent of winter evergreens. The main bar was also stocked with incredible selections of Bourbon and Rye as well as cider from Thonbury and wine from Small Batch.
#CampEvergreen did not fall short when it came to creating an inspiring space for vendors across all service categories in the Event Industry to reconnect. With 2022 being the busiest year I have seen in my entire career, I know I appreciated the chance to let loose and shake off some of the stresses of the event season. I heard similar sentiments from so many vendors at the event as well. A massive thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event so special. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Leanna and Robyn from my teams, as well as Alicia Thurston Photography for the gorgeous imagery of the event. We’ll see you at the next Industry night!
