On September 13, 2019, approximately 750 guests were welcomed into the Edmonton Convention Centre to celebrate Capital Power’s 10 anniversary as well as Genesee’s 30th anniversary.
But it wasn’t your typical business bash — this event brought the outdoors in. Imagine a gorgeous lakeside cottage under the stars, only inside for people to enjoy — that’s what Tycoon Events created for its clients that night to ensure it would be an evening no one would ever forget.
One of the biggest challenges faced by Tycoon Events for this evening, according to Eryne Sarabin, founder and lead event strategist, was finding the right balance to resonate with the diverse group of staff that would be attending. The client wanted to create a lavish event worthy of the milestones achieved but didn’t want the night to be too over-the-top for employees.
“We thought a lot about having that balance between the night being a formal or a casual event because of what our client was telling us,” Sarabin said. “But as we progressed, we did make sure to advertise it as a more casual event, so people could wear jeans if they wanted. We knew it had to a night where people were comfortable, but at the same time, we wanted to elevate the event as much as possible so it could look like and feel like someone was hosting you at their cabin or lakeside property. And that’s when we came up with the theme of ‘An evening under the stars’.”
A lot of thought was put into the look and feel of the event, Sarabin added, with many special features put in place to help guests feel like they were truly outdoors. One of the more special features Tycoon Events helped put in place for the evening was a special visual component.
“We had the event coincide with the sunset outside,” Sarabin explained. “And at the Edmonton Convention Centre, there’s a whole wall of windows (foyer), so you can see when the sunset was happening. We had worked closely with the A/V team to have them mimic the sunset outside to play with the lighting inside. So as the night progressed, the lighting in the hall dimmed, and the starry night skies became brighter with more stars inside.”
Tycoon Events also arranged to have the hall outfitted with live trees and shrubs, custom-made decks and boardwalks, working water fountains, a stone path, Adirondack chairs, and even fire pits to really make it feel like guests were outside enjoying a beautiful summer evening.
No detail was left behind when it came to the guests’ dining experience, too. Long tables outfitted to mimic picnic tables were set up beautifully throughout the space so guests could enjoy dinner family-style with their peers.
And above them — string lights hung dramatically to represent a starry night overhead.
Traditional backyard games were used as the finishing touches of the evening. Guests got to enjoy games like mini-golf, larger-than-life checkers and chess, bocce ball, and there was even a make your own s’mores bar to tie the theme altogether.
Entertainment was probably the most important part of the evening, Sarabin said.
“Because there really was no formal programming by our clients, it was really up to the entertainment to keep things upbeat that night,” she said.
An opening performance by The Esquires kicked off the evening and allowed guests to enjoy the music while eating their dinner. After that, an acrobatic performance hit the stage. And after dinner and dessert, the headlining band, The Strumbellas, took the stage and got people up out of their seats and dancing. Fan favourites were played by Uptown until the end of the night.
Overall, the night was spectacular, Sarabin said, adding that there was a lot of talk about how amazing the space looked.
“It’s one thing to communicate what you’re trying to create and what people can look forward to and another to see their faces when they see the final product,” she said. “We got the same comment over and over from the Edmonton Convention Centre staff as well who said they had never seen the space so transformed like that. And from the guests themselves, just by the number of people that were taking pictures and dancing, we could really tell it was an amazing night for them, too.”
The Details
Planning by: Tycoon Events
Submitted by: Eryne Sarabin, founder and lead event strategist, Tycoon Events
Event: An Evening Under The Stars for Capital Power’s 10th anniversary and Genesee’s 30th anniversary
Venue: The Edmonton Convention Centre
Rentals
GES
Special Event Rentals
One West Rentals
Carnivals for Kids at Heart
Food
The Edmonton Convention Centre
Audio/Visual
Production World
Photo Booth
Flashworks Inc.
Performers
Firefly Theatre, Terrell Edwards Band, The Esquires, The Strumbellas, and Uptown
Greenery and Centrepieces
Vienna Intention
