The new CE Centre in Ottawa

I had the pleasure of having a private site tour of the new CE Centre in Ottawa. With my hard hat and construction boots, I was led by Kate Buchanan (Sales Manager) around the 220,000 square-foot event space located near the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport.

Photo courtesy of ©mivphotography2011:

The expected completion date is early December and there are already many shows planned. Upcoming shows include:

Ottawa International Motorcycle Show
January 13, 2012–January 15, 2012

The Home Renovations Show
January 20, 2012–January 22, 2012

The Ottawa Wedding Show
January 28, 2012–January 29, 2012

Not only is the space great for galas, conferences and tradeshows but there are several pre-function spaces and separate meeting rooms that can also be dedicated to social events such as dinners, parties, and weddings of any size.

All food and beverage catering is provided by Great Canadian Plates by Tulips & Maple who is the exclusive caterer for the new CE Centre. There are sample four plate menu packages that start from $70/person.

The facility is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Candidate in its efforts to minimize impact on the environment.

I am glad I had the chance to preview the CE Centre when it's nearing completion of it's final phase of construction. It will be a state-of-the-art event facility that will be a pride of Ottawa.

Personalize your event...it means more!

I love to recommend to my clients that they add something personal to their wedding or event. It can be carried throughout in a subtle way or as simple and as fun as personalizing the favours or small gifts for their guests. Here's some really great ideas I've come across and thought I should share:

1) Jones Soda - not only can you personalize the label but you get to choose the flavours too.

2) Hockey puck or mini sticks - for those avid hockey fans (I know you're out there) why not celebrate your passion for the sport.

3) Hot Sauce - the site says it all, "Leave memories of your day on the tips of their tongues for months on end."

4) Magazine Cover - make yourself famous and create your own magazine cover.

5) Custom Postage- amazing and your friends and family will love receiving this in the mail.

6) Custom cookie designs - cute and edible!

7) Swarovski Crystal Lingerie - always a nice gift for your girlfriends or bridal party.

8) Personalized Cigar Humidors - an essential gift for any guy who likes a good cigar.

9) Custom soap - why not? It smells nice and everyone needs to use soap ;)

10) Personalized M&M's - because everyone loves chocolates and you can add your photo!

Unique touch...seasonal and sustainable

I had the pleasure of attending a great event tonight that featured menu samples from the Whalesbone Catering Company. On this rainy night, I ventured out to find myself at the corner of Kent and Arlington joining over 80 others to check out first hand what the Whalesbone Catering offers its clients. We were treated to sample delicious seasonal food, local wines and Kichesippi beer. There was the opportunity to try an oyster while they were shucking.

What I thought was interesting was that I found out they are "Ocean Wise" Certified -this means that "when sourcing suppliers for oysters and finfish, they are conscious of the status of the stocks, and also the method of harvest or catch." This is truly unique for a full service catering company. It is apparent that they care that much more in the food they serve! Not only was the food a delight, I also had the pleasure of meeting Kate, Chief of Catering & Event Coordinator. Not only was she fun to talk to but her style and grace in speaking about the Company's uniqueness and service sold me. Definately looking forward to working with her and her staff on an event very soon!

And some bragging rights for this them is that their very own Charlotte Langley will be competing in the Gold Medal Plates competition on Tuesday November 16th National Arts Centre.

If you have a chance, you should visit their Oyster House at 430 Bank Street - maybe I'll see you there one night for dinner.

Summer must be here....

Location for an event, whether private or corporate, is always a key decision for planners. Big or small? Intimate and romantic or grand and elegant? There are so many fantastic venues in Ottawa and I had the pleasure last night to attend two events.

The Atlific Hotels of Ottawa-Gatineau hosted a special wine & beer pairing evening to celebrate the Spring/Summer season. It was fabulous to have the opportunity to meet the teams from Courtyard Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Hotel Indigo, Lord Elgin and Residence Inn - all together. Not only did I get to mix and mingle, I was indulged by the food pairing stations that spoiled me with cocktails made with ginger beer and Russian Standard Vodka, white/red wine, and even scotch. There was food stations from seafood to the chocolate fountain and everything was topped off with live music and great company. Congrats to the Atlific Hotels in Ottawa-Gatineau, 2010/2011 will be filled with exciting and new opportunities!

Lago Bar & Grill has since been a great spot for weddings and events. It recently underwent some renovations. Last night, at their grand re-opening party, I had a preview of the new layout, format and full use of the patio overlooking Dow's Lake - the sunny weather just made it even better on the patio. Fantastic venue that brings out the best of elegance and romance. There were samples from the new menu (including oysters to lamb chops) and special drinks! Well done and I'm looking forward to more exciting news from Lago.

Inspired by tonight's food sampling

Creative but delicious food is always a highlight for any event - both private and corporate. It should be an inspiration of the theme. It should make your guests excited to try it and leaving them wanting more.

Tonight I met with Aliza, Owner and Head Chef for Octogon Catering who treated me to a moroccan-themed sampling of this week's menu. The Moroccan tasting started with pita chips dipped into Matboucha (a cooked spiced tomato salad) and some chips for her Carrot Dip (nicely spiced), Meatballs with Tomatoes, Olives and Homemade preserved lemon, and rolled cookies with raisins, pecans, fruit jam and dates (YUMMY).


Straight off her website, "Octogon catering offers homemade traditional dishes with modern interpretations. A creative culinary experience with innovative customized menus-local or exotic with inspired blend of flavors from various regions of the Mediterranean."

Tonight's tasting not only got me excited for her and the fact that she recently opened a location at 707 Gladstone Avenue, but that we will be working together in planning Octogon Catering's Grand Opening event. More info to come but feel free to drop by her location as she also offers meals to go and unique cooking classes for all ages...truly a Moroccan and Spanish inspired cuisine experience.

Sangria and Networking event for Wedding Professionals in Ottawa

As usual, I saw a post on the internet about interesting networking events and low and behold, I receive a message on twitter from @TrixieTulip that a sangria networking event would be a hit! That was only a week ago and here we are with over 37 vendors ready to be our guests at Ottawa's first ever sangria and networking event for wedding professionals!

The time and date is: Wednesday April 21, 2010 at Lago Bar & Grill.
Presented by: Beyond Events and Trixie Tulip
DJ/Entertainment by: Quality Entertainment

Registration information will follow soon, in the meantime let us know if you are interested on the Facebook page.

Working with experienced vendors that have a big heart

Every year I form a team to participate in the annual Run for the Cure and this year I wanted to contribute more to this great cause so when I was thinking about my next event to plan, I knew it would be a charity fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF). The wheels in my head began turning and the ideas were flowing but how could I pull it off? Thanks to a group of great people who care just as much as I do...

On February 20, 2010, Beyond Events will be co-hosting with the Marriott Courtyard a charity fundraiser that will be"Bringing back the 80's" for one night only.

• Imagine 150 ladies dressed in their best 80s outfit, dancing the the tunes of Duran Duran, Cindy Lauper, Boy George, Madonna and so many more (all music to be provided by the fabulous PM Event Services).
• Well we can't have a night without transforming a room into a wonderland of white and hot pink colours which will be done by Wedecor - one of the best in Ottawa for wedding decor.
• And what's an event without the entertainment? Well we will have our very own Fantasia Diva for the night, Yuk Yuk's will be providing the comedians and Sensually Active Ottawa will thrust us into some pole dancing lessons - all these activities will bring sexy back for sure!
• We also have some great feature booths: custom bra fittings from Comfy Posture Solutions, quickie chair massages from Maitland Massage, and for the sweet tooth...Little Cakes will delight you....just to name a few.

Well since my return to Ottawa, I've worked with many vendors in the wedding and event industry. Some are good at what they do and others have not only impressed me with their professionalism but clearly share the same passion as me in making an event something to remember. I look forward to what 2010 will bring - this event is simply start it off right!

If you're planning a wedding or event, check out some of these highly recommended vendors! Better yet dress in your leg warmers and tease your hair, grab your girlfriends, come down to the Byward Market, and dance to the 80s while supporting a great cause!

For more info, please visit our Events page or call Wendy at 613.791.9261 to find out more.