Author: Kasandra Lippens

On June 21st the future landed at The Great Hall. In conjunction with Porsche, the NXNE Music Festival presented Future Land, a cutting edge series of panel discussions and workshops covering a multitude of pressing topics.

The conference addressed a wide spectrum of issues in the music, digital, gaming, and interactive worlds and gave industry experts and festival participants a chance to dive deep into the future of culture and technology.

The hot topics were paired with cool cocktails to keep the conversations flowing all day during this one-of-a-kind forum.

Luminato landed in Longboat Hall on June 24th with a tour de force performance by two of Montreal’s finest musical talents.

Presented in conjunction with Red Bull Music Academy, the evening showcased virtuoso neo-classical pianist Jean-Michel Blais and eclectic electro producer Mike Silver (aka CFCF), who combined forces to present Cascades. This 5 song, 30 minute musical journey displayed each artist’s unique approach to their craft, intertwining to produce a one of a kind aural experience.

On June 8th, Strategy and Kijiji teamed up and took over Longboat Hall for an evening honouring the Cannes-Tenders. The event showcased the cream of crop from Toronto’s incredibly strong marketing sector and their Cannes-worthy campaigns from the last year.

The 20 featured campaigns, curated by strategy, were on display in gallery-style installations across both levels of Longboat Hall, delighting attendees with their provocative and intriguing concepts.

Creative overdrive was the theme of the night, according to Kijiji’s GM, Matt McKenzie, “It was a night of exceptional creativity – from the atmosphere, to the food and drink, to the individuals and the Cannes-worthy campaigns being honoured.”

And he wasn’t exaggerating. Longboat Hall was dramatically decked out for the occasion, and the best in class event featured best in class eats with Rodney’s, purveyors of Toronto’s finest mollusks, supplying the fresh-shucked oysters and The Food Dudes outdoing themselves once again with an eclectic array of mouthwatering treats.

It was night to shine for all in attendance, and McKenzie hinted it won’t be the last time – “We’re already excited to host Cannes-Tenders again and look forward to the show-stopping campaigns that are sure to emerge in the coming year.”

It’s a date, Matt. See you in a year!

This past week we had the great privilege of hosting a truly worthwhile event –UnMasked 2017 – CAMH Foundation’s signature biennial fundraiser.

Mental health and the treatment of mental illness affects us all, and CAMH continues to lead the way on this issue. The UnMasked theme encourages openness, in an attempt to shed the stigma that surrounds conversations about mental health.

It was in this spirit that 600 attendees came together at The Great Hall and were treated to an extraordinary evening of dialogue, entertainment, fashion, and fundraising.

UnMasked 2017 was a feast for the senses that included keynote speakers and live music in the Main Hall, otherworldly fashion designs by Mad Couture modeled throughout the building, and sumptuous edibles from Treeline Catering, while the Conversation Room hosted a bourbon tasting curated by the experts from Bar Chef on the west side and a black and white portrait studio run by The Collective You on the east.

Of course, the reason we were all here was to support our good friends and neighbours CAMH, and this year’s extraordinary fundraising effort were highlighted by the raffle draw for Ron Bolt’s magnificent painting, “Surf Solar”.

We want to thank both CAMH and Fluid Events for allowing us to host the evening, and to thank everyone who came out and, through their great generosity, made UnMasked 2017 such a tremendous success!