Events Archives - The Great Hall

2018 PEN Gala Dinner with special guest, Martin Amis

Posted on April 16, 2018 by admin

Brilliant, incisive and savagely funny, award-winning author Martin Amis, named by the Times as one of the greatest British writers since 1945, is frequently controversial but never dull.

On February 20^th, 2018 PEN Canada and Martin Amis hosted an intimate evening of conversation ranging from Saul Bellow to Donald Trump: incendiary politics, literature, and the madness of crowds in the Main Hall. This event was hosted in support of PEN Canada and authors worldwide, advocating for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.

PEN Canada is one of the 148 centres of PEN International. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

Check out the PEN Canada website for more information here!

Choir! Choir! Choir! and Jesus Christ Superstar!

Posted on March 29, 2018 by admin

This St. Patrick’s Day 400 patrons lined up outside The Great Hall’s Longboat Hall venue as Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman presented the official “Choir! Choir! Choir! Epic! Night” for the NBC Universal production of Jesus Christ Superstar!

Erik Gronwall & Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton on Broadway) – singers from the NBC production of JCS flew up from NYC to Toronto to sing “Simon Zealotes” and “Superstar” with all the patrons.

Choir! Choir! Choir! is a Toronto based choir which originally started off on West Queen West practicing in Nobu’s living room, but on March 25^th, they had fans travelling in from LA and NYC to sing along to Universal’s broadway Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s come a long and fans truly came together over the years to make it the performance it was. Don’t miss Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert this Easter Sunday, APRIL 1 on NBC.

https://www.facebook.com/choirx3/videos/10156596412956535/

https://www.facebook.com/choirx3/videos/10156583893796535/

Behaviour’s Nice n’ Naughty Holiday Party

Posted on December 20, 2017 by admin

MPOSSIBLE Events blew us away once again with Behaviour‘s Nice n’ Naughty holiday party!

The Bavarian-themed market truly came to life this December at The Great Hall. The Main Hall was decked out with thousands of lights, multiple trees and snow! As some guests tucked away by the fire, others explored the food stalls where Citizen Catering was offering Bavarian delicacies.

Throughout the evening, guest chose from the naughty or nice specialty cocktail list and grabbed a chair next to Santa for a photo. Like the cocktails, the music went from nice to naughty as the night progressed and it didn’t take long for everyone to start busting a move, the snowman included.

Another wonderful holiday party to nicely wrap up the 2017 holiday season!

Mosaic’s Home Alone Holiday Party

Posted on December 13, 2017 by admin

As the decor items began to load in, we all knew this night would go down in The Great Hall‘s history books as one of the most clever holiday party ideas- Home Alone.

Mosaic brought the McCallister’s home to life this December in the Main Hall and Conversation Room and no detail was missed. From Kevin in his tree house placed perfectly on stage to Little Nero’s Pizza boy passing hot slices to guests throughout the night to a few boobie traps strategically placed in the venue, guests were fully immersed in the Home Alone experience. The whole McCallister family was with us through family portraits and quotes on the walls, to the photo booth taking pictures of guests in a recreated living room.

The Food Dudes passed delicious Kevin McCallister approved bites while guests picked a cocktail from the naughty or nice bar list. As the eggnog was flowing, so was the dance floor as guests sang along to all the holiday classics performed by the live band and DJ.

Mosaic’s corporate holiday party set the bar high but we can’t wait to see what else is in store for The Great Hall this holiday season!

The Great Hall at The Heritage Toronto Awards

Posted on October 25, 2017November 12, 2017 by admin

The Great Hall was proud to receive an honourable mention at The 2017 Heritage Toronto Awards this Monday, October 24, 2017. The beautiful renovations to our historic Victorian venue containing four unique spaces has not gone unnoticed. Being recognized as an influential landmark on Queen Street West and within the Toronto Heritage community was an honour.

The winners of the 2017 Heritage Toronto Awards were announced during a ceremony hosted by award-winning journalist Christopher Hume. More than 500 guests attended the awards alongside The Great Hall team. The best from Toronto’s city-building community attended this flagship networking event to discuss restoration and it’s positive effect on the city. In its 43^rd year, the Heritage Toronto Awards recognize extraordinary contributions to the conservation and celebration of Toronto’s heritage.

The Great Hall would like to congratulate all the award winners of the night and thank Heritage Toronto for the recognition.

Starbucks x Nitro Cold Brew

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Kasandra Lippens

Honestly, we think it’s impossible to have a great day without great coffee. Lucky for us, on July 13th the fine folks from Starbucks came to The Great Hall to share with us the “taste and craft” of their fine coffee with the launch of their new Nitro Cold Brew!

They transformed our Main Hall into a caffeine cathedral where energetic attendees learned about the quality and process involved in Starbucks’ latest essential offering. Oh, and they got to drink A LOT of fantastic coffee.

Our friends The Food Dudes joined in with edible delights to perfectly complement the bean-based drinks on offer. And to round out the feast for the senses, everyone was able to take advantage of the truly unique “make your own terrarium” and facial exfoliant stations.

It goes without saying that Starbucks did the right thing by teaming with Behaviour and M Possible Events in putting together this amazing day for all involved.

As for us, we’re still buzzing.

Future Lands 2017

Posted on July 11, 2017July 14, 2017 by 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 x Jean Michel Blais & CFCF

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Kasandra Lippens

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.

Kijiji – Cannes-Tenders 2017

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Kasandra Lippens

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!